Nostalgia City Mystery #5
Hate groups, bigotry, and a
vindictive governor lead to murder
A public war between a governor and a theme park lights the fuse on an explosive story of corruption, bigotry, political espionage and death. Lyle Deming finds a body in Nostalgia City’s parking lot during an LGBTQ event. The ex-cop turned theme-park cab driver takes a breath and steps away from the bullet-punctured corpse. Was this a hate crime?
Arizona governor Rod Gudgel, running for reelection, calls it a random shooting. He mocks Nostalgia City theme park for its inclusiveness using racial and homophobic slurs.
Kate Sorensen, the park’s blonde 6’ 2½” PR director, calls out Gudgel’s insensitivity and prejudice.
When Nostalgia City employees are killed and injured, Kate joins Lyle in a mad scramble to find the killers and shut up or shut down the governor. Lyle hits blind alleys until he runs afoul of an armed hate group.
At the same time, Kate digs into the governor’s long history of malfeasance, enraging Gudgel allies and attracting the menace of paramilitary guards. The governor seems to have armed supporters everywhere.
With Lyle’s wry humor and Kate’s unflappability, the story moves quickly as puzzles and subplots multiply and loop together threatening the park, their relationship, and their lives.
“A rapid-paced, engrossing thriller.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“The Woke and the Dead” is a fast-paced political thriller that shines a fascinating light on the hate groups proliferating throughout America and cries out to be made into a slick Netflix drama.”
—Promoting Crime Fiction (UK)
“The prose is tense, terse, and taut, stretching attention to a hair’s breadth of the breaking point….
“Dialogue is crisp, laden with a gently-acidic humor. It’s like a better-looking Sam Spade, a more-sober Nick and Nora Charles, an up-to-date All the King’s Men.”
—Kings River Life Magazine
“The Woke and the Dead engages readers, offering a narrative rich with mystery, drama, and social commentary. Bacon’s style combines thrilling twists with profound socio-political discourse, aiming to appeal to readers’ heads and hearts alike, topped with moments of levity.”
—Bob Gatty, host
Lean to the Left podcast
“Bacon’s Nostalgia City 1970’s theme park setting is a microcosm of today’s world. I’m drawn to the fascinating characters, fluid writing, wry humor, and timely plots. Underneath Nostalgia City’s joy-filled attractions is a dark side, and The Woke and the Dead, has it all—corrupt bad guys, terrifying twists and turns, and close calls that kept me turning pages. I highly recommend!
—Linda Townsdin, author
Time-lapse on Murder and the Spirit Lake mystery series
“Five Stars. This book addresses racism, sexism, homophobia, and government corruption, but at its core, it’s a fast-paced, intriguing mystery.”
—Goodreads reviewer
Check out the rest of the Nostalgia City series on the More Books page.
Nostalgia City Mysteries 