Retirement takes on new meaning in this hilarious work of poolside-noir where lust, greed, and murder collide in sunny Palm Springs, California.
Sammy Dee is a mid-level Long Island mafioso in witness protection. Didier Onyekachukwu was the corrupt minister of finance of the former Upper Volta. Both men find themselves in middle age, living in a down-market condo complex called Paradise Gardens. Enter Marcy Gray, a “mature” actress barely getting by on a meager SAG pension. On the make for a guy to get her through tough times, her standards are not as high as they should be.
Sammy and Didier are mostly interested in getting into Marcy’s pants. Though a little of the money they mistakenly think she has wouldn’t hurt either. In competition for Marcy’s affections, each man decides to put a hit on the other. It’s Elmore Leonard meets Carl Hiaasen as directed by the Coen brothers in this hilarious romp of aging connivers looking for a second chance.
“Hilarious, touching, beautifully written, and engaging throughout . . . A hard-hitting but good-natured satire of just about everything that makes us Americans. Two thumbs up.” —Howard Frank Mosher, author of Stranger in the Kingdom
“Wickedly clever and wildly entertaining, Purgatory Gardens is crime fiction raised to a high art.” —Peter Quinn, author of Dry Bones
