Full Fathom Five

Buddy Holly is dead. So blares the news on the Galaxie 500's radio as the crew heads out Norfolk neighborhoods still decked up for Christmas, out to burn another cross and scare the hell out of some people. Rumor is the swells paying for these jobs are connected to Richmond politicians who've gone and cold closed-down the Norfolk city schools to fight all this desegregation jive. Howie Brazil couldn't care less, since the money's good and he's keeping busy with some things on the side that these rich boys don't need to know about. Who gives a damn if somebody gets hurt? They always do sooner or later around this town. And Norfolk detective Walter Winter Hodge has to wonder just who are the real criminals here - the waterfront thugs raising hell across town or the crooked politicians paying them to do it? The problem is that everyone has a secret.

Full Fathom Five is a mystery noir set in Norfolk, Virginia in 1959. It's a sequel to Will Hopkins's first novel, Willowood, a tale of phony preachers, a mess of colorful characters and enough moonshine liquor to float a river barge.