The walkaway - Scott Phillips

Sidney's stepfather, Gunther Fahnstiel, got lucky in The Ice Harvest. Lucky to the tune of $250,000 in untraceable notes. Ten years later he's escaped from the Lake Vista nursing home; confused, frail and desperate for a haircut. Sidney has prospered since his days running the bar at the Sweet Cage; he's now the owner, in fact, and strip clubs are big business. So a $12,000 reward is posted for Gunther's safe return. The only problem is Gunther's just run into the daughter of an old flame and memories of dark deeds from decades before begin to surface . . .

'A wicked rogues' gallery . . . Mr Phillips presents a cavalcade of wry sleaze. [He] is clearly at home in this world, and he has wicked fun conjuring it' New York Times

'Phillips is a stylish, laconic writer and The Walkaway, in pulling off his merging of two time scales, never falters for a moment. Terrific' Observer

'Bleak, funny and poignant. Phillips can do it all' Literary Review