Paradise, WV

by Rob Rufus

Overview

In a poor West Virginia town decimated by the opioid epidemic, teenagers Henry and Jane have it worse than most. Their father is Hollis Lusher, a convicted serial killer known as “the Blind Spot Slasher.”

Despite being bullied and ostracized, the siblings maintain their father’s innocence. But now, a popular true-crime podcast is coming to town, and their presence turns all eyes to the Blind Spot Slasher’s case . . . and Henry and Jane.

Meanwhile, an eager young officer, Lieutenant Elena Garcia, is put on the case of a missing girl. Despite warnings from her superiors, Garcia begins to dig deeper into the case and realizes there may be other mysteries buried in the flood of opioid-related crimes. With many deaths quickly labeled as overdoses, or “No Human Involved,” she fears the drug epidemic has created the perfect storm for a Blind Spot Slasher copycat to thrive. Unless that is, they never caught the real Blind Spot Slasher.

An amateur private investigator is also on the case: Henry’s new friend, Otis. A home-schooled genius with his own family issues and a suspicion their father might be innocent, Otis makes it his mission to help Henry and Jane find the real killer. As the three probe into the evidence, they discover a possible connection between the killings and a doomsday, snake-handling cult—propelling them all down the dark backroads of Appalachia to find justice for Hollis and themselves.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781684426713
Publisher:	TURNER PUB CO
Publication date:	05/31/2022
Pages:	334
Product dimensions:	5.50(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

Rob Rufus is an author, musician, screenwriter, and advocate. He is the recipient of the American Library Association’s prestigious ALEX Award. His literary debut, Die Young With Me, was named one of the Best Books of the Year by Hudson Booksellers and is currently being developed as a major motion picture. His follow-up, The Vinyl Underground, was named one of the Junior Library Guild’s Gold Standard Selections. He lives with his dog in East Nashville, Tennessee. Catch him on the road with his bands The Bad Signs or Blacklist Royals, and learn more at www.robrufus.net

Editorial Reviews

05/31/2021

Rufus’s dark, pulpy latest (after The Vinyl Underground) follows a diverse cast of characters in a poor West Virginia town into which opioids have “sunk their claws.” There’s nothing to do in Paradise, and the only reason anyone’s heard of the place is because it was the home of Hollis Lusher, a convicted serial killer known as “the Blind Spot Slasher.” Lusher’s notoriety causes his children, teenagers Henry and Jane—who insist Lusher’s innocent—to be constantly bullied. When the host of a popular true crime podcast arrives in Paradise to report on Lusher, Henry and Jane’s lives are thrown further into chaos. Meanwhile, sheriff’s lieutenant Elena Garcia is investigating the case of a missing girl and determines to dig deeper into the deaths of several people who were addicted to opioids that were previously classified NHI (“no human involved”), suspecting a Blind Spot Slasher copycat is at work, but she is stymied by the sheriff, who dismisses her theory and disparages the victims. Rufus does a great job triangulating the recent interest in true crime narratives with a deep understanding of an isolated and suffering small town, where the local bookstore is “the one place in town where happy endings were still within reach,” pulling off an infectious mix of thriller and social commentary. It adds up to a brilliant critique of the way law enforcement often overlooks those on the wrong side of the tracks. (July)

Publishers Weekly

An infectious mix of thriller and social commentary... brilliant.” —Publishers Weekly

“Unsettling and unforgettable, Paradise, WV walks a line between pulp fiction and compassionate storytelling.” —Foreword Reviews

“Paradise, WV is chock-full of transient characters seeking truth and belonging amid bleak circumstances. Rufus adeptly explores the often-overlooked angles of the opioid epidemic and true crime fascination: empathy and hope. Between the eerie backroads, disturbing killings, and a snake-handling cult—I couldn’t look away! If Flannery O’Connor’s fiction and Metallica’s music had a baby, it would be this book.” —Jennifer Moffett, author of Those Who Prey

“Paradise, WV takes readers on a heart-pounding thrill ride that exposes the dark underbelly of humanity. In it, the opioid crisis, cults, and family dysfunction counterpoint a complex mystery about a serial killer haunting a West Virginia town and the children of a wrongfully-convicted murderer who'll do anything to prove their father's innocence. Rufus's prose is sharp and cutting; his damaged characters painfully realistic and memorable. Lovers of both the horror and mystery genres will find much to enjoy in this macabre thriller.” —D.K. Stone, Giller Prize nominated author of Edge of Wild, The Dark Divide, and Fall of Night

“Rufus's thriller was an atmospheric ride that started quick, had me holding on for dear life through the twists and turns, and swept me up to a stunning and surprising end. Excellent.” —CL Walters, author of The Stories Stars Tell

"Paradise, WV strikes like a copperhead, filled with dark hilarity, crackling Appalachian gothic mystery, and buzzsaw punk rock energy. Fans of Elmore Leonard, Harry Crews, and Daniel Woodrell, take note.” —Jeff Zentner, award-winning author of The Serpent King

“What do you get when you have a story about friendship, family and hope intertwined with a town overridden with drug addiction, a cult and a serial killer? Rufus' seamlessly-told tale Paradise, WV. Rufus' exceptional storytelling showcases the novel's distinctive characters through their flaws, their actions and their motivations. Always engaging and never lacking in satisfaction, Paradise, WV is a literary pleasure.” —Cyn Vargas, author of On The Way

“Rufus's multi-layered page-turner about cults, murder, and deep, dark secrets is a thrilling, creeptastic ride from the punch-you-in-the-gut beginning to an EPIC ending you won't see coming.” —Candace Ganger Powell, author of Six Goodbyes We Never Said

“Paradise, WV is perfect for YA mystery and thriller fans. … With themes of opioid addiction and bullying mixed with the threat of a serial killer still on the loose this book packs a punch and makes it hard to put down until you know the truth.” —YA Books Central

From the Publisher