4:20
This fourth novel does not fit easily into the crime fiction genre. There is no gunfire, little physical violence, no policemen or private detectives.
This is smart, thoughtful literary fiction, very dark, with most characters lacking any character.
It is 1986. The protagonist, Raymond Locke, works for Public Domain, a public relations firm in fictional St. Carlton, Indiana, on Lake Michigan. The setting doesn’t matter much. Human greed, lust, folly, stupidity, rage exist wherever you care to set your novel.
Early in the story we learn that Raymond, 38, works in the Special Services Division, expert at saving rotten people from the shame and punishment they deserve.