I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Written by Mark S. Bacon and published by Archer and Clark Publishing in 2025, this is a story based on the existence of a theme park located in Northern Arizona known as Nostalgia City, or NC. It seems to be located in the area of Sedona, a well-known tourist attraction. The two primary protagonists are Lyle Deming, a former Phoenix Police detective who now drives a taxi within the theme park, and Kate Sorenson, Vice President of PR and Marketing. The owner of the park is a man named “Max” Maxwell, and Kate reports directly to him.

The story begins with Lyle finding the body of a murdered man who is wearing a T-shirt with the message that makes clear he is the father of a lesbian. Lyle notifies the police, with whom he has a good relationship. This story is all about LGBTQ folks and the hate groups who persecute them. Lyle and Kate suspect that hate is the reason for the man’s murder, but the police are not so sure. Very shortly thereafter, a gunman with an automatic AR-15-type rifle opens fire on protestors at a campaign office of current Arizona governor Gudgel. Several people are hit by bullets and three eventually die, including a deputy sheriff. Lyle and Kate immediately suspect a local hate group who call themselves Cadre Brave.

Eventually, the governor becomes connected to a focused attack on the theme park, including suggestions released to the media by Governor Gudgel that the theme park was not safe. Later, he ordered a construction company to delay construction on a freeway off-ramp that made it difficult for tourists to access the park. He wants to curtail the services provided to the park at the Phoenix International Airport, Sky Harbor. Kate travels to Montana to dig up dirt on the governor, who used to practice his politics there. She learns that he is a corrupt government official who takes bribes. The battle of wits is now joined, with Max, Kate and Lyle on one side and the governor and his minions on the other.

Speaking of minions, Governor Gudgel has activated a State Guard, financed entirely by the state of Arizona, and loyal solely to the governor. They are a para-military organization that is armed to the teeth and willing to do the governor’s anti-woke bidding. Lyle and one of his police friends, Rey, travel to Creosote, AZ to investigate the apparent murder of two young protestors at the hands of either the governor, or a hate group. There, they run into the State Guard and expose their fealty to the governor.

The good guys always win, and so it is in this novel. It is clear to me that this author has talent. The dialog is consistently credible. The setting and the story line, however – not so much. I found the whole notion of a theme park devoted to the nostalgic days of the 1960s and 1970s to be less than convincing. Also, the author did not do his homework regarding the weapons carried and used by the characters. Lyle Deming, for example, is described on multiple occasions as carrying a 6-shot revolver, but one that shoots .380 ammunition. The .380 is a rimless cartridge and thus cannot be fired from a revolver without the use of a half-moon clip to prevent the cartridge from sliding into the revolver’s chamber where it cannot be struck by the firing pin. No mention is ever made of additional equipment required to use this ammunition.

I hate to be a nitpicker, as the novel is an entertaining read, but I found a couple of minor editing errors in addition that that big one about the ammunition. They did not detract too much from the readability of the novel, however. This could easily have been a 4- or 5-star novel if the author were to find a more credible setting, and to be a little more careful with his research. I award three out of a possible five stars.

I enjoyed reading The Woke and the Dead despite the odd title. Author Mark S. Bacon gives us a good look at corruption as the Arizona governor tries to inhibit a theme park's pursuit of his corrupt activities with, well, corrupt tactics! The investigation plays out well and Bacon keeps coming up with interesting scenes.
The idea of slowing traffic to the park with phony road construction is one of Bacon''s interesting ideas, but he has murder in the plot as well.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.