Patrick Kanouse

The Clearing Patrick Kanouse

1979. The Cold War, a troubled family, and murder. Vietnam veteran Detective Dean Wallace's fondness for whiskey ended his New York City detective career and marriage. Having retreated to his hometown, Zion, to the only detective job he could find, he works under the shadow of his father, the Chief of Police. A few days into the new year, the body of Billy Nimitz--a young automobile repair shop employee--turns up in the woods just on the United States side of the border. A bullet in his head, a copy of The Communist Manifesto in his pocket, and a gun in the snow. Dean's investigation takes him down a tangle of paths and connections with a local biker gang, drugs, rivalries, a tight-knit group of friends, an unpopular girlfriend, and a crime in Montreal. As Dean strives to find Billy's killer, his shunned brother returns to the family, stirring up memories. Painful memories Dean would prefer to keep buried in the past.