cover image Mote

Mote

Chap Reaver, Herbert Reaver. Delacorte Press Books for Young Readers, $14.95 (217pp) ISBN 978-0-385-30163-3

When Mote, a wandering Vietnam veteran, is accused of murdering a white supremacist shop teacher, only Chris Miller and his friend Billy think he is innocent. Chris is drawn into a web of violence, intrigue, infidelity and racism as he struggles to clear Mote's name. With the help of a black police detective, Chris finally gets to the bottom of a veritable vipers' nest of small-town nastiness. A particular strength of this debut novel is Reaver's compelling portrayal of the friendship that develops between Chris and Detective Steinert as the investigation proceeds. Because of its extreme violence (including a scene in which Chris is brutally beaten), this book is not for the squeamish. Reaver has succeeded in writing what may be the first Elmore Leonard-esque thriller for teenagers. Ages 14-up. (Oct.)