<p><strong>The wicked pen of John D. Frankel strikes again. The long-awaited sequel to <em>The Heretofore Un-Tolled History of the Independent Republic of Harvey Markson</em> has finally arrived.</strong></p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Readers who enjoyed Frankel&rsquo;s first novel, a witty existential tour of life inside the brokerage houses and investment banks of Toronto&rsquo;s Bay Street, will revel in this clever sequel with its familiar layers of tongue-in-cheek narrative, droll humor, and incisive portraits of The Street&rsquo;s by now famous denizens, including one Zygmunt Adams. &ldquo;Zyg,&rdquo; Harvey Markson&rsquo;s closest friend and confidant, takes center&nbsp;stage in this latest tale, and if Harvey&rsquo;s quest was to find meaning and purpose in life, Zyg&rsquo;s mission is to secure love, not wealth. However, though he&rsquo;s a brilliant and capable businessman, Zyg is less sure of himself in matters of the heart.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; <em>Love and the Bay Street Bingo Players</em> is a wonderfully mature novel that rings authentic and true in every line of dialogue and in the characters&rsquo; questioning self-doubts. But if this is a story about love, it is also about loss. It is about the randomness of life, about seizing opportunities when they come along, and about our all-too-human capacity to miss the boat entirely, whether we are too arrogant to set aside our egos or too afraid to repeat past mistakes.</p><p>&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; While as shrewdly observant and as mordantly funny as the first novel, the gentle humor that pervades this latest Bay Street tale reveals the author&rsquo;s evident affection for his characters. A master stroke of narrative stealth, however, will disarm even the most attentive of readers with a shocking surprise. Through this twist of fate, <em>Love and the Bay Street Bingo Players</em> transcends its satirical roots and soars. A novel of considerable humanity, the story of Zygmunt in love with the beautiful and elusive Antoinette will surely capture any reader&rsquo;s heart.</p>