Turn a Blind Eye

Inspired by the Little Chicago era in Henderson, Kentucky, Turn a Blind Eye spins a tale of lawlessness, racketeering, and murder-and of one World War II veteran's struggle to take back the vice-ridden community he discovers after a decade away from home.

Alone and lonely, Hoyt Cole is an unlikely hero. He's lost the love of his life, he drinks too much, and he's suffering from combat fatigue. G. I. Bill-college degree in hand, Cole returns to Henderson to work as a reporter on the local paper, finding there an unrecognizable haven of vice. The authorities are corrupt, and the residents seem indifferent. But when Cole covers the story of a body found floating face up in the river, he knows his duty. If there's one thing he learned from serving in the Marine Corps, it's the importance of honor. Determined to reclaim his hometown, Cole risks his relationships, his job, and his life, to clean up a community in the grip of lawlessness, racketeering, and murder.

A native of Henderson, Kentucky, Billy Parks (Bill) Burton now lives with his wife and daughter in neighboring Owensboro. He was a practicing pharmacist for more than 30 years before working as an executive in a video distribution company and later managing the trade organization for US and Canadian video distributors. He is an award-winning visual artist with commissioned pieces in private collections throughout the Southeast. Turn a Blind Eye is his first novel.