65560

by Titus Benton

In the quiet, tight-knit town of Salem, Missouri, the peaceful facade is shattered by a string of brutal murders. Four estranged childhood friends—now a farmer, a preacher, a hermit, and the town sheriff—are pulled back into a shared trauma from their high school days. As the body count rises and suspicion turns inward, they must confront the betrayals that tore them apart before the killer finishes a vengeful plan twenty-five years in the making.

Independent author Titus Benton releases his debut novel with 65560, a murder mystery that confronts questions of loyalty, power, and the quiet fractures that shape American life.

526 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 14, 2025

Reviews

[Vieann Bruemmer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read for mystery lovers

This book was extremely engaging and hard to put down. From the beginning, the story pulled me in with an interesting setup and questions that made me want to keep reading. Each chapter revealed new clues and twists, so just when I thought I understood what was going on, something unexpected happened. The pacing was great—there were no boring parts—and the suspense kept building until the end. I especially liked how the author slowly connected the details, making the mystery feel clever and satisfying rather than confusing. Overall, this was a very well-written mystery that kept me wanting to read more, and I would definitely recommend it to anyone who enjoys suspenseful stories.

[Ryan Farthing · Rating 3 out of 5]

A little slow to get rolling, but I was hooked shortly after the murders started. The flashbacks to establish character relationships might have been more effective as snippets of contrast amongst the present day timeline, instead of concentrated at the beginning.
I got a little nostalgia for cruising 4th street and eating Casey's pizza. It has some referential color for folks who know Salem, but more would have been welcome. One of the murders was a bit more macabre than I was expecting. As another reviewer mentioned, there is no clear protagonist, but I found Aaron the most interesting.
The frequent references to politics, specifically Donald J. Trump, were so awkward and forced that I began to wonder if Trump himself was the murderer. Turns out, he is, via the nefarious dealings of his character stand-in "Donnie Jay" (really!). In fairness, the story was compelling enough to hide the allegory from me until Donnie practically speaks directly to the reader in the final pages.
Overall a great debut! I'd read another.

[Karen Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book very much. Titus did a very skillful job weaving the story, using the technique of telling past stories, and then returning to present times. For a first time fiction author, he did a good job keeping you guessing and wanting to find out more. it was hard to put down. I'll look forward to future offerings.

[Adam Colter · Rating 2 out of 5]

For personal reasons, I was predisposed to like this book. Turns out, it's not for me. No clear protagonist. Plot jumped around a bit.