Copperhead Road

by Roger A. Canaff

*2013 Amazon Breakthrough Novel Quarter-Finalist* Over 80 5-star reviews As summer dies, the first boy is found in a shallow grave. More will follow. His hometown has a serial child killer in its midst…. At seventeen, John Ray has silently survived years of molestation at the hands of a respected coach and mentor. When younger boys start disappearing, found sexually abused and murdered in the same woods where he was once victimized, John must confront not only his own past but an interwoven set of characters, some evil, some desperate and some both, who share his memories in one way or another. What John must do, who he must open up to, and the corpses he must unearth-- literally and figuratively in order to stop the madness around him-- is what drives this intense story to its heart-pounding conclusion. In addition to its pace and rich character development, Copperhead Road features an eerie and remarkable sense of place; its setting is the Northern Virginia suburbs of the mid 1980’s, pre-cell phone and pre-Internet, and will carry any reader back to a simpler but sometimes darker recent past. Please don’t forget to check the “Look Inside” feature for more detail as well. Author’s I am a former special victims prosecutor and myself a victim of chronic child sexual abuse. There are touches of my personal story in this book, but more an amalgamation of the thousands of stories I came face to face with while prosecuting and eventually consulting on child abuse cases worldwide. I remain in awe of every child who had the courage to work with my teams on the investigation and prosecution of the horror they endured. This book was written for all of them. And for every boy and girl still silent, helpless, and alone.

352 pages, Paperback

First published March 12, 2013

About the author

The official version is below, but I'm a hybrid (indie and traditionally published) author of legal and psychological thrillers, informed by a career in special victims prosecution.

Roger Canaff is a well-known child protection and anti-violence against women advocate, legal expert, author and public speaker. A former Special Victims prosecutor, he has devoted his legal career to the eradication of violence against women and children. He has worked as a prosecutor in Alexandria, Virginia, the Bronx, New York, and as an Assistant Attorney General with the state of New York as well as a Senior Attorney with the National District Attorneys Association, Child Abuse Unit. He has also trained U.S. Army prosecutors on Special Victims cases as a Highly Qualified Expert. He is currently a partner and consultant with Justice3D.org.

Amazon: amazon.com/author/www.rogercanaff.com
Twitter: http://twitter.com/rogercanaff
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/rogercanaffau...

“An engaging and talented writer, Roger Canaff pens crime thrillers with an authenticity born of years of work in the field. He knows his subject and delivers with sincerity and truth.”
Edward Conlon, New York Times Bestselling Author of Blue Blood

“Roger Canaff is a master storyteller with a gift for crafting chilling, riveting story lines and complex characters. His life, career and passion for justice add rich authenticity to his craft.”
Jennifer Jaynes, USA Today Bestselling Author of Malice

Reviews

[Buttercupp77 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Due to the intense subject matter, I can't say that I found this book to be, exactly, an enjoyable read. It was, however, a worthwhile read.

I think the main strengths of this novel were in the development of the main characters (particularly the young men), and the setting (in both time and place). These were all very vivid, and most of the characters felt real.

Part of what I found difficult was the code of silence that was largely in place. I had to keep reminding myself that, in the 1980s, times were different in terms of mandatory reporting laws, support, and even stigma associated with having been victimized.

For me, the biggest weakness was Lon. I thought this was the least well-developed character, and aside from the obvious ways he influenced the events, he didn't bring any new dimension or perspective to the story. The potential for him to be one of the more poignant characters was there, but it wasn't realised at all for me.

Due to the heavy subject, I can't say that I would recommend this novel. (Not everyone can stand to read about this topic, understandably). But I did find it shed a lot of light on the mindset of someone who survived childhood sexual abuse, and the author does approach the subject with gravitas and sensitivity. I'm glad I got the chance to read it.

I received a copy of this novel through Voracious Readers Only.

[Heather · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was everything I ever wanted and thought I’d never find. It touched me deeply and had me crying on multiple occasions. It also had me had me scrambling to solve one mystery in my desperation to save the boys from the monster on Copperhead Road only for another to pop up before I had even gathered all the pieces of the first mystery. I felt as helpless as the people of this small Virginia town, watching in horror as innocence was destroyed and its tragic death left more questions than answers in the midst of the rot and decay. The characters are so well developed, the plot is incredible, the writing is amazing, and i can guarantee that you will be hesitant to put this book down for even a second once you start it; it will leave you pondering the damage secrets can do, the justification for keeping certain secrets, and how far the ties of friendship can stretch without breaking. I highly recommend this book to those who enjoy an emotional thriller that will simultaneously horrify you and have you sobbing like a baby into your hands. While this book is incredible in every sense of the word please be warned that it deals with heavy subject matter such as child rape, graphic depictions of the aftermath of child murder, suicide, mental breakdowns, gun violence, school shootings, and mind games that could mess you up for life. If you think you can handle all of this then venture forth and experience a novel that I can confidently say is one of the best I have ever read.

