A Fly in the Ointment catalogues a portrait of 21st Century America in steady decline. The wayward protagonists within these short stories are barely able to cope, and when they do it is with substantial assistance. This collection is populated with sketchy ne-er-do-wells who attempt to defraud the public with fake rocks or snake oil. Families barely function. Individuals seek some means of eccentric hope (miniature horses, competitive eating contests, nail fungus removal). They fixate on image and appearance and trivialities, while they lose jobs and loved-ones. They tamp down skeletons in the closet. The ethically blind lead the ethically blind.