Indian Mound Downs, West Virginia: a downtrodden racetrack as dusty and dilapidated as the characters tied to it – characters who think they've seen everything the cheap sport of claim racing has to offer.Until August 1970, that is, when Tommy Hansel comes to town. Hansel – handsome, hypnotic and hot under the collar – has a scheme in his head and a scam up his sleeve. Get in, get rich, get out. It's a sure thing.But Hansel soon learns what the old-timers already know – there is no such thing as a sure thing, let alone a quick out. Especially since his girlfriend, Maggie, has piqued the interest of two local gangsters.Lord of Misrule is a tale of heart, pluck and risk, told with mesmerizing assurance and ambition. Jaimy Gordon's matchless characterisation and setting means, once you've put it down, you half expect to find your hands covered in the dry, red dust of the Indian Mound Downs racetrack.