"Like a Ferris Wheel, this noirish tale leaves the reader to grip the safety bar, ignore that hollow feeling in the stomach, and hold on for dear life as Joe Kontos's life spins in circles. Del Staecker is a master of the genre." - Hollis George, editor and anthologist This gritty hardboiled tale unfolds on the planks of two strikingly different boardwalks - Atlantic City and Ocean City, New Jersey. After four decades on the Shore's music scene, Joe Kontos, a worn-out industry icon, finally hits his personal wall of despair. In an effort to find himself Joe downsizes his life and retires to the safest, quietest place he can imagine - the wholesome family resort of Ocean City. However, it is not tranquility that Joe finds. Instead, a cleverly disguised evil entraps Joe, luring him back to Atlantic City and the grimy side of life. While searching for a missing girl, Joe is deceived, shot, framed, and deceived again before discovering that it is not easy to be a hero.