Title: The Dark Side of Truth
Author: Gary Caruso
Genre: YA Mystery, Adventure
Tour Host: Lady
Amber's Tours
Book Description:
Soon after fifteen-year-old
Will Reed and his friend Mason stumble over a corpse in the woods, Will’s
ex-con father is arrested for the murder—and it’s Will’s fault. With the police
about to close their investigation, Will must discover the identity of the
ruthless killer before his father wrongfully goes back to prison.
In the spirit of City of Ember
and The Goonies, it’s the
discovery of a coded message that
starts them on an unexpected path of mystery and danger. Will hopes finding an
ancient relic will guide him to the truth and prove his father’s innocence.
Unfortunately, Will soon learns he isn’t the only one searching for this
valuable object. It’s a race to follow hidden clues until Will is confronted
with a harsh reality. His determination to help his father has jeopardized the
lives of the people he cares for. With a cold-blooded killer on his trail, Will
must choose between the safety of his friends and family or freedom for his
father.
Gary Caruso lives in
northern Virginia with his wife Jill, but
their favorite place is in Ohio
with their three beautiful grandchildren. Although Gary is exhilarated when he sits down to
write, teaching middle school science is his first love. He’s passionate about
empowering students to make thoughtful decisions and positive choices in life. Gary enjoys reading,
especially fiction that blurs the line between what’s real and what’s fantasy.
He never imagined becoming a writer until an ordinary car ride on a spring day
jolted an unlikely thought into his head. Gary’s
early experience writing is a reminder that no matter how intimidating the
challenge, action and determination are the foundations for fulfilling any
dream. Gary has
an insatiable love for writing, a blessing he’s excited to share with his
readers.
Links:
Character
Descriptions:
Will Reed:
Seventeen year-old foster kid. Medium Height, thin build, brown hair.
Underachiever at school, but bright and curious.
Cast: Colin Ford
Mason Burke: Will’s
friend. Short in height, red hair and freckles. A little nerdy. Good student. A
loyal friend and surprisingly brave.
Cast: Grayson Russell
Jane and Scott: Will’s
newest foster parents. Older, maybe late fifties, early sixties. Very loving.
Cast (Jane): Joan Cusack
Cast (Scott): Dennis Quaid
Mr. Reed: Will’s father. Just
released from prison. Wants to renew his relationship with Will.
Cast: Mark Ruffalo
Mr. Burke:
Mason’s dad. Looks like Mason, only older. Conspiracy Theorist. Odd, but funny
and caring.
Cast: Timothy Busfield
After returning the box to its hiding place, he
reached for his phone, rotating it to different angles. “The next cache is
about a mile up the trail. Once we loop around, we’ll stay to the left when the
path splits.”
“I’ll follow you.” I didn’t want to admit it, but I
was having more fun than I ever thought I would. It was like having a treasure
map where “X” marked the spot, except the treasure was a bunch of worthless
stuff.
We continued up the path for about a mile. Just like
he said, we looped around and headed back on the Confederate side of the trail.
After another thirty minute hike, it was time to turn left. That was until we
noticed that turning left meant navigating a huge section of fallen trees and
thick brush with thorns.
“Now what?” I asked.
“Well, it isn’t much of a trail, but the cache must
be over there. The hint has to do with a pile of leaves.” He took a closer look
at the trees, rocks, and fallen leaves that blanketed the area. “I think it
might be by that big lump of leaves, but the map says it’s a little farther
away.”
“Should we check it out?” I asked, hoping he would
say no.
“I’ll search this area. Go ahead another hundred
yards and see if you can find an easier path to the leaves.”
I started alone up the trail. Mason yelled a couple
of times. He must have been knee-deep in thorns. I grinned. It was the first
time I had heard him use profanity. I kept moving forward, but my trail
narrowed and roots stuck through the dirt like speed bumps. With my attention
searching for piles of leaves, I tripped on a root, falling to my hands and
knees. As I brushed away the dirt, I looked in Mason’s direction, hoping he
didn’t see how uncoordinated I was. The way the trail curved, he was out of
sight. There was no way he saw me fall. I continued forward, keeping my eyes on
my feet.
“Will!”
My head snapped around when I heard Mason scream. It
wasn’t the same, I found the cache
scream of joy as before. The pitch of his voice was high and sharp. He was
panicking, yelling for help. I couldn’t imagine what could have scared him this
much. I sprinted in his direction. The trail led me around a dense area of
brush. Then I spotted him. He sat on the ground, frantically driving his feet
into the forest floor, pushing himself backwards, away from a pile of leaves.
“Calm down,” I said. “Are you hurt?”
“Get him off me! Help! Get him off me!”
“What is it, a bug?” As I reached for his hand to
pull him to his feet, I caught a closer glimpse of his face. He was pale,
almost transparent. It was like something had scared him enough to freeze his
blood. His mouth hung open and his eyes stretched wide, strained on something
in front of him.
“Mason, you’re freaking out. What’s wrong?”
“Oh my God, Will! Help me! Please help me!” Tears now
flooded down his face.
I moved behind him, hoping to recreate his point of
view. Then I saw what had frightened him. Partially covered by a mound of wet
leaves, a light, chalky grey hand, the color of sidewalk cement, lay flat
across the ground. It almost touched Mason’s leg, like it was trying to grab at
his ankle. I held my breath and my heart thumped in my ears as I followed the
shirt-covered arm until I saw the dull, lifeless eyes of someone I knew.
“It’s Mr. Peters.”
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