Fun City Heist

Kardos (Bluff) triumphs in this playful caper narrated by an ex-musician. Mo Melnick was the drummer for Sunshine Apocalypse, a quartet of New Jersey friends who first performed together as teenagers. The band had early success, including a record deal, which ended when guitarist Johnny Clay moved away and sued the remaining members to prevent them from performing under the band’s name. Twelve years later, Mo, who rents beach umbrellas and chairs on the Jersey Shore for a living, is surprised when Johnny resurfaces and pitches a Sunshine Apocalypse reunion on July 4 at the local Fun City amusement park. Mo eventually learns that Johnny, who needs cash for ALS treatment, intends to use the performance as a cover for a complicated plan in which he and the rest of the band will rob the park on a day when it’s flush with cash. Mo agrees, despite his misgivings, only to find out surprising new information in the days leading up to the heist. Kardos renders his washed-up protagonist with tenderness and sympathy, and he orchestrates the tale’s madcap climax with aplomb. Carl Hiaasen fans will eat this up. Agent: Judith Weber, Sobel Weber Assoc. (Dec.)