Rose's best friend, Axton, is a geek and a pothead but when he disappears, Rose is compelled to search for him. Rose and Ax both came from wealthy families. When Rose turns her back on her family, struggling to put herself through college and working as a waitress in a small diner.

Ax left his backpack with Rose before he disappeared. She discovers a hard drive in it. With the help of two of Ax's co-workers and a couple of her own, Rose is drawn into a world of illicit gambling. Threatened by a man and his thugs for the return on his property, Rose is kidnapped, threatened, and has everything in her apartment destroyed but she can't fail her friend.

DINERS, DIVES & DEAD ENDS contained a mystery with a secondary sub-plot. The major plot revolves around Ax and his disappearance. The secondary plot focuses on Rose. While I enjoyed the mystery, the acrimonious exchanges between Rose and her mother diminished my enjoyment of the story.