The Ponce of the title is Ponce de Leon Avenue in Atlanta, Georgia, and is, according to an Author's Note, "a haven for the homeless, the lawless and the restless". Qualifying on all counts is retired marijuana smuggler Sam Fuller, who gets involved in the disintegrating operations of mob boss Billy "Dong" Chandler. Fuller is aware that Chandler has a huge cache of money hidden somewhere - if one were to go by his nickname, perhaps the front of his trousers might be the first place to look - and decides to round up a crowd of the usual suspects in order to steal it. The result is a highly engaging comedy-thriller which never lets up until the last frenetic page.
By Vincent Banville