At once a crime thriller, black comedy and family drama wrapped into one poignant and satirical novel.
Deep in the heart of California’s dysfunctional, strip-mall suburbs, the city of Santa Ramona, California is besieged by a pair of unlikely bandits.
Johnny Valentine is a lonely boy who dreams of becoming a hero, just like the masked avengers from the pages of his comic books.
His feisty grandmother Stella is a retired supermarket clerk and cancer survivor with a fierce sense of justice. Running out of time, money and options, the old lady is driven by the need to make one last great contribution.
Together the boy and his grandma devise a Robin-Hood style scheme to rob a ruthless retail conglomerate, stealing cash and medicine for the sick and needy.
As their crime spree continues, the citizens of Santa Ramona wonder how to judge the crazy young boy and his fugitive grandma.
Are Johnny and Stella Valentine a menace to society? Or are they the only ones trying to save it?
