Synopsis:
Skin River is the story of Buddy Bayes, a man with a shadowy past trying desperately for a second chance at a peaceful life as a tavern owner in small-town Gunnar, Wisconsin. Buddy has traded his connections in the Chicago underworld for the loose friendship of an assortment of locals who frequent his bar. Before long, with the help of a young single mother who works for him as a waitress, Buddy starts to trust that he's lost himself in exactly the kind of new life he'd imagined.
His hopes for a clean start are shattered, however, when he finds the severed hand of a missing college student and falls headlong into a harrowing situation which has Buddy convinced that his past has come back to haunt him. As events unfold, it becomes clear that things aren't what they seem, and jumping to conclusions proves a disastrous mistake as the true nature of Buddy's situation slowly comes into focus. Skin River is a tense, chilling novel that introduces Steven Sidor, a fine crime writer with an exacting touch and a remarkable talent for suspense.
From the Back Cover:
In a terrifying debut novel, Steven Sidor spins a stunning thriller that drips with unrelenting menace.
HE PROWLS THE FOREST...
The Goatskinner kills without conscience, prowling the frozen forest for human prey. He revels in the chase, savors the visceral thrill of the cut and thrust. His victims are women, nearly always left in scattered pieces that briefly quiet his screaming hunger. Hidden behind a friendly façade, his depravity eludes those around him. But always, his hunger grows.
LOOKING FOR HIS QUARRY...
In a sleepy backwoods town, Buddy Bayes inhabits a darkness all his own. On the run from the Chicago mob, he sought refuge as proprietor of a simple tavern. But then a series of gruesome killings puts him dead center within the authorities' attention, and Bayes finds himself locked inside the Goatskinner's twisted world.
AND KILLING WITH NO MERCY...
Suddenly, Buddy's past catches up to him with the force of a hollow-point slug, as he's caught between the suspicious police and the unforgiving mob. His only way out? Find the killer and settle scores all around. But when Buddy comes face-to-face with the Goatskinner, the encounter will leave them both shattered to the core.
"Dark, harrowing, and unpredictable as a run of dangerous river."
--Gregg Hurwitz, author of The Kill Clause
"Steven Sidor writes like a dream-a fabulous fever dream-and Skin River grabbed me, pulled me into its dark, malevolent world, and scared the hell out of me."
--Sebastian Stuart, author of The Mentor
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