Bloody Battle Rages as Newark Mobs End Truce in Award Winning Historical Fiction "Father Divine's Bikes"

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - Sept. 24, 2019 - PRLog -- "Father Divine's Bikes" by Steve Bassett is a compelling novel interspersing murder, poverty, gang wars and corruption around the city of Newark post-WWII. Newark flourishes during the war but falls to destitution as peace spreads throughout the world. Employment is scarce, neighborhoods are in decline. As gangsters tighten their control of the city, a turf war creates an environment of fear, instilling little hopes of escaping to a better life. When two altar boys begin paper routes to help support their families, they get caught up in the middle of mob activities, running numbers for bookies posing as barbers and faithful followers of Father Divine's controversial cult movement.

Bassett said his inspiration for the story came during a visit back to his roots. "During my tenure as an Urban Affairs investigative reporter for the Associated Press, I covered urban unrest extensively. In 1967, Newark was devastated by one of the deadliest race riots during that turbulent decade. More than twenty persons were killed, and entire neighborhoods reduced to ashes, including the one where I grew up. When I returned to Newark and walked up Springfield Avenue, I was sickened by what I saw. Everything was gone. My book exposes the bitter origins of this tragedy."

Readers and reviewers are applauding "Father Divine's Bikes" for its boldness and authenticity. One Amazon reviewer calls it, "…a melting pot of immigrant culture, with all the racial segregation, paranoia and employment resentment which comes with that…there is certainly no whitewashed rewriting of history here, and the book is all the better for it." Booklife Prize says, "The novel features strong writing and language that feels authentic to the setting and era." Reader Views calls it a "cultural experience," adding, "The author's use of genuine dialogue adds to the overall atmosphere of authenticity… there was no such thing as being politically correct in 1945, and Bassett was spot on in his delivery."

"Father Divine's Bikes" is the winner of the 2018 Solo Medalist New Apple Book Award for General Fiction, and a finalist in the 2018 International Book Awards and the 2018 Best Book Awards. "Father Divine's Bikes" (ISBN 9781543927597, BookBaby 2018) can be purchased through local and online bookstores.

About the Author

Steve Bassett was born, raised and educated in New Jersey, and, although far removed during a career as a multiple award-winning journalist, he has always been proud of the sobriquet, Jersey Guy. He has written for several publications including the Pulitzer Prize winning Salt Lake Tribune. He's worked for the Associated Press, where his exposés gained national recognition, and CBS television news in Los Angeles, earning three Emmy Awards for his investigative documentaries.

His book, "Golden Ghetto: How the Americans and French Fell In and Out of Love During the Cold War," was published in 2013. "Father Divine's Bikes," is his first work of fiction, a historical, noir crime novel set in 1945 Newark.

For more information visit http://www.stevebassettworld.com. Publicity contact: admin@readerviews.com. Review copies available upon request.

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