Jake Robertson is in over his head. It's 1939: The US is on the brink of World War II, and California's San Joaquin Valley, where Jake's family of destitute migrant workers lives and works, is a hothouse of underworld activity. During his harrowing rite of passage Jake will be tested by juvenile detention, the war, and the worst that gangland forces can muster against him. Accused of murdering his own friend, Jake seeks to clear his name with the help of an investigative reporter and a bewitching prostitute. On his tail are strike breakers, hit men, and the dirtiest cops known in the Valley. Playing out against the seedy back-drop of labor disputes, gambling dens, race tracks, and whorehouses, the novel asks whether Jake - a flawed but promising and highly capable young man - can redress the many wrongs against him and his own and navigate his way through a maze of corruption without compromising his integrity.
An outgrowth from Taylor's acclaimed novel Long Road Home which critics compared to Steinbeck's work, Wild Card is a fast-paced, hard-hitting historical adventure. With its compelling characters, wealth of accurate historical detail, and breathless, brilliant literary style, Wild Card is a sure bet.