A haunted ex-con returns to his hometown: âFans of hard-boiled pulp fiction will particularly enjoy this novelâ (Booklist).  Luce Lemay is out on parole three years after an awful tragedy sent him to prison. In his small Illinois town, he does his best to find hope: in a new job at the local Gas-N-Go; in his companion and fellow ex-con, Junior Breen, who spells out puzzling messages to the unquiet ghosts of his past; and finally, in the arms of the lovely but reckless Charlene.  But sorrow and violence lie in his path, in this suspenseful exploration of a country bright with the far-off stars of forgiveness and dark with the still-looming shadow of the death penalty.  âA wonderful accomplishment . . . The power is in the writing. Mr. Meno is a superb craftsman.â âHubert Selby Jr., bestselling author of Last Exit to Brooklyn  âThe author moves the story along at a surprisingly fast and easy pace.â âKirkus Reviews  âMoving . . . Meno has a poetâs feel for small-town details, life in the joint and the trials an ex-con faces, and heâs a natural storyteller with a talent for characterization.â âPublishers Weekly
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