Three Miles of Eden

by Sean Patrick Smith

In June of 2016, I was staring at my best friend's corpse floating face down in Lake Sequoia. I had lost my wife and little girl only a month before. I clung to the hope that Morgan and Ava would return before Morgan’s habit got the better of her. There was no hope for Rob Erwin. Murders did not happen in Seven Lakes, North Carolina. Folks left their doors unlocked there. I was devastated. To manage grief, I ran. Actually, I drank and also ran around the lake each day. One morning, vintage vehicles blared the music of my childhood. There were empty spaces where houses should have been. Then I met my neighbor. That was strange because I had buried him two years prior. My name is Ray McCarthy, and I slipped into my adolescent self in the summer of 1984. My time slip was confined to the three-mile loop around Lake Sequoia. In 1984, my best friend was alive, and I meant to alter his fate using the anomaly.

281 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 26, 2020

About the author

Sean Patrick Smith is a southern magazine writer and novelist known for his intriguing narrative voice and an endearing ensemble of morally-ambiguous characters pursuing justice, redemption, or a way to become emotionally whole again. His subtly-planted plot twists make Three Miles of Eden a must-read for mystery enthusiasts. His beleaguered protagonist Ray McCarthy makes Three Miles of Eden a must-read for anyone lucky enough to have a lifelong best friend.

Smith lives in Moore County, North Carolina, with his daughter, Reilly, and four cats: Moo, Kissie, Roxy Music, and Tom.

He is a former newspaper editor and a former high school English teacher. He has coordinated the services of the developmentally disabled for over a decade in Greensboro. Sean and his daughter frequent Cary, North Carolina, to see his significant other, Lauren, a celebrated designer in that area.

In 2017, midway through his initial draft of Three Miles of Eden, Smith tragically lost his own best friend.

Reviews

[Anne D Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome book!

I live in the Moore County area and hearing about familiar places placed me inside the story! Suspensful! Good read!

[barbara keating · Rating 5 out of 5]

So enjoyed your book.

My parents live in 7 Lakes North for almost 30 years. I felt like I too was running on Firetree. The different plots all intertwined made the story intriguing. Looking forward to your next book.