A planned crackdown on Chicago's gambling bosses by the FBI takes the form of a sting operation in which agent Frank Thorne infiltrates the syndicate posing as a stock broker with access to funds, not always his own. Thorne befriends Sonny Greco, a vulnerable bookmaker with Mafia connections in the hope of beating Sonny at his own game then leaning on him to get names of his bosses. Of course, the plot thickens when both Sonny and fellow agent Mary Agnes McCaskey turn out to be very likable, while Thorne's wife takes a dim view of the entire affair. Mix in a crooked cop, a con man, and a dope deal, and Frank finds himself knee-deep in a plot that in no way resembles what he had originally planned. Set in 1980s Chicago, The Cinch is an entertaining crime story with well developed characters and believable relationships.