by Terrance McArthur
Kings River Life Magazine
Lyle Deming used to be a cop. Now, he drives a cab in Nostalgia City, a mammoth theme park recreating the 1970’s—and he solves crimes, sometimes. After an unscheduled LGBTQ+ day at the park, he finds a murder victim in the parking lot, and thus begins The Woke and the Dead, the fifth book in Mark S. Bacon’s Nostalgia City series of noirish mysteries.
| Kate Sorensen handles PR for Nostalgia City. Rod Gudgel, running for re-election as governor of Arizona, criticizes the park for inclusiveness, and he questions the safety of the park’s rides. The tall-and-gorgeous Kate checks out an anti-Gudgel rally at the politician’s campaign headquarters, and the day erupts into gunfire and death, killing several park employees. Is it a hate crime? |
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“It’s like a better-looking Sam Spade, a more-sober Nick and Nora Charles, an up-to-date All the King’s Men.”
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Lyle investigates hate groups, getting too close to some gun-toting conspiracy-junkies who “welcome” him violently. Kate goes to Montana, looking into Gudgel’s shady past and corruption. They both find more than they expect.
The park’s billionaire owner finds his retro-empire dragged into the present as Gudgel mounts a war of dirty tricks. Bribery, extortion, a private police force, homophobia, racism, missing witnesses, help that seems suspicious, undercover surveillance … A lot of things are happening.
Bacon understands the behind-the-scenes workings of a theme park after working as a copywriter for Knott’s Berry Farm, which formed part of his inspiration for Nostalgia City. His prose is tense, terse, and taut, stretching attention to a hair’s breadth of the breaking point.
Lyle’s background is fleshed out as a good detective crazy for not complying with unlawful orders. Kate is a 6’ 2½” former basketball player who can hold her own physically.
The two have an easy your-place-or-mine relationship. 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.
Bacon hasn’t shied away from serious issues in the Nostalgia City series. He has dealt with industrial espionage, marijuana trafficking and legalization, and now, homophobia. For books that make the reader thrill, laugh, and think, go to Nostalgia City. The place is an E-ticket.
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Kings River Life Magazine is a general interest online publication with a prominent focus on mysteries. The magazine also produces a mystery podcast, Mystery Rat’s Maze, featuring mystery short stories and first chapters of mystery novels.
Nostalgia City Mysteries 