Through the Crack Zone — John Gilbert

Drink, drink, with a killer in your midst. Then fate shakes you out of your stupor. Through the Crack Zone is a psychological thriller set in New York City. The central character is a bartender. Having lost all interest in life after a failed romance and other personal setbacks, he has severed all ties and is determinedly drinking himself to death. Even a series of nearby murders and the possibility of a serial killer on the loose in his neighborhood fail to awaken any emotion. Then one victim is found just outside his apartment, and the strange behavior of an upstairs tenant finally captures his attention and arouses his suspicions. As the investigation, identification, and apprehension of the killer proceed, the bartender's grudging assistance forces him to emerge from his isolation and re-engage with society. The sequence of events by which an otherwise horrific affair restores meaning to a deteriorating life is a story that transcends genre.