Novels

Slice has always been used to dirty work. A short run career as an industry butcher helped with that. But those times are long in her past. In the present she lives with Grams and makes ends meet as a freelance car parts thief for The Arab, the biggest fence on the east side of Chicago. Most times it’s just a score that never pays enough to help Grams out with rent. But it’s steady work she’s good at that keeps their heads above water.

All she wants is to stay at the bottom of the rackets until she can leave the criminal life behind her. The Arab had other ideas in mind, like bringing her up in his ranks once he broke from Monica “Hambone” Davis, gangster turned alderwoman who controls all of the east side. So does Grams, who’s decision to sling pills to compensate a significant cut in her social security benefits leaves Slice playing connect to keep their business out the street.

When The Arab gets in a bind and asks Slice to do a heist that he’s willing to pay for, Slice’s seizes the opportunity to get her paper straight once and for all and get Grams out of the rackets. But when the score goes tits up and Slice has to pull off a miracle to save her payday, Slice finds herself with a promotion she didn’t ask for working for Hambone, who refuses to let her or her butcher block skills walk away and never takes no for an answer.