The Outlaw Shuffle - Kurt Johnson

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Résumé :
The fiction novel, Rough Diamonds, follows stolen uncut diamonds from Chicago to Las Vegas as they pass through the hands of outlandish characters: The Swede - A Chicago Outfit guy with a penchant for rare porcelain figurines who steals the diamonds from the Mafia. Emmy - An Outfit guy in Las Vegas tasked with fencing the diamonds. Emmy has a family now with a strange stepdaughter and eventually wants out of The Life. He chases down the diamonds with Swede. Skinny - A homeless heroin addict and street thief who steals the diamonds from Emmy and eventually ends up in the flood channel tunnels below the streets of Las Vegas with an organized gang of homeless people. Cory - An aspiring comedian, high school student, and janitor at Tramps Nightclub who finds the diamonds on the dance floor after they've fallen from Skinny's pants pocket. He and Emmy's stepdaughter have a thing. Deedee - The Tramps' manager and former prostitute who gets the diamonds from Cory and locks them in the safe. Niven - A friend of Skinny's who's moved off the streets and is now into larger heists. He robs the safe at Tramps and takes possession of the diamonds. Tanya - Emmy's stepdaughter, who goes out with Cory. Each week, she dresses differently, from hippie chick to cheerleader to Goth to preppy, in an effort to find herself. The Rat King - A Homeless Vietnam Veteran who lives in the tunnels under Las Vegas and runs a gang of homeless people. The Rat King takes the diamonds from Niven. The story comes to a showdown in the tunnels. A gun battle ensues, followed by rain above ground, creating a flood underground that washes away everything....

Sommaire:
The Outlaw Shuffle-a psychological thriller with a satirical twist-tells the story of an abduction, a chase across the Southwest during the pandemic summer of 2020, and a final showdown in Las Vegas. Hugh is a dishonored psychologist and lonely widower traveling in an RV who abducts a woman simply for the companionship he believes will ensue. His victim is the fifties-something Josephine or Jo. Her husband, Bray, and a ragtag group of social media followers give chase based on leads gleaned from social media. The Southwest of 2020 was a place filled with suspicion. Social discord was defined by those with masks and those without, those who displayed the American flag and those who didn't. The pursuers of Josephine navigate all this as they search campgrounds, RV parks, Federal lands, small towns, and truck stops. They encounter angry Trumpers, Second Coming believers, RV nomads, Instagram influencers, and other quirky characters. During the chase, Hugh and Jo begin to play gin rummy, and in her seclusion from the outside world, the two develop a relationship of sorts. His goal is to eventually compete again in a Las Vegas gin rummy tournament. When he gets a near-fatal case of COVID, Jo agrees to take his place. The explosive showdown leaves some dead, some bewildered, and some wondering what to do next....