In the lakefront hamlet of Okoboji in northwestern Iowa, Bart Farley's best shot at ousting his competition for a casino license is murder and bribery. As the owner of a night club and the oversized excursion boat Maximillian, Farley is backed by a deadly criminal organization and friends who tend to crawl out of the darkest holes. But he only believes he's untouchable…
When a vacationing FBI agent turns up dead and a young woman reports she has escaped a local human trafficking ring, players on both sides of the law start asking questions, threatening to unravel Farley's clandestine operation. And when the cost of doing business is prison, Farley may stop at nothing to keep the doors open and the truth behind his night club buried six feet under.
Gene Gross is fortunate and grateful for the outstanding mentors who encouraged him as a young musician and teacher. Gene served 38 years as a band director and following retirement, maintained a private studio for ten years. As a horn player, he performed with bands and orchestras throughout South Dakota and Iowa. His chamber compositions for horn are published by Grand Mesa Music. Gene is a Past-President of the Iowa Bandmasters Association and served as chairperson of the organization's Endowment Fund Committee for 21 years. He has a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of South Dakota, a Masters of Music Education degree from Drake University, and additional postgraduate studies at the University of Iowa. He and his wife have two sons and five grandchildren and live in Ames, Iowa. An avid reader, Gene's fascination with mystery novels began at an early age. By fifth grade he knew he would write a novel; it just took a few decades to finish his first novel, The Girl in the Net.
