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LOST RIVER by J. Todd Scott

With Lost River, on sale June 23, DEA agent and author Scott departs from his Big Bend, Texas trilogy to sharply focus on America's opioid epidemic, setting the story in his native Kentucky, depicting a string of tragic overdoses and murders over twenty-four hours as seen through four main viewpoint characters written in present tense.

Book design by Katy Riegel
The largest portion of the story is from DEA agent Casey Alexander's viewpoint, but I appreciated that Scott started with other viewpoints to give readers a better feel of the local, non-law enforcement attitude. Divided this way, the action feels spontaneous and somewhat inevitable, where a more traditional novel from the lone viewpoint of a DEA agent crusading to clean up a drug-ridden town would've been safer, less impactful, less memorable.

Instead, Lost River is the best kind of fiction, the kind that opens our eyes to reality. My thanks to Ashley Hewlett of G.P. Putnam's Sons for the advance copy.

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