Shortly before Mickey, an estranged childhood friend, arrives in town seeking Eddie's assistance in writing a book, he receives piece of colored chalk and a stick man drawing. He discovers that each of his close childhood friends, including Mickey, received similar items. The following day after dining, drinking, and catching up on old times, Mickey's body is pulled from the river.
Thirty-years earlier, twelve-year old "Eddie Munster" introduced the chalk pictograms to his childhood friends; Metal Mickey, Fat-Gav, Hoppo, and Nicky, the sole girl in the close knit group. An albino teacher, recently arrived in their small community and admired by Eddie, introduced the chalk pictograms as a secret form of communication among the group members. His admiration developed after he assisted the teacher in saving an older adolescent girl's life after she was seriously injured by an amusement ride accident at the local fair, later being known, as a result, as the "Waltzer Girl." After the event, Eddie develops a crush on the victim. Several weeks later after the fair accident, a chalk man similar to those used by group leads the gang to the woods where the dismembered body of the Waltzer Girl is found.
The author uses alternaing 1986 and 2016 titled chapters to merge the two deaths and reveal the killer. There are a number of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. The relationship between the group members was so well-developed in this coming-of-age story that I couldn't help seeing some comparison with a Stephen King novels with young protagonists such as "It."
Thirty-years earlier, twelve-year old "Eddie Munster" introduced the chalk pictograms to his childhood friends; Metal Mickey, Fat-Gav, Hoppo, and Nicky, the sole girl in the close knit group. An albino teacher, recently arrived in their small community and admired by Eddie, introduced the chalk pictograms as a secret form of communication among the group members. His admiration developed after he assisted the teacher in saving an older adolescent girl's life after she was seriously injured by an amusement ride accident at the local fair, later being known, as a result, as the "Waltzer Girl." After the event, Eddie develops a crush on the victim. Several weeks later after the fair accident, a chalk man similar to those used by group leads the gang to the woods where the dismembered body of the Waltzer Girl is found.
The author uses alternaing 1986 and 2016 titled chapters to merge the two deaths and reveal the killer. There are a number of red herrings to keep the reader guessing. The relationship between the group members was so well-developed in this coming-of-age story that I couldn't help seeing some comparison with a Stephen King novels with young protagonists such as "It."