February, 1946, Newport, Kentucky...Dubbed Little Mexico, this once seedy little river town is now the gambling Mecca of America. She's bursting with a wide assortment of characters: high rollers and small-time hoods, mobsters and celebrities, prostitutes, cops on the take, and young veterans returning from the war. Bust-out joints pockmark her streets. Hundreds of small-time operators work from the backrooms of neighborhood bars and candy stores. Her main thoroughfares are lined with glamorous, gangster-run casinos.Into this mix steps Nick Cavanaugh, Navy vet and Fleet Boxing Champ four years running. An easy-going giant, Nick can be your best pal'or, if you double cross him, your deadliest enemy.Nick heads for The Oasis'one of Newport's swankiest clubs, owned and operated by the parents of his shipmate, Joey Jules. He is immediately put on the family payroll and lands on the front lines of another war.The Oasis is under attack. Pearl Jules, Joey's mother, has been running the club on her own, ever since her husband, Carl, was shot, and is determined to hold on no matter how many times the rival Cleveland Syndicate tries to burn her out of business.But gangsters aren't the only ones gunning for Pearl.Another returning veteran is on a quest to avenge his father's death at the hands of a local thug. This vigilante won't be satisfied with sending just one mobster to hell'he's decided to take on all of them and declares war on the area casinos.And there's a burning hatred in his heart for one nightspot in particular: The Oasis.Praise for Cathie John's previous novel, the Barry Award nominated LITTLE MEXICO:?The novel's historical grounding (including use of real names and events) is excellent and provides a fascinating look at how a little city found notoriety as a haven for gambling, prostitution and other crime." ?Cincinnati Post