The Fort

During the waning summer days of 1987, a deranged Vietnam vet stalks Grand Rapids, Michigan, abducting and murdering nameless victims from the streets, leaving no leads for police. That is, until he picks up sixteen-year-old Molly. From their treehouse fort in the woods, three neightborhood boys spy the killer holding a gun to Molly’s back, they go to the police—only to have their story disregarded. But the boys know evil lives in their midst. A growing sense of honor and urgency forces the boys to take action—to find Molly, to protect themselves, to stand guard for the last long days of summer.At turns heartbreaking and breathtakingly thrilling, The Fort perfectly renders a coming-of-age story in the 1980s, in those final days of childhood independence, discovery, and paradise lost.Amazon.com ReviewAuthor Sean Chercover Reviews The Fort by Aric DavisThe Fort is that rare and welcome find—a book so great you want to recommend it to strangers on the subway. From page one, you know you're in good hands. Aric Davis writes with a voice so singular, so authentic, his story becomes a separate reality—not just read, but experienced.The endless summer of 1987 stretches out before Tim, Scott, and Luke—best friends and blood-brothers who spend their days... Read the rest of this review at www.kindlepost.com.From BooklistDavis’ growing rep as a brawny, flinty mystery writer won’t be dampened by this straightforward but impressively dogged tale of abduction and lies. Three 12-year-old boys—Tim, Scott, and Luke—are watching the summer of 1987 die from their treehouse fort when they see something incredible: a missing teen girl being pushed through the forest at gunpoint. Grabbing the rifle that Scott lifted from his stepdad, Luke shoots the gunman in the leg. They run for the cops but are discounted as liars. Davis spreads the point of view across the boys, the detective on the case, and the kidnapper himself—a rattled Vietnam vet killing girls in search of a replacement for his long-lost sister. To clear their names, the boys determine to solve the mystery for themselves, and their brave investigation plugs into dark Bradburian nostalgia, complete with sneaking out of bedroom windows, secret codes, and the kind of blood-brother friendship that only exists before the capricious twists of manhood. Few surprises await here, but that’s okay—Davis makes the hard, fast journey a destination in itself.