The Hanging Woods

What Walter reads that day changes him. Not in any way someone would really notice. He still goes to school, hangs out with his friends Jimmy and Mothball, and tries to avoid the Troll, the town recluse. But something in him has changed. It's as if he can feel a part of him growing—the part that can stand by and watch a house burn down or the life flow out of a fox, without doing anything to stop either. He knows he could—should—do something to help. But some part of him keeps him glued in place, watching with fascination and curiosity. Maybe it would have been better if Walter had never found out the things he did. Maybe he didn't really want to know. But then again, maybe he did. Richly atmospheric, The Hanging Woods is at times disturbing, but it is always riveting. It's a tale of deception, delusion, and the dark places a troubled mind can go.

How far will that fascination take him when small-town secrets turn deadly?
A Dark Coming of Age: In the long, hot summer of 1975, thirteen-year-old Walter discovers a part of himself that finds a strange beauty in destruction.Small Town Murder Mystery: When a shocking death shatters their rural Alabama town, Walter and his friends, Jimmy and Mothball, are pulled into a dangerous web of secrets.Troubled Friendships: A tight-knit bond between three boys is tested by lies, jealousy, and a growing darkness that threatens to tear them apart.Family Secrets: It all starts with a diary. What Walter learns about his family sets him on a path from which there is no turning back.