NORTH, the debut critically acclaimed novel of award-winning playwright and poet Roy Robbins, begins when Hal Parker, a market research executive delivered into therapy by his divorce, returns to his childhood home in northern Florida. He has arrived too late for his mother's funeral—but early for another. The small rural town of North is in shock over the death of local kingpin Leon Putnam, murdered days earlier.
Claire Austen, a reporter who may or may not be in love with Hal, arrives in town and begins asking questions about the dead man. Claire's life may be in danger and her relationship with Hall certainly is. A mysterious fire is set. Clues and fragmented recollections are rushing to the fore in North. But so are suspects. The tangled webs of Putnam's crimes reached everywhere, into politics and law enforcement and even the dangerous local drug trade. Can they be untangled? And is Hal and Claire's love on the way to becoming another victim?
NORTH is the powerful, beautifully written story of a man's search for an understanding of his family, his town, and himself—and the truths they avoided. On his journey, he just may help solve a murder.
*****
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR NORTH
"Roy Robbins' novel North reads like a good Merlot—smooth and seamless as it weaves a complex tapestry of Southern small-town intrigue, betrayal, and murder. Timeless yet modern. As if Agatha Christie had joined forces with William Faulkner and added an overlay of psychotherapy."
—ANDY STRAKA, Shamus Award-Winning Author of The Blue Hallelujah and other novels
"Part crime novel, part exploration of family and the past, Roy Robbins' North is rich in character and sense of place—with more than enough plot to keep readers turning pages late into the night."
—MICHAEL KNIGHT, Award-Winning Author of Eveningland and The Typist
"You haven't heard of Hal Parker, but you know him. If you love small-town Southern, Faulkneresque drama, in all its depth and scandal, you know Hal and the striking assortment of characters in North. Roy Robbins has put together a debut novel that is not to be missed!"
—CHARLES ODLHAM, Award-Winning Author of The Senator's Son
