The Monk

This book is a rip-snorter of an adventure story. Follow the exciting experiences of Earl 'The Monk' Nolte as he becomes swept up into the prohibition world of the 1920s in Tampa's Ybor City. 

The west coast of Florida was a storied land of ghost ships laden with Cuban rum lurking beyond the territorial limits waiting for blockade runners in their black boats to race the Coast Guard for hidden inlets on the coast to bring their illicit rum to the speakeasies and their customer's unquenchable thirst.

 Inject a Florida rancher into this world and wait for the fireworks. Monk and his gang known as the Cracker Mafia build a rep for producing the finest rum this side of Havana. They make enemies when they disrupt the existing bootleg supply chain, destroying the income and power of the crime lords up and down the west coast.

Much time was devoted to bringing authenticity to the story world of Tampa in the roaring twenties. Not only will you find attention to detail of the history of the era, but also the slang terms commonly used then. It's blended into a rich tapestry that will immerse you into the life and times where they lived.