Back Door to L.A.

When Quentin Tarantino was asked to pick his favorite read, he picked my book Nobody's Angel. "My favorite fiction novel this year was written by a taxi driver who used to hand it out to his passengers. It's a terrific story and character study of a cabbie in Chicago during a time when a serial killer is robbing and murdering cabbies."

Eddie Miles is a Chicago cabdriver who spends most of his waking hours behind the wheel of his night-shift taxi. His only friends are a small circle of fellow cabbies. He lost his wife to divorce years ago, and the right to see his nine year old daughter, Laura. They then moved 2000 miles away to sunny California.

When Laura shows up unexpectedly in Chicago one day, Eddie thinks it's the answer to his prayers. She's no longer a little girl. She's 18 and to Eddie she's smart, funny, and beautiful. But she doesn't want to talk about the reasons she left California so suddenly.

Eddie's afraid to push for answers. He's afraid to touch the bubble, afraid it will pop. So he plays tour guide instead of father. They cruise through the streets of Chicago, from the Gold Coast to the slums, and one night the bubble pops all on its own. Eddie is soon on his way to California, in search of answers to his many unasked questions.

This is a follow up to "Nobody's Angel," which the Washington Post called "A gem," and "just about perfect." Bookreporter said: "'Nobody's Angel, ' is a powerhouse of a book, a genuine work of noir and one of the best books of the year."