"It's 1949. When war veteran Aloysius Archer is released from Carderock Prison, he is sent to Poca City on parole with a short list of do's and a much longer list of dont's: do report regularly to his parole officer, don't go to bars, certainly don'd drink alcohol, do get a job-and don't ever associate with loose women. The small town quickly proves more complicated and dangerous than Archer's years serving in the war or his time in jail. Within a single night, his search for gainful employment-and a stiff drink-leads him to a local bar, where he is hired for what seems like a simple job: to collect a debt owed to a powerful local businessman, Hank Pittleman. Soon Archer discovers that recovering the debt won't be easy. the indebted man has a furious grudge against Hank and refuses to pay; Hank's clever mistress has her own designs on Archer; and both Hank and Archer stern parole officer, Miss Crabtree, are keeping a sharp eye on him. When a murder takes place right under Archer's nose, police suspiciouns rise against the ex-convict, and Archer realizes that the crime could send him right back to prison ... if he doesn't use every skill in his arsenal to track down the real killer."--From the publisher.
Summary: "It's 1949. When war veteran Aloysius Archer is released from Carderock Prison, he is sent to Poca City on parole with a short list of do's and a much longer list of dont's: do report regularly to his parole officer, don't go to bars, certainly don'd drink alcohol, do get a job-and don't ever associate with loose women. The small town quickly proves more complicated and dangerous than Archer's years serving in the war or his time in jail. Within a single night, his search for gainful employment-and a stiff drink-leads him to a local bar, where he is hired for what seems like a simple job: to collect a debt owed to a powerful local businessman, Hank Pittleman. Soon Archer discovers that recovering the debt won't be easy. the indebted man has a furious grudge against Hank and refuses to pay; Hank's clever mistress has her own designs on Archer; and both Hank and Archer stern parole officer, Miss Crabtree, are keeping a sharp eye on him. When a murder takes place right under Archer's nose, police suspiciouns rise against the ex-convict, and Archer realizes that the crime could send him right back to prison ... if he doesn't use every skill in his arsenal to track down the real killer."--From the publisher.