Damon Ramp is a lousy yellow pages salesman going nowhere fast. But a fateful call on an odd little flower shop in St. Paul puts things in motion—in the opposite direction. Suddenly the innocuous sales call has him swimming in the deep end with the feds. And the mob. Including some long-lost relatives who just want to say hello, but have a hard time playing nice.
Along the way to finding his roots, Damon crosses paths with Hadji, a teenage extortionist who’s trying to cash in on the nefarious goings-on at the flower shop, blackmailing the well-to-do men who patronize some of the seamier back-room offerings. And that’s only the beginning. Drugs. Guns. An opium baron. Old-country hitmen. A wiseguy funeral.
Welcome to the Hot State.
“It was a fun read, great storyline with twists and turns. Can’t wait until Friendly Skies comes out next.”
“Very entertaining and held my interest!! Loved it! A must read.”
Available at your favorite online bookseller.
On Chequamegon Bay, Ashland, Wisconsin Philip G. Olson Photography
About the Author
Perry Anthony was born in St. Paul, Minnesota and is a graduate of the University of St. Thomas, that saintly BA in journalism leading him down the straight and narrow to various writing adventures, including work for the Associated Press and a brief stint as a copywriter, where he wrote prom night themes. His second foray into fiction landed him in the pages of Iconoclast Magazine, where his first short story, “Tracing Flight,” was published. Others followed, some of which not landing quite as well. Hot State is his first novel in the Slightly Crooked Mystery series. Friendly Skies will approach next, where more landings will be attempted, hopefully not requiring any type of flotation device. He lives in northwestern Wisconsin.