5th and Vanguard is set in a seaside town called Berle and narrated by Julie Page, an ex-junkie and writer who retired from writing (and pills) for a more conventional life. But inspiration pays a call one night in front of Bob’s Liquor Palace as a glamorous, disfigured woman emerges from the backseat of a Cadillac and offers Julie one more chance at taking chances.
This quirky, neo-noir mystery explores the pock-marked world of its heroine as she faces her demons in an effort to recover her muse. 5th and Vanguard is a story of chemical, emotional, and artistic addiction and the price paid to feed each habit.
The songs of Maxine Montego showcased in the novel were penned by the author, some of which can be heard on Lee’s album Champions and Lunatics.
Available in paperback and e-reader formats through: