Forest of Fortune
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- $16.99
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- $16.99
Publisher Description
Forest of Fortune tells the story of three haunted souls--an alcoholic, an epileptic, and a gambling addict--who try to turn their luck around at a decrepit Indian casino. But something's not right at Thunderclap Casino. As the three of them come to terms with the ways in which they are haunted by the past and struggle with their addictions, they must confront the malevolent force that won't rest until old wrongs have been made right.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Ruland brilliantly blends the darkly comedic crime fiction sensibilities of Charles Willeford with creepy paranormal undertones la Dean Koontz in his addictively readable debut, the chronicle of three hard-luck losers who try to turn their lives around in an Indian-owned casino in a remote region of Southern California. Alice is an Indian slot-tech with a horrific past whose seizures and ghostly visions are putting her job, and her sanity, in jeopardy. Lupita is obsessed with playing the slots. She has lost everything of value namely the trust of her sister but she knows that the big payday has to be right around the corner. Pemberton is an alcoholic and coke addict whose life is quickly unraveling he has lost his job in advertising and his fianc e has dumped him. His only hope is to land a job at the casino. The existential angst in this story is palpable, and Ruland is particularly good at describing the casino's customers: "addicts, imbeciles, and thrift-store bimbos." Powered by adept characterization, darkly lyrical prose, and an unexpected but oh-so-perfect ending, this is the literary equivalent of a slot machine jackpot.
