Midnight Rain

Do you remember the exact moment your childhood ended? 1977... Jimmy Carter is sworn in as America's 39th President. New York Police apprehend the "Son of Sam." The King of Rock n' Roll permanently leaves the building. STAR WARS is the #1 film in the world. In a small town called Midnight, North Carolina, twelve-year-old Kyle Mackey couldn't care less about any of that. He has his own problems to deal with, as he ventures toward a strange new world called manhood... Kyle's older brother Dan is going away to college. Several years ago their father was killed in Viet Nam, and Mom is an alcoholic devoted more to the bottle these days than to her family. Kyle has never felt so alone. The night before Dan's flight leaves for Florida, Kyle visits what he calls his "Secret Place." All boys have a Secret Place, he believes, and his is an old shack in the woods bordering Midnight. Kyle's love for his secret place is shattered, however, when he stumbles upon something that proves his favorite spot in the world is neither as private nor as innocent as he once thought... It begins with the naked, battered corpse of a young woman. And, standing over her, a man Kyle knows... “You might expect the work of a young Southern writer to show some roots, and you'll see that clearly in James Newman’s writing. There’s a little bit of Davis Grubb and Joe Lansdale twisting into that dark earth, and a strong straight spike of Robert McCammon digging deep. But the story tree that grows above ground belongs to a tale-spinner who can raise one mean hunk of nightmare all on his own.” —Norman Partridge, author of The Man with the Barbed Wire Fists and Dark Harvest “...a beautifully-written adult story of murder and a boy. Grimly true to life, evocative and compelling. I loved it!” —Piers Anthony, author of On a Pale Horse and Firefly