Fresh Kills
by By Loehfelm, Bill
Category: Fiction , Thrillers , General

Set in the bleak, haunted landscape of blue-collar Staten Island and told with the gritty realism of a native, Fresh Kills tells the story of a son's search for answers - and for his father's killer.At first, John Sanders, Jr., couldn't care less that his father is dead, let alone murdered. The only thing he regrets is that he didn't pull the trigger, or so he thinks. When he reunites with his sister, Julia, at their childhood home, the siblings' reactions could not be more different. While Julia sees to funeral arrangements and plans a memorial, Junior rages out of control, his anger at his father for a lifetime of violence and abuse matched only by his need to seek vengeance for the man's death.Yet Julia suffers too, hiding her own hurt and filling the role of the responsible daughter, while Junior, unhinged by his father's death and frustrated by the cops' stagnant investigation, hunts for his own answers. Two detectives assigned to the case - one a childhood friend of Junior's, the other a veteran cop who knew John Sr. - are simply roadblocks in his path to justice.But a string of dead ends and violent encounters leaves Junior no closer than the cops to any answers. His relationship with his beloved sister crumbles, while his affair with an old high school sweetheart wreaks havoc on his fracturing psyche. Despite the helping hands extended to him, Junior turns his back on those who love him most; the memories of his childhood have left him broken. When a chance at revenge finally arrives, he must decide whether he will continue the chain of violence that has nearly destroyed him, or accept the challenge of a new beginning.