Glenville

Glenville is a story about growing up in a small East Texas town in the 1960s. It is a time of innocence and a time when life is lived at a slower pace. But it is also a time when young people are searching for direction, purpose, and identity. Jed Davenport is a kid from a poor and dysfunctional family. He is a notorious troublemaker who defies authority, lies, cheats, steals, and bullies his way through grade school and into high school. He hasn't a friend in the world until he becomes pals with a couple of other mean-spirited misfits. Together, their rowdiness and practical jokes become more devious, destructive, and dangerous.Edward McMannus is the new kid in town. He is a quiet and unassuming youngster whose family moves to Glenville from California. Jed and his buddies purposely bully and torment Edward relentlessly. He is harassed for the better part of a year until he finally confronts his adversaries. The action he takes brings unwanted attention to the town and his well-kept secret is revealed. Glenville takes a nostalgic look at days gone by before becoming a full-blown thriller. The actions of its characters, the mystery that evolves, and the manner in which an unsuspecting individual stumbles across a most unusual clue, will keep readers riveted until its very last paragraph.

-- Robert Charles