How the Hula Girl Sings

A haunted ex-con returns to his hometown: "Fans of hard-boiled pulp fiction will particularly enjoy this novel" ( Booklist).   Luce Lemay is out on parole three years after an awful tragedy sent him to prison. In his small Illinois town, he does his best to find hope: in a new job at the local Gas-N-Go; in his companion and fellow ex-con, Junior Breen, who spells out puzzling messages to the unquiet ghosts of his past; and finally, in the arms of the lovely but reckless Charlene.   But sorrow and violence lie in his path, in this suspenseful exploration of a country bright with the far-off stars of forgiveness and dark with the still-looming shadow of the death penalty.   "A wonderful accomplishment . . . The power is in the writing. Mr. Meno is a superb craftsman." —Hubert Selby Jr., bestselling author of Last Exit to Brooklyn   "The author moves the story along at a surprisingly fast and easy pace." — Kirkus Reviews   "Moving . . . Meno has a poet's feel for small-town details, life in the joint and the trials an ex-con faces, and he's a natural storyteller with a talent for characterization." — Publishers Weekly