William Morrow, $24.95 (signed first edition)

Collins brings his talented mix of historical and pulp, with a dose of family drama, to wrap up his "Road" trilogy. It's 1973 and former gunman Michael Satoriano manages a Tahoe casino for the mob, providing a dream life for his family. The good life goes bad when San Giancana himself asks him to kill an indicted enforcer. When Michael refuses, he is framed for the killing, forcing him to pull his wife and daughter into his old, violent world much as his hit-man father did with him. Collins takes his time in catching up with Michael and his world, but after Michael picks up his .45 automatic, he goes full force. Not for the squeamish.