Holy City

'A dense, brilliantly rendered novel by a new master of Southern gothic' Kirkus In this thrilling debut, Henry Wise transports readers to the Deep South, to a town poisoned by corruption and haunted by its past. Will Seems has not returned to Euphoria, Virginia County, since his mother's death. Now, taking a job as a Deputy Sheriff, he is forced to confront the turbid currents of this backwater town. Will is confronted by his past when a mysterious homicide claims the life of a close friend. The brutality of the crime serves as a grim reminder of the true reason for Will's return - to atone for the past. The local police rush to close the homicide case by arresting a man Will knows to be innocent and he faces a community that refuses to confront its history. Personal grievances and deep-seated prejudices undermine his every attempt to uncover the truth. Will's hunt for answers leads him to Snakefoot, a dense wilderness long serving as a refuge for outcasts. It is here that old secrets lie buried, waiting to be unearthed.

Auteur

Henry Wise is a graduate of the Virginia Military Institute and the University of Mississippi MFA program. A writer across multiple genres, his poetry has been published in Shenandoah, Radar Poetry, Clackamas, Nixes Mate Review, and elsewhere. His non-fiction and photography have appeared in Southern Cultures. Holy City is his first novel.