ELIZABETH, La., Dec. 17, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- In a new thriller with all the elements of a creepy mystery, Roger Gassiott's Hobo (now available through 1stBooks) weaves a suspenseful story about a small, God fearing Louisiana town, the brutal murder of the local high school sweetheart and the shocking secrets that one sheriff's deputy uncovers.
Teenager Melissa King is found brutally murdered at the campsite of the town bum, a deaf, mute vagabond known only as Hobo. She was the beautiful, intelligent daughter of the town's mayor and Methodist minister, and the discovery of her body on Christmas day rattles this small community. Although the solution seems obvious, the assumed killer, Hobo, is nowhere to be found. Chief Deputy Joseph Tomson refuses to drop the investigation, and his search slowly uncovers a dark, secret side to Melissa King and many prominent local leaders. As Tomson disturbs these scandalous secrets, town residents react with indignation and begin a campaign to discredit the local police department.
Undeterred, Joseph digs into this girl's past, but he finds only more and more questions. What was she hiding? How could she keep her double life a secret in such a small community? Is Hobo innocent? What Joseph uncovers illustrates skilled police work but shatters this small southern town forever.
Gassiott utilizes the best techniques of mystery writing and creatively depicts culture in the South with Hobo.
Gassiott worked as an editor and reporter for 16 years for military publications while in the U.S. Navy. He also was a reporter for two daily newspapers, worked for the state of Louisiana as a social services counselor and currently is a teacher at Oakdale High School (La.). A graduate of Columbia College in Columbia, Mo., he lives with his family in a small town, which he used as a model for the setting of Hobo and another published book titled The Crying Whippoorwill.
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