The Felons’ Ball

The powerful Macready family of Ewald, Va., faces a crisis in Stewart’s devilish sophomore thriller (after The Good Ones). Each year, 50-year-old contractor Trey Macready celebrates his birthday with the Felons’ Ball, a raucous party that winks toward his history of moonshining with his best friend, Ben Marsh. This year, as usual, Trey regales his guests with tales of daring and deceit, but the night is tainted when Ben is found murdered. Trey’s daughter, Natalie, is determined to find Ben’s killer with the help of Lanny, his missing son—in part because she’s secretly been sleeping with Ben. As Natalie and Ewald’s new sheriff, Hardy Underwood, hunt for Lanny and the killer, Natalie learns that Trey and Ben’s decades-old exploits were darker and deadlier than she suspected. As she sifts through a pile of family secrets, the sins of her father’s past start to threaten her own future. An intriguing mix of murder, moonshine, and family drama makes this sing. It’s perfect for fans of Kate White and Kim Michele Richardson. Agent: Denise Shannon, Denise Shannon Literary. (July)