The moment seems trivial at first but it seals Joe Rose's destiny. Fresh out of high school, Joe finds himself at a pool hall where he intervenes to help a stranger, Vince DeLuca, fend off some thugs. The encounter seems like a simple act of bravado, but it sets Joe on a path he could never have imagined. Over a casual pizza dinner, Vince offers Joe a job with his uncle's construction company, a seemingly harmless opportunity that entangles Joe in the dark underworld of the Detroit Mafia.

As Joe becomes increasingly involved in "the life," his knack for using violence to achieve what he sees as necessary ends only pulls him deeper into a world where morality is a luxury. That chance meeting with Vince isn't just a twist of fate—it’s the doorway to a life Joe never truly escapes.

Decades later, Joe reflects on his life. The freedom he once thought he'd gained by entering the witness protection program turns out to be an illusion. Despite being physically free, Joe finds himself in a different kind of prison.
When Joe finally decides to take justice into his own hands, he does so with bitter realization.

This is a gripping tale of a man trapped by his own choices, where the pursuit of freedom comes at the highest cost, and the ultimate question was Joe ever truly free, or was he always destined to be a prisoner of his own making?

Loved it. Will recommend to others.

I really enjoyed this as a concept and was executed well, it had a great story and uses the Mobster element in a way that worked overall and was glad I got to read this. The characters had that element that I wanted in this type of book and am excited for more from J. G. Cope.