[1] It weaves together threads of murder, embezzlement, blackmail, and seduction in the post oil boom West Texas of the 1920s.

[2] "Bugs" McKenna, a hard luck tough guy, refuses to let people belittle him or treat him unfairly even if it means he suffers for it.

Expecting a beating, Bugs is treated decently and even offered a job working security in Hanlon's hotel.

At the same time Bugs begins to appreciate how well-suited he is to his job and how enjoyable it is to actually have stable employment.

Bugs is even beginning to develop a love life with Ford's school teacher ex-fiancé.

The question driving the plot is whether Hanlon's wife Joyce is really trying to have him killed and, if so, is Sheriff Ford trying to help her or catch her?

His key realization was that Rosalie Vara's description may not have resulted in any outstanding warrants because she was described as a negro.

When Ford removed that from the description he was flooded with information about a con woman wanted for several crimes who otherwise matched Rosalie.

The character of Bugs: a man who perceives himself as a principled tough guy but in reality makes trouble for himself, and feels like a failure, is similar to the way Thompson describes himself in his essay "An Alcoholic Looks at Himself".

In the novels The Killer Inside Me and Pop.1280 the sheriff is also highly intelligent while playing the fool but uses this persona to manipulate and murder people.

In his autobiographical book Bad Boy Thompson said this character was based on an actual deputy who pursued him when he neglected to pay a fine for being drunk and disturbing the peace.

The deputy grins, puts on a pair of gloves, smacks a fist into the palm of his other hand.

"In Wild Town, Sheriff Lou Ford makes a particular ritual of putting on leather gloves when he is getting ready to have a serious fight.