Step to the Graveyard Easy — Bill Pronzini

Matthew Cape has no time to worry about his fears; caught up in events not of his making, but inescapable, he does things he's never dared and goes places he's only dreamed about. He's given up everything he ever had, but nothing at all of what he is, and if there's a price to pay, Cape is the one who will pay it.

The Corvette is easy, the skydiving fun, and gambling, well...that has always been a passion, though never at stakes this high. Dealing with grifters like Boone and Tanya Judson, however, is a touch of the unknown, and when they try to cheat Cape in a crooked poker game in San Francisco, his route changes drastically. From the City by the Bay to Lake Tahoe, a trail of deceit finally leads him to the peace he seeks, the freedom he wants...and the redemption he needs.