Publisher's Synopsis
Mountain Ridge is a quiet, suburban community. Sure, it has a problem with teen gangs, but in the 1950s, what community doesn't have issues with young toughs?
Worst among Mountain Ridge's delinquents is Dudley Manderfort. Small for his size, Dudley makes up for his lack of stature with sheer viciousness. He's the kind of kid people predict will come to a bad end.
And he does. Dudley Manderfort's life comes to a violent end in a local pasture-the final victim of his own relentless bullying. Only a select few know what really happened that day. On the surface, the Manderfort kid simply disappeared under extremely suspicious circumstances.
With the police investigation focusing on local gangs, two members of the Big Guys are feeling the pressure. One of them is sporting a fresh wound from his last encounter with Dudley. Both know what happened in the pasture, and they've made a pact to stay silent-despite the overwhelming guilt that consumes them.
As the police move ever closer to Dudley's killer, a foreboding atmosphere hangs over Mountain Ridge. Delinquency and rumbles are one thing, but murder is quite another-even if the victim is a sadistic little bully.
