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After his wife's death, former detective Sam Lerner returns to his native New Orleans and ends up at the Gentlemen's Club, an escort establishment owned by his longtime friend. There, he befriends Madsen Cassaise: a young Creole who cares for him as he struggles to overcome his grief and growing dependence on alcohol.But when Madsen is found dead, Sam is drawn into the investigation. As more escorts disappear, Sam delves ever deeper into the bayous, cemeteries, levees and bistros of the Vieux Carre, and discovers a shocking secret.In the Big Easy, a place as mysterious as the case itself, the former detective will discover what is truly Inside Sam Lerner. Born in NY, Gwen Banta received B.A. and M.S. degrees from Butler University and a language certification from The Defense Language Institute. Her first novel, published in 2016, is a coming-of-age story set against the backdrop of racial and social unrest in rural Indiana in 1960. Filled with humor as well as pathos, "The Fly Strip," received the Opus Magnum Discovery Award for New Literature-Honorable Mention. Her second novel, "Inside Sam Lerner," is a chilling crime thriller set in New Orleans. It was published by Creativia in 2018 and has received great critical acclaim. Her newest novel, "With Wanton Disregard," was just released and is already being described as a riveting "nail-biter."The author has received numerous awards for her fiction in multiple book festivals throughout the nation and abroad: Great Northwest Book Festival, Los Angeles Book Festival, Pacific Rim Book Festival, San Francisco Book Festival, and the Great Southeast Book Festival. Gwen resides in Los Angeles with her dog, Buddy, who is a major fan of her work.