At just nine years old, Danny Toussaint is left behind in the shadows of the New Orleans French Quarter—abandoned by his mother and raised by an unlikely pair: a sharp-tongued Cajun madam and her partner, a streetwise veteran cop.

By his late teens, Danny finds his calling at the pool table, lured by the rush of gambling and the hustle of underground pool halls. Fast forward a decade—his marriage to a ‘country club’ wife crashes, his job’s gone, and he's drowning in debt to a local mob boss. With nothing left to lose, Danny hits the road to chase his shot at becoming a pro player.

Leaving behind Chenoa, his new girlfriend and a fiercely ambitious artist, Danny travels pool hall to pool hall—hunted by time, shadowed by the mob’s enforcer, and hoping one big win can set him free. His shot finally comes at a high-stakes tournament in Texas. But as the balls break, Hurricane Katrina barrels toward New Orleans.

Play for the money—or go back to save the people who once saved him?

French Quarter Danny delivers a raw, insider look at Gulf Coast grit, life in the French Quarter, and the cutthroat world of pool. Fast-paced, high-stakes, and full of edge—this is a hustler’s story with heart.

• By Carlos Ledson Miller
• 320 Pages
• Bebob Publishing
• Paperback