Lakestone School for Boys

1949 Tennessee.

When Michaela “Mickey” Braxton’s teenage brother is sent to Lakestone School for Boys, she uncovers a pattern of disappearance, intimidation, and carefully protected silence.

The deeper she digs, the clearer it becomes: Lakestone is not failing these boys.

It is functioning exactly as designed.

As pressure mounts and resistance turns personal, Mickey is forced to confront the reach of institutional power—and the cost of exposing it.

Lakestone School for Boys is Southern noir rooted in mid-century America’s legacy of reform schools, protected authority, and the danger of asking the wrong questions.

Perfect for readers of dark, historically grounded crime fiction, including The Nickel Boys and Winter’s Bone.