The Less-Dead

Noah Nordstrom has been dissing the religious beliefs of his father, who hosts a popular Christian radio show and whom Noah accuses of spreading hate. When two local gay teens are murdered, Noahs anti-evangelism intensifieshes convinced that the killer is a caller on his dads program.

Then Noah meets Will Reed, a cool guy. But when he learns that Will is gay, Noah gets a little weirded out. Especially since Will seems really into him. Noah gives Will the brush-off. Meanwhile, the killer is still at large . . . and soon Noah finds the next victim. Its Will.

Racked with guilt, Noah decides to investigate. He knows the serial killer is targeting gay teens, but only those who live in foster homes, whose deaths are not that important to society; they are the less-dead. Noah, however, is determined to prove that someone cares. With the help of Wills journal, which he pocketed at the scene of the crime and in which the killer has written clues, Noah closes in on an opponent more dangerous than he can guess.

From the Hardcover edition.

Noah Nordstrom has been getting drunk at parties, eating crackers topped with apricot-hash jelly, and dissing the religious beliefs of his father, who hosts a popular Christian radio show and whom Noah accuses of spreading hate. When two local gay teens are murdered, Noah's antievangelism intensifies—he's convinced the killer is a caller on his dad's program. Then Noah meets Will Reed, a cool guy. But when he learns that Will is gay, and possibly into him, Noah gives Will the brush-off. Meanwhile, the killer is still at large . . . and Noah is soon drawn into a game of cat and mouse as he investigates the murders and closes in on a dangerous enemy.

April Luries previous novels are The Latent Powers of Dylan Fontaine; Brothers, Boyfriends & Other Criminal Minds (a Texas Lonestar Book); and Dancing in the Streets of Brooklyn. She lives in Round Rock, Texas.

From the Hardcover edition.