At the request of a desperate mother, a reporter investigates the case of a missing girl and finds an all-too-human evil lurking under the surface of Atlanta's polished facade.
Author of three published novels and a collection of short stories & poems; taught writing and American literature at the University of South Carolina; former writer/editor for The Atlanta Constitution; author (under a pen name) of a book on Southern speech; co-editor, two collections of short stories by his USC students; winner, 2009 S.C. Fiction Project.
Because he knows what it's like to lose someone you love, when the mother of Connie Phillips approached him to help find her missing daughter, he couldn't say no ...even though he's 'just' a features reporter.
Ben Blake is very good at his job, but he's not an investigator. But he promised he would try and that's exactly what he's going to do. Turning to a couple of street cops that he's been writing about, he hopes they can tell him where to begin looking.
And so begins a journey into the darkest alleys, the smokiest clubs, reaching out to people who live lives that most of us have never even thought of.
What starts out as a missing person case soon becomes a murder case when a friend of Connie is found dead, shot in the head and abandoned far away from prying eyes. Close by is a grave ..and yet another body is found.
Where is Connie and what is she involved in? And just how far are Blake and the cops willing to go when they start connecting the dots?
There is much realism attached to this novel. The writing is impeccable, as it should be as the author was a reporter and feature writer for The Atlanta Constitution during the 1980s. The characters are finely drawn, with warts and all hanging out for the world to see.
If you like gritty, this is one book you don't want to miss.
Many thanks to the author who provided a digital copy in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.