It Dies with You

A straightforward mystery that is brought to life by three wonderful characters. Thirty-something Hudson Miller is down on his luck. His boxing career is over, he’s working as a bouncer, and he’s couch surfing with friends. To make matters worse, Hudson’s estranged father is murdered, shot in the back of the head while sitting at his desk at his salvage yard in deeply rural Flint Creek, North Carolina. To Hudson’s surprise, he inherits the business, and—with no other options apparent—goes home to run Miller’s Pull-a-Part. He also takes on the job of finding his father’s murderer, helped out by Charlie Shoaf, a Vietnam vet who more or less comes with the salvage shop. When a corpse is found in the trunk of a salvaged vehicle, and a cache of firearms is discovered as well, Hudson realizes that his father’s life was a whole lot different than it appeared. Add to the mix the self-assured, brilliant teenager Lucy Reyes—who is seeking answers to her own family tragedy—and you’ve got a great threesome. I have no idea of the author’s intent, but I’d love to hear more from Hudson, Charlie, and Lucy—their chemistry is dynamite. Fans of the TV series Ozark will love this book.