In The Rough
Eddy Peters drifts into the backwater town of Monte Rio in northern California on the run from booze, civilization and authority. The military veteran shirks the solicitations of a masseuse in her fight against the construction of a nearby treatment plant. But a defrocked priest and a pot grower soon sweep him up into battle with the hope of saving their rural way of life from the evils of progress. After a friendly brawl at the Pink Elephant saloon, a gang of bikers joins forces with the locals and all march to the nearby firehouse to protest their exclusion from the closed political meeting. A standoff with the sheriff’s department stiffens until the ladies from the Main Street Massage Parlor appear with their persuasive ways. Not to be outwitted by a band of buffoons, a deep pocket Bohemian and a self-absorbed chamber president conspire to push through a decisive bond measure. With time running out, Eddy conjures up a desperate plan that results in women of the night dashing through the forest to escape the rage of a naked CEO. Beaten down but not defeated, Eddy and his alliance pave a twisted path upon which greed and fate speed all to an unexpected solution.
Praise & Reviews
“You can never get too crazy when speaking of the magic that is part of Monte Rio’s Vacation Wonderland. In the Rough captures the wackiness that is owned by the characters along the river. Don’t miss out.”
-The THUGZ ( Tribal Hippie Underground Zone)
“In the Rough is the best mix of eclectic characters since On the Road. John McCarty’s wild ride through the anti-establishment denizens of the Russian River in Sonoma County is a throwback treat that will appeal to GenX as well as all the aging hippies still out there. Read it when you have time to not put it down.”
-Mike Reilly, past president of the California Coastal Commission.
“In the Rough captures the heart of local politics in its most basic and repugnant form. A must read.”
-Gil Loescher, Professor of International Politics at Oxford University, England.
“The author’s rascals, villains and hustlers accept each other for what they are, take care of each other when the chips are down and somehow find ways to keep their lives going.”
-Sonoma County Gazette