Rat Life

AN EDGAR AWARD WINNER • In this coming-of-age mystery, a young man finds himself drawn into a bizarre chain of events.

“This entertaining and thoughtful account is an absorbing snapshot of early 1970s life.”—Kirkus Reviews

“[A] suspenseful yarn with a dizzying climax.”—Publishers Weekly, starred reviewA dead body. A guy called Rat. And too many coincidences to ignore . . .

The dead body found in the Chemanga River has nothing to do with Todd. Sure, a murder is big news, but what would really interest him? A paying job. Then he meets Rat. Just a little older than Todd, Rat has already seen a lot of the world. And when he offers Todd a gig at the drive-in theater, Todd takes it. After all, it means a paycheck and free movies. But hanging out with Rat leads to a host of strange experiences and perplexing questions. More and more, that corpse from the river is on Todd’s mind; and no matter how he shifts the pieces around, Rat is always part of the puzzle. . . .