South Village

Ash McKenna used to be an amateur private investigatoremphasis on amateur’. Despite the best of intentions, he made a mess of his life in New York, so he tried to build a new one in Portland. But after a traumatic turn of events, he ends up on his friend’s commune in the Georgia woods, binge-drinking cheap whiskey to keep the nightmares at bay, and waiting for his passport to come in so he can flee the country.

Then one of the camp’s residents is found dead. Crusty Pete is sprawled in the dirt, having fallen from the rope bridge. It’s written off as an accident, but Ash suspects Pete was murdered. So he starts poking into Pete’s death, only to find the supposedly peaceful community houses a rogue faction preparing to commit an unspeakable act of violence.

Ash has to make a choice: Keep running, or accept what he’s good at and try to stop them. But he doesn't know who to trust, or where the faction is planning to strike. The task is daunting enough, but grows even harder when he stops drinking. Within a day he’s confused, shaking, and hallucinating. He’s not sure what’s going to get him first: Blood-thirsty hippies, or alcohol withdrawal.

Rob Hart is author of New Yorked and City of Rose, featuring Ash McKenna. He is the associate publisher at MysteriousPress.com and the class director at LitReactor. Previously, he has been a political reporter, the communications director for a politician, and a commissioner for the city of New York. Rob is the author of The Last Safe Place: A Zombie Novella, and his short stories have appeared in publications like Thuglit, NEEDLE, Shotgun Honey, All Due Respect, and Helix Literary Magazine. He lives in New York City. Visit him online at robwhart.com or at @robwhart.