Thumbs

More about the book

As gaming casinos begin to gain a foothold in Atlantic City, a mutilator killer who amputates the thumbs of his victims runs loose among rising showroom stars. Arthur Skillman, young financial wizard and owner of Atlantic City's glitziest new casino, hires Noah Packard, security specialist and war vet, to protect his latest discovery, Mardy Arabica. Mardy, talented and beautiful beyond description, proves to be an uncontrollable handful, constantly putting herself and Packard in harm's way. As the killings continue, and the police are powerless to stop them, Packard draws closer to a forty-year-old secret that haunts the Skillman family. It is a secret that holds the answer to the gruesome murders that soon threaten the lives of all that are close to Mardy Arabica. In a climax of brutal violence, Packard exposes the killer and the truth about the Skillman family. Thumbs is a wry and suspenseful story that probes the complexities of wealth and power, union thuggery, showbiz hype and the ambitious personalities of those who seek to rise in gaming's brilliant glare. It is a tale of craving and venality that, at the last, illustrates the triumph of persistence and courage.