The Low Bar

by Bryan Jones

FictionPaperback

The Low Bar by Bryan Jones is what happens when ambition, incompetence, and organized crime collide in modern-day St. Louis.

At the center of it all is a ramshackle neighborhood bar — neon beer signs, questionable bookkeeping, and a clientele that treats illegal transactions like happy hour specials. When big money starts moving through the basement safe, everyone wants a cut — including people who shouldn't be trusted with scissors, let alone organized crime.

This isn't a story about masterminds. It's a story about overconfidence.

It's about men who think they're sharks but are actually raccoons fighting over a trash can full of cocaine — where the humor is sharp, the pace is relentless, and every plan sounds airtight until someone opens their mouth. Think crime caper meets workplace comedy meets “this can't possibly get worse” — and then it does.

Pull up a stool. Order something strong. And remember: when expectations are low, it's amazing how much damage you can still do.

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From the World of The Low Bar

Inside the Story

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The full cast of The Low Bar gathered at the bar — The whole disreputable crew, gathered under the neon.

Three men in a police lineup beneath The Low Bar sign — The usual suspects — line ’em up.

The Low Bar pinball machine — High score, low standards.

Two men in a doorway, one clutching a bottle of whiskey — Nobody slips out before last call.

An older man and a younger man slumped at the bar — Two generations, one bad idea.

A woman in gold sequins smoking beside a man with his head in his hands — She’s overdressed for this place. He’s overwhelmed.

A young man sprinting on a treadmill while a Lee’s Fitness trainer cheers him on — Lee’s Fitness — running nowhere, fast.

The Alignment Chart

Which Low Bar Character Do You Relate To Most?

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Nine characters, nine boxes, lawful to chaotic and good to evil. Find your square. Then decide whether you’re admitting to it.

The Low Bar alignment chart: the nine main characters placed on a three-by-three grid running lawful to chaotic and good to evil. Lawful good CD (Caleb Dawson), lawful neutral Chuck O’Neil, lawful evil Barb Dantonio; neutral good Nick Kowalski, true neutral Ritchie Watkins, neutral evil Jack Greenberg; chaotic good Lee Cooper, chaotic neutral Frank Dantonio, chaotic evil Abdul Al-Badri. Each box carries a portrait, the character’s role, and a short case for the placement. — The cast of *The Low Bar* on the classic alignment grid — open it up and read the case for every box.