A comic tribute to the detective films of Humphrey Bogart. The third story in the "Cafe Noir" series, following "Murder at Cafe Noir" and "Noir Suspicions." No knowledge of the previous plays is required, as each play can stand alone. In Noir Point Blank, "Just Plain" Rick has hired a singer and opened a photo display of "300 yrs of shady business" at the cafe to increase business. To this comes an American detective looking for a murderess but stumbling across a gangster on the lam, a beautiful French historian and a British lawyer with a desire to go night diving. When the murderess ends up...

What is hope? Is it instinctive or learned? Is it necessary or possible? How can a life-long doubter bring it into her life? Armed with questions, author Nikki Stern writes about a journey in search of a hope that will sustain her, especially after losing her husband on 9/11. The certainty-driven hope that insists on divine providence provides no help. Nor does the me-centric version that insists we're able to get exactly what we want whenever we want it. Instead, she custom-tailors a sort of faith that thrives even without guarantees because it allows for endless possibilities. Flexible,...