Fadeaway Joe

By: Hugh Lessig

Narrated by: Lewis Arlt, Karissa Vacker

Sixty-four-year-old Joe has known violence his entire life. For forty years, he’s worked as an enforcer for loan shark and close friend Maxie Smith, breaking more than a few bones along the way. When Maxie abruptly fires him, Joe isn’t sure where to lay the blame—on Maxie, the man he once considered his brother, or on the early-onset Alzheimer’s that made Maxie lose faith in him in the first place.

To keep his head above water, he begins to operate a food truck that’s barely getting by. Desperate to regain some purpose in his life, Joe makes a life-altering decision: he’s going to take down Maxie Smith by any means necessary, once and for all. However, his plan of revenge is sidelined when he meets twenty-two-year-old Paula Jessup, a wise-cracking amateur detective with a few scheming cards up her sleeve, who’s on the run from a trafficking ring she’s been investigating. The two form an unlikely bond: Paula needs some protection and Joe needs a purpose. With the stakes running high and the clock ticking down—will this gamble pay off?

©2023 Hugh Lessig (P)2023 Dreamscape Media

Fadeaway Joe is a must read

The author created an unlikely pair of endearing and relatable criminals. I found myself caring and rooting for Joe, a violent thug , and the young accidental young killer he is determined to help and protect. Despite facing a future he never expected from betrayal and the onset of dementia, Joe finds purpose in this fast moving crime drama. I am still thinking about the characters!