Blood trumps friendship… especially once it’s been spilled
It’s 1968: Billy McCaskill is sixteen, growing up in Rhode Island, and enjoying an idyllic summer in a year of national turmoil. Turmoil that’s a world away from bike-riding with pals and finding a first girlfriend. Inseparable from his best friend Paulie, the two embark on a clandestine camp-out on private property reserved for their Boy Braves troop.
But they soon stumble upon a corpse – and they recognize who it is. Billy knows the only people who are aware of the place are a handful of troop committee men – including both their fathers. Even more damning, he finds evidence near the shallow grave that could point to his father’s involvement – a discovery he conceals from Paulie. Once the police are called in, Billy’s doubts about his father – and Paulie’s – begin to mount.
Now, somehow, he must save his family by finding out the truth himself – before the police do.
More praise for Clifford Beal:
"Hawker is a terrific creation" - Bernard Cornwell
"The sensuous texture of the period is superbly evoked...." - The Daily Mail
"...a real talent for bringing history to life in the most engaging way." - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Genre: Mystery
It’s 1968: Billy McCaskill is sixteen, growing up in Rhode Island, and enjoying an idyllic summer in a year of national turmoil. Turmoil that’s a world away from bike-riding with pals and finding a first girlfriend. Inseparable from his best friend Paulie, the two embark on a clandestine camp-out on private property reserved for their Boy Braves troop.
But they soon stumble upon a corpse – and they recognize who it is. Billy knows the only people who are aware of the place are a handful of troop committee men – including both their fathers. Even more damning, he finds evidence near the shallow grave that could point to his father’s involvement – a discovery he conceals from Paulie. Once the police are called in, Billy’s doubts about his father – and Paulie’s – begin to mount.
Now, somehow, he must save his family by finding out the truth himself – before the police do.
If you liked the suspense of Stephen King's The Body or Dennis Lehane's Mystic River, then you'll relish Little Sins. A gripping novel of lost innocence and impossible choices.
"An evocative and compelling novel of tested loyalties...Beal writes with a sensitive and intimate understanding of time and place" - David Gilman, author of The EnglishmanMore praise for Clifford Beal:
"Hawker is a terrific creation" - Bernard Cornwell
"The sensuous texture of the period is superbly evoked...." - The Daily Mail
"...a real talent for bringing history to life in the most engaging way." - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Genre: Mystery