"The default setting for teenagers is liar. They lie like they French kiss—to see how it feels in the mouth." - the judgment of Detective Donna Bradley, who has a clear eye, a skeptical soul and a chink in her emotional armor that she will learn about the hard way.
She's looking for a runaway teenager in the town of Webster, Connecticut, but everyone - not just teenagers - is lying to her. At the same time, the town is reeling from the murder of a wealthy insurance executive, who had his intestines removed with a gardening implement. Yes, you could say this usually quiet town is in crisis.
Extracts from independent reviews:
"The economy of the language and its nuanced meanings reminds me a little of the late great Ed McBain's style. Gruesome or dark cop humor woven into all the right places. Wry observations of human nature and class differences and sexual tensions. Thoughtful insights into the psyches as well as the minds and behaviors of cops." - Lee Denning, author of Monkey Trap
"Just finished The Flies of August after not being able to put it down. Story-line, pacing, characters--all sophisticated. Especially enjoyed Lee's insightful and amusing descriptions of teen-think. Best part, though, was the way Lee wove in the moral ambiguity."
"The Flies of August" unfolds through one hot, harrowing summer as the American recession drives rich and poor alike to desperate measures.
She's looking for a runaway teenager in the town of Webster, Connecticut, but everyone - not just teenagers - is lying to her. At the same time, the town is reeling from the murder of a wealthy insurance executive, who had his intestines removed with a gardening implement. Yes, you could say this usually quiet town is in crisis.
Extracts from independent reviews:
"The economy of the language and its nuanced meanings reminds me a little of the late great Ed McBain's style. Gruesome or dark cop humor woven into all the right places. Wry observations of human nature and class differences and sexual tensions. Thoughtful insights into the psyches as well as the minds and behaviors of cops." - Lee Denning, author of Monkey Trap
"Just finished The Flies of August after not being able to put it down. Story-line, pacing, characters--all sophisticated. Especially enjoyed Lee's insightful and amusing descriptions of teen-think. Best part, though, was the way Lee wove in the moral ambiguity."
"The Flies of August" unfolds through one hot, harrowing summer as the American recession drives rich and poor alike to desperate measures.