Watchers' Club

On an October Saturday night in the 1960s, a motley group of local kids in a rural community, who call themselves the Watchers' Club, set out on an innocent lark to their local lovers' lane. Their mission: sneak up on any parkers who might show up. To their delight, they discover a couple of teens making out, one of whom they recognize after they briefly shine a flashlight into the vehicle's cab-the butcher's son in his father's delivery truck. After gleefully disturbing the couple and then running off into the forest, they gather in full innocence to congratulate themselves: mission accomplished. But one of their group, the hapless outsider, Jacob Slough, does not show up. Over the next few days, news emerges that two persons are missing, which then becomes two persons murdered-and at Lovers' Lane, that night! The community sorely needs to find someone guilty, and all evidence points to poor Jacob. The other kids can't believe it, nor, when they find out, can they believe who was with the butcher's son that night. While a prosecutor presents powerful evidence that points to Jacob, two of the kids stumble upon some unexpected and odd evidence that changes everything-all thanks to a stray cat. This novel, with its quick-moving dialogue, odd local characters, quirky moments, and unforeseeable ending, is a compelling, highly original story of innocence and guilt.