A Queer Family. A Troubled Child. A Secret. A Crime.
Liam is fourteen. Until lately, he's been happy. No one understands the change. His parents are worried. His teachers have given up. His friends are dropping him one by one. No longer interested in the world, he spends his time plugged in and shut off. But he does what he's told and answers when spoken to, while sinking into the lowest profile he can find.
After many interventions, all unsuccessful, his mother has an idea. Why not send him to spend the summer with her two favorite uncles? The trip will be long. He'll be going alone. But she hopes that the new surroundings will help him break out of his shell. They call it a vacation, but it's really a last resort.
The story starts here. Happy together, Bill, a seasoned high school teacher, and Anton, a health care professional, welcome Liam into their home. They're ready to do anything for him, but unprepared for how difficult that turns out to be. Because, from the moment he arrives, Liam turns their lives upside down. His dark presence disrupts