The KID FROM CALIFORNIA Short Stories - Volume 1

KID FROM CALIFORNIA
Short Stories – Volume 1
Inspired by the early pulp fiction detective novels of Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, and Robert B. Parker and by David Baldacci’s Archer Series which convincingly demonstrates that those stories and their stereotypical characters can be updated to appeal to modern readers, we now have these stories of the Kid from California by Delvin Chatterson.
The Kid is Patrick Malloy, a young man from San Diego trying to get ahead in the 1960s while working as an enforcer for the Mob in Las Vegas and occasionally as a bodyguard for Frank Sinatra. The stories follow him into dark and dangerous territory where he’s continually challenged to avoid becoming a murderous gangster without becoming a victim himself. At the same time, he’s managing a young man’s angst, his moral dilemmas, and a few romantic episodes.
Three short stories in Volume 1 introduce us to those challenges for the Kid from California:

• My Way - Patrick is travelling with Frank Sinatra while trying to complete a contract from his Mob boss for a murder. He’s worrying about the consequences of the dangerous decisions he has to make.
• Looking for Work - Patrick gets drawn into a violent confrontation with the gangster owners of a competing casino in Las Vegas and then discovers he’s been double crossed by an insider and friend. It’s do or die, choose to be a murderer or be dead.
• Looking for Answers – Working security at the Golden Goose, Patrick is trying to identify the crook who’s skimming cash at the casino before the Mob bosses in New York send their guy to fix it. Patrick starts digging and is shocked to discover who’s getting set up as the scapegoat.