[Sam Harper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received a complimentary copy of this fantastic book through Voracious Readers Only in exchange for an honest review.
If you only read one book this year make it this one!!
What an absolutely brilliant story, loved every single minute of it even though it’s hard to read in places because of the subject matter. The characters and places are so well described that you really feel like your there with them and the friendships between the boys is enviable. A hard subject to read and write about the author does so with amazing sensitivity and the ending is shockingly appropriate for the characters. Although it doesn’t grab you from page 1 it soon becomes a gripping page turner as you empathize with the victims and can’t wait for the sicko to be caught.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

*Received book in exchange for honest review through Voracious Readers Only*

Holy shit this book. It was a tough subject matter to read about but at the same time I just. Couldn’t. Stop. Reading. I mean this had my mind racing trying to figure who certain characters where and if everyone was who they said they were. I found this to be a highly believable read and once we started getting to the end, I mean I was gasping audibly at some of the twists that came about. This book was everything I wanted; well written, believable and full of twists and turns. And it had a satisfying and deserving ending to boot. If this book is any indication of this authors other writings, I will be showing the hell up for them

[K.T. Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the best books I have ever read! I loved the characters and did not want the story to end.
I cannot wait until his next book is released!!

[Kathy Ginocchio · Rating 4 out of 5]

Murder mystery doesn’t describe this book well enough. Yes there are murders. But they are the side plot to a disturbing but wonderfully written story about childhood sexual abuse of boys, psychological torture, friendship, coming of age, blackmail, betrayal and so much more. It’s not an easy read but I honestly did not know how it would end until the very last page. Set in the early 80s, it was a fun throwback with all the cultural references to that time period. As much as one can enjoy a book with these themes, I quite enjoyed this book!

[Clare · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Voracious Readers Only for the copy of this book. As difficult as it was to read in parts it was brilliantly written and entrapped you in the story. When I thought it must be over, the next round of surprises came up making it hard to put down. So many characters with minute yet vital details brought to the attention of the reader and explained as the plot thickened. Brazen writing with emotion and reverence for those victims of abusive situations.

[Lynette Pearce · Rating 5 out of 5]

damn, this was so good. incredibly well-written and truly keeps you on your toes. i genuinely did not expect a lot of these plot twists and it was refreshing to actually be surprised by them!! such a gut-wrenching topic, i found myself getting emotional despite what i thought was a desensitization to the subject. what an awesome book.

[Nomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great read however I had to put it aside at times because of the subject matter. Sexual abuse of anyone, but especially young people is - to my thinking - intense.

Thanks to the authour and Voracious Readers Only for the complimentary copy.

[Patty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uuuhm . . . not sure about the realization of the story but .... Tough subject matter but pulled it into an interesting read.

[Ramona Trombley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Anguished nail biter.

[Patty Blaney · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was fantastic. Great character development and you would really feel what the main character was going through. It was definitely a thriller and you were never quite sure where it was going or what was going to happen next. It is often hard to get that kind of unpredicted suspense in a book. I highly recommend that everyone take time to read this book. It definitely made me think too that even as loving caring parents we often don't want to see bad happening to our children. It definitely made me as a parent think about following my gut if I think something isn't right with my kids. This is the first book by a good friend of mine and an all around fantastic guy. I swear this review is not biased by that at all by that fact, it was truly a fantastic book and I cannot wait for the next one that Roger decides to write.

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book from a unique perspective. It is rare to find the story of male sexual abuse and its aftermath told from the point of view of a survivor ... boys and men are not often encouraged or rewarded for sharing honest accounts of their victimization or for recognizing and documenting its impact on their psyches, friendships, families, and futures. Aside from the very real treatment of abuse, I found the friendships between and among the young men to be quite believable. The plot was well-paced and the language -- particularly that used to describe the settings -- was powerful. And, of course, as a child of the '80s, I appreciated the lyrics from some of the best bands of the time.

[Peggy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I almost put this book done and did not finish it because I had such a visceral response in the beginning. The main character not only is a victim but lives his life as a victim. I had such an emotional response when someone comes into his life and begins to emotionally torture him and he responds as a victim that I really did not think I could continue reading. However, you feel the main character develop strength to come to terms with the events in his past and to deal with the problems in his present through a core of inner strength.

Excellent character development. Believable story.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a great book. This novel combines an incredible sense of place and a feeling of scary unknown with a powerful, character driven story.

I know the subject matter will scare some off but I can't recommend it highly enough. There are characters in this novel that I now feel like I know. If I still lived in Virginia I'd think I could run into them on the street.

This is a tough, smart and gripping story. I'm looking forward to the next book by this author.

[Jen Shapiro · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have not felt this way about a book since reading Defending Jacob. This book is a thriller filled all at once with mystery, angst, fear, anger, sadness and wonder. A coming of age story filled with the dimensions of teenage friendship and layered with the horror of childhood sexual abuse. I am looking forward to seeing another novel from this author.

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a very well written book with a disturbing subject matter. Only those who have endured child abuse can fully understand the pain they live with. This book makes that. Lear to the reader. Congratulations to family friend Roger Canaff for writing such a powerful book.

[Leese · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow, storyline was fantastic but the subject can be difficult at times to bear. Loved how the author developed the characters and though at times I wanted him to hurry the story on so I could find out the ending, it actually moved at the perfect pace. Looking forward to another by this author.

[Theresa Burkel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good mystery

I don't generally like to read books that touch on the subject of sexual abuse of children but this was well written and had good character development and a good mystery.

[Bambi Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Help and no way out


This story is truth in its blindest sense. The utter ruin of a child with no way out and a circle played by blood for others. Is it best to live through child abuse? I say no.

[Dolores Madden · Rating 5 out of 5]

I found the character's believable , the storyline tough, hard , entriging , depressing fantastic good read , well written a must read .