The Woke and the Dead

by Mark S. Bacon

A public war between a governor and a theme park lights the fuse on an explosive story of murder, hate groups, corruption, bigotry, and political espionage.

Lyle Deming finds a body in Nostalgia City’s parking lot during an LGBTQ event. The ex-cop turned theme-park cab driver takes a breath and steps away from the bullet-punctured corpse. Was this a hate crime?

Arizona governor Rod Gudgel, running for reelection, calls it a random shooting. He mocks Nostalgia City theme park for its inclusiveness. He uses homophobic and racial slurs.

Kate Sorensen, the park’s blonde 6’ 2½” PR director and former college basketball star, calls out Gudgel’s insensitivity and prejudice, and the governor strikes back. He challenges the safety of the park’s rides, threatening to impose state control to shutter the park.

When Nostalgia City employees demonstrating at a Gudgel campaign office are killed and injured, Kate joins Lyle in a mad scramble to find the murderers and shut up or shut down the governor. Politics might impede law enforcement’s investigation, but Lyle uses his own style, hitting blind alleys until he runs afoul of an armed hate group.

At the same time, Kate digs into the governor’s past, unearthing an impossible trail of malfeasance and enraging Gudgel allies. When she dons a disguise to infiltrate the governor’s inner circle, state guardsmen put her in peril. The governor seems to have armed supporters everywhere.

With Lyle’s wry humor and Kate’s unflappability, the story moves quickly as puzzles and subplots multiply and loop together threatening the park, their relationship, and their lives.

Genres: Mystery, Fiction

404 pages, Paperback

Published March 15, 2025

About the author

Mark S. Bacon began his career as a Southern California newspaper police reporter, one of his crime stories becoming key evidence in a murder case that spanned decades.

After working for two newspapers, he moved to advertising and marketing and became a copywriter for Knott’s Berry Farm, the large theme park down the freeway from Disneyland. Experience working at Knott’s formed part of the inspiration for his creation of Nostalgia City theme park.

Before turning to fiction, Bacon wrote business books including "Do-It-Yourself Direct Marketing," printed in four languages and three editions, named best business book of the year by the Library Journal, and selected by the Book of the Month Club and two other book clubs. His freelance feature articles have appeared in the Washington Post, Cleveland Plain Dealer, San Antonio Express News, Orange County (Calif.) Register, Denver Post and many other publications. Most recently he was a correspondent for the San Francisco Chronicle.

"Dark Ride Deception" is the fourth book in the Nostalgia City mystery series that began with"Death in Nostalgia City". The first book introduced ex-cop turned cab driver Lyle Deming and PR executive Kate Sorensen, a former college basketball star. "Death in Nostalgia City" was recommended for book clubs by the American Library Association.

Bacon is the author of flash fiction mystery books including, "Cops, Crooks and Other Stories in 100 Words - Revised Edition".

He taught journalism as a member of the adjunct faculty at Cal Poly University – Pomona, the University of Nevada – Reno, and the University of Redlands. He earned an MA in mass media from UNLV and a BA in journalism from Fresno State.

Reviews

[Betsy Cornwell]

A man is found shot to death in the parking lot of a theme park in Arizona. The investigation is quickly entangled in a war of words between the state's governor and the theme park, Nostalgia City. And, oh, there's also a mass shooting. This book addresses racism, sexism, homophobia, and government corruption, but at its core, it's a fast-paced, intriguing mystery.

[Kelsie]

I had high hopes for this book but it didn’t really grab my attention in the way I was hoping. I also don’t feel the book really came to a reasonable conclusion and seemed as if the ending has nothing to do with the entire plot of the book. This was a very long read for me.

[Richard]

Not Very Credible!

I received this book free from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Written by Mark S. Bacon and published by Archer and Clark Publishing in 2025, this is a story based on the existence of a theme park located in Northern Arizona known as Nostalgia City, or NC. It seems to be located in the area of Sedona, a well-known tourist attraction. The two primary protagonists are Lyle Deming, a former Phoenix Police detective who now drives a taxi within the theme park, and Kate Sorenson, Vice President of PR and Marketing. The owner of the park is a man named “Max” Maxwell, and Kate reports directly to him.

The story begins with Lyle finding the body of a murdered man who is wearing a T-shirt with the message that makes clear he is the father of a lesbian. Lyle notifies the police, with whom he has a good relationship. This story is all about LGBTQ folks and the hate groups who persecute them. Lyle and Kate suspect that hate is the reason for the man’s murder, but the police are not so sure. Very shortly thereafter, a gunman with an automatic AR-15-type rifle opens fire on protestors at a campaign office of current Arizona governor Gudgel. Several people are hit by bullets and three eventually die, including a deputy sheriff. Lyle and Kate immediately suspect a local hate group who call themselves Cadre Brave.

