<DIV>In thirteen stories, John Brandon gives us a stunning assortment of men and women at the edge of possibility?gamblers and psychics, assassins and priests, all of them on the verge of finding out what they can get away with, and what they can't. Ranging from ruined paradises to forgotten islands, from haunted deserts to alligator-filled swamps, these are stories of foul luck and strange visitations, delivered with deadpan humor by an unforgettable voice.<BR><BR><I>The New York Times</I> praised Brandon's last novel for a style that combined Elmore Leonard and Charles Portis, and now Brandon brings that same darkly American artistry to his very first story collection, demonstrating once again that he belongs in the top ranks of contemporary writers.</DIV>