Set in the early 1990's, "Pros" begins when Darren McKnight, who is out on parole tracks down his old partner in crime, Merv Bentley, to hold him accountable. While in prison, Darren wrote the interior novel, Exhaust, which he now wields as a weapon. McKnight forces Bentley to read it to his wife, revealing the past that he'd so carefully kept from her: his secrete a drug smuggling car salesman in the early 1970's. Bentley also had a penchant for stealing everything in sight, including Darren's girlfriends. The novel reveals the violent bust when Darren was caught and went to prison for 17 years, while Merv escaped the scene of the crime and was never caught.
The cast of characters includes:
• Darren McKnight, ex-con, who just wants a second chance at life—while also getting revenge by ruining his old friend's reputation and seducing his wife.
• Merv Bentley, college professor, suddenly fighting to save his marriage, career, and life.
• Mary Bentley, corporate executive, conflicted to her core by what she learns about her husband's past and Darren's sexual advances upon her.
• Barbara Duggan, Darren's girlfriend, country bar owner and swinger, setting her sights on seducing Merv & Mary.
• An assorted crew of Merv's colleagues and students—themselves swept into the whirlwind.
• And another ex-con stalking Darren and Merv's family, with his own deadly agenda.
The subjects include the rise of political correctness, gender roles, business "ethics," literary masterpieces, critical theory, discourse theory, Existentialism, war (Vietnam & Iraq), and the mirroring of art in life (and vice-versa)
The themes are timeless and timely:
• Absolute vs. relative moral standards
• Innocence vs. experience
• Felix Culpa (the Fortunate Fall)
• Sin, guilt, and redemption
• Pleasure and pain, loss and gain
• Tolerance vs. intolerance
• Theism vs. atheism