Eventually, the governor becomes connected to a focused attack on the theme park, including suggestions released to the media by Governor Gudgel that the theme park was not safe. Later, he ordered a construction company to delay construction on a freeway off-ramp that made it difficult for tourists to access the park. He wants to curtail the services provided to the park at the Phoenix International Airport, Sky Harbor. Kate travels to Montana to dig up dirt on the governor, who used to practice his politics there. She learns that he is a corrupt government official who takes bribes. The battle of wits is now joined, with Max, Kate and Lyle on one side and the governor and his minions on the other.

Speaking of minions, Governor Gudgel has activated a State Guard, financed entirely by the state of Arizona, and loyal solely to the governor. They are a para-military organization that is armed to the teeth and willing to do the governor’s anti-woke bidding. Lyle and one of his police friends, Rey, travel to Creosote, AZ to investigate the apparent murder of two young protestors at the hands of either the governor, or a hate group. There, they run into the State Guard and expose their fealty to the governor.

The good guys always win, and so it is in this novel. It is clear to me that this author has talent. The dialog is consistently credible. The setting and the story line, however – not so much. I found the whole notion of a theme park devoted to the nostalgic days of the 1960s and 1970s to be less than convincing. Also, the author did not do his homework regarding the weapons carried and used by the characters. Lyle Deming, for example, is described on multiple occasions as carrying a 6-shot revolver, but one that shoots .380 ammunition. The .380 is a rimless cartridge and thus cannot be fired from a revolver without the use of a half-moon clip to prevent the cartridge from sliding into the revolver’s chamber where it cannot be struck by the firing pin. No mention is ever made of additional equipment required to use this ammunition.

I hate to be a nitpicker, as the novel is an entertaining read, but I found a couple of minor editing errors in addition that that big one about the ammunition. They did not detract too much from the readability of the novel, however. This could easily have been a 4- or 5-star novel if the author were to find a more credible setting, and to be a little more careful with his research. I award three out of a possible five stars.

[Annie]

Originally posted on my blog Nonstop Reader.

The Woke and the Dead is a gritty procedural set in a huge fictive theme park in the Arizona desert, and the 5th book in the series by Mark S. Bacon. Released 13th March 2025, it's 388 pages and is available in paperback and ebook formats. It's worth noting that the ebook format has a handy interactive table of contents as well as interactive links and references throughout.

This is a nice procedural whodunnit full of politics, American society and culture wars featuring an ensemble supporting cast alongside a cab driver/security investigator at a large retro 70s theme park city in Arizona. The actual underlying themes of current American culture wars "woke agenda" and conservative rhetoric could have been absolutely fraught with pitfalls but the author is impressively adept at avoiding the clichés and delivering a well-engineered readable mystery featuring a wryly humorous, intelligent protagonist, backed up by an impressively pragmatic and appealing (female) PR director, and assorted park employees.

Content warning for all-too-real misogyny, hate, political rhetoric, and nastiness which is all-too-believable. There are a few mildly graphic descriptions (blood/shooting/etc). There's a lot of ammunitions/hardware in the book which may or may not be accurate (I don't have the background to comment, but presumably the author's background expertise make him well-informed to have the expertise to write about the subject).

Four stars. Credible gritty mystery thriller in the same general genre as Daniel Silva, Ben Coes, and Robert Crais. With 5 books extant in the series, it would make a nice binge/buddy read, or possibly a mystery book club selection.

Disclosure: I received an ARC at no cost from the author/publisher for review purposes.

[Vanessa Shields]

*SPOILER ALERTS*

A fast-paced, in-your-face, action-packed mystery that twists and turns like a Nostalgia City roller coaster. Buckle up for the fifth edition of the Nostalgia City Mystery Series by ex So. Cal. police reporter and San Francisco Chronicle correspondent, Mark S. Bacon.

Bacon holds back no punches in this evil vs. good story that showcases what happens when hate grows and spreads amongst political figures and disseminates in gun-toting groups motivated by lies, prejudice, racism, and anger.

There’s some very strong content warnings I’d like to offer readers: gun violence, disturbing scenes, sexual assault. Having said this, I believe Bacon did stellar research using his journalistic and writerly skills, to create a terrifying but realistic storyline in his fictional world. In fact, many scenes could have been pulled from present-day news, which at some points made the story a bit hard to read. There’s no break in plot and character development, making it a must-turn-the-page kinda read.

Despite the potential feels-too-real, too-close-to-home narrative, which could deter some readers, Bacon exemplifies a courageous authorial agenda as Lyle and Kate, our main characters, navigate layers of dangerous systemic and political misogyny, violence, malfeasance, homophobia and racism, deep-leaning toward equality, peaceful solutions and diligent, research-and-fact-based problem solving.

I believe, at its heart, The Woke and The Dead is a hopeful peace-cry, proving that even in the thick of political fu*kery and violence, good people show up to hold up the facts and help each other unconditionally. It’s a great book club read that will generate intense, necessary and profound conversations. In essence, The Woke and The Dead is a protest, an literary act of activism held in a reflexive fictional mystery.

[Barb Ristine]

Review of THE WOKE AND THE DEAD by Mark S. Bacon

You’d think that a cab driver working for a retro theme park would have a relatively stress-free life. But Lyle Demming just found a dead body in the parking lot of the 1970s-themed Nostalgia City, and the ex-homicide cop can’t stop himself from investigating.

Meanwhile, his girlfriend, Kate Sorenson, PR director for Nostalgia City, has her hands full fending off the governor’s false allegations that the park’s rides are unsafe. And if that’s not enough, then there’s a mass shooting at a demonstration protesting the governor’s anti-gay stance.

This story is definitely “ripped from the headlines.” The murder may be a hate crime connected to a Pride event at the theme park. Political corruption. An authoritarian governor running for re-election on a platform of censorship and anti-LGBTQ rhetoric. A governor with a shady past with a State Guard that acts like his private army.

There are plenty of twists and turns to keep you guessing. Bacon is a former crime beat reporter and it shows in his fast pacing and sharp dialogue. Although this book is the fifth in his Nostalgia City mystery series, it reads like a stand-alone novel. You’ll find it hard to put down.

[Debbie]

If Bacon had written this novel even 10 years ago, I would have called it a dystopian novel. However, so many of the plot twists sadly have a true ring in comparison to our current political climate - right down to the description of the story's protagonist, the Arizona governor! It was impossible not to make a comparison. The characters were multi-dimensional, the pace was rapid, and the timeline never wavered. If you are into series, you may want to also pick up the first four novels in Bacon's Nostalgia City series, however, this novel stands alone. I commend him for not making continued references to prior books within the storyline. Overall, a very interesting approach and storyline for this cozy mystery!

[C. Gonzales]

I found that his had the perfect mix of narrative drive and detail

Mark S. Bacon proves himself as a storyteller with a keen political mind. There are real life scenarios that really lend to the believability.

With engaging characters, suspenseful situations, culture and human rights issues as well as plenty of political intrigue, this was just such a well balanced book that had so much to offer —I couldn't put it down!"

[Linda Townsdin]

I have thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series. Mark S. Bacon’s Nostalgia City 1970’s theme park setting is a microcosm of today’s world. I’m drawn to the fascinating characters, fluid writing, wry humor, and timely plots. Underneath Nostalgia City’s joy-filled attractions is a dark side, and The Woke and the Dead, Bacon’s latest, has it all—corrupt bad guys, terrifying twists and turns, and close calls that kept me turning pages. I highly recommend!

[Gina Stamper]

First and foremost, Mark S. Bacon has a great writing style. Such in depth descriptions made me feel like I was present in the story.

Secondly, the main characters and the different side characters were well developed and each had their own personality.

The scenes were well portrayed and well drawn out. Every part of this was fun and exciting while also thoroughly making me think. Great read.

[Jamie Barringer (Ravenmount)]

A murder mystery thriller blended with political thriller, a bit bogged down in the middle, but not terrible. A murder that might be a hat crime is also maybe tied to political corruption, and the staff of a theme park gets caught up in the middle of the whole mess. Despite issues with pacing and maybe too many central characters, this was an entertaining book. I was concerned that the woke/anti-woke element might overshadow the plot too much but this novel does manage to balance political awareness with storytelling pretty well. I'd rate this one 3.75 stars, but rounded to 4 stars.

[Paige D]

The Woke and the Dead is a fast-paced, thought-provoking thriller that blends mystery with sharp political commentary. Mark S. Bacon crafts a compelling narrative filled with tension, twists, and timely themes, while delivering engaging characters and a steadily escalating plot. A gripping read for fans of suspense that challenges as much as it entertains.

[Samantha Turley]

This had everything you could want for an enjoyable read and it really delivered.

Solid characters with a brief background so you know where the lead is coming from.

Fast-paced. Suspenseful. Full of secrets and lies. Interesting, complex, likable protagonist. A highly readable book.