'Thrums with authenticity' The Times'Powerful, bruising and beautiful' Chris WhitakerA bleak, brilliant slice of American noir' Daily MailThe latest novel from the CWA-shortlisted author of Three-Fifths - a Sunday Times, Guardian and Financial Times Book of the Year____________IT'S NOT A COMEBACK. IT'S A FIGHT FOR HIS LIFE. Xavier "Scarecrow" Wallace is a biracial Black MMA fighter on the wrong side of thirty, who's been given a last-ditch chance to break into the big leagues. He is also losing his battle with pugilistic dementia, a struggle he is desperate to hide. In the nursing home of his father, a white man suffering from Alzheimer's, Xavier witnesses shocking episodes that expose ugly truths about his family and his past. As the big fight draws near, Xavier is faced with a dangerous dilemma: throw his match or suffer the deadly consequences. ____________FURTHER PRAISE FOR JOHN VERCHER'John Vercher could well be the next great American novelist' Kia Abdullah'Shrewd and explosive'
