LEATHER MAIDEN by Joe Lansdale / Z-View

LEATHER MAIDEN by Joe R. Lansdale

First sentences…

When you grow up in a place, especially if your childhood is a good one, you fail to notice a lot of the nasty things that creep beneath the surface and wiggle about like hungry worms in rotten flesh.  But they’re there.

The Overview:  Beware of Spoilers…

Cason Statler, a Gulf War vet and Pulitzer Prize-nominated reporter was on top of the world.  Then he blew it. Cason had an affair with his boss’ wife… and the boss’ thirty-year-old stepdaughter.  That cost Cason his job… and his reputation.

So Cason returned to his small hometown of Camp Rapture, Texas where he was able to get a job as a reporter for the local newspaper.  It’s a big step down for a Pulitzer Prize nominee.  Cason is drinking too much.  He’s fighting jealous feelings towards his older brother who is a happily married college professor.  Plus Cason is spending too much time checking up on his ex-wife.

One day digging through old files, Cason discovers the unsolved murder of Caroline Allison.  Caroline was an intelligent college student who just vanished.  The only clue was her abandoned car.  Cason realizes this could be his ticket back to the big leagues.  He begins a series of articles about Caroline.  As Cason digs deeper he discovers other linked crimes of blackmail, torture and murder.  Worse still Cason’s brother is somehow involved.

Cason has no choice but to keep digging, no matter the cost.

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Joe Lansdale has written another winner.

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