Marshal Sweeney Delaney was just a rookie in his small Iowa town when Congress ratified the 18th Amendment. Prohibition threw the whole nation into a tailspin. Even teetotaling Christians jumped on the bandwagon and began making panther piss in a still behind the barn. Then—a Chicago gangster came to town. His name: Louie La Cava. Sweeney followed the adage: Keep your friends close; your enemies closer. Two old friends are part of his inner circle: Walter Bierkoff, a farmer and man of keen curiosity, and the perspicacious Father John Halpin, priest at the I. C. Catholic Church.BETTY BRANDT PASSICK is married and a grandmother, retired from a Fortune 500 Company, and spends her days with their bichon “Butters” at her side, while writing books renowned for their infusions of earthy soul, faith-isms, and Midwestern values. In early 2016, she decided to research the “mystery man” who first came to her Iowa hometown around 1920. Locals believed he had links to Al Capone, but no one knew for sure. Through FBI and police reports, newspaper accounts–and the embellished tales of those who knew the gangster best, she weaves this unique and sometimes wacky story. Gangster in our Midst is her third book. Passick delves into her small Iowa town's history to write her compelling historical fiction novel, "Gangster in our Midst." What happens when a curious mind, such as Betty possesses, decides to dig deeper into the town's rumored history of having one of Al Capone's chief gang members living in their small Iowa community? Betty spins a fun story. John Busbee, The [Iowa] Culture Buzz on KFMG 98.9 FM kfmg.org/ My first novel, Gangster in our Midst, received an Indie Book Award (2019). Two significant historical works preceded this historical crime novel. I like to find and re-tell old stories--which makes me an old soul, I guess. I was just a young girl when my family moved into the small Midwestern town that became the setting for this book, when I first heard about the town's 'gangster'. Sixty years later I decided to find out whether the stories I had heard locals tell were fact or folklore. I wouldn't have predicted my first novel to be about a gangster. Still, I had a good time writing it. I am married, a grandmother and great-grandmother. Along the way, I got a BA in Public Relations with studies in radio, television and newspaper. A decade ago I retired from a Fortune 500 company. Now, I largely spend my days seated at my computer writing, with our bichon friese, Butters, at my side.   3 BooksBA Public RelationsWorked for Fortune 500 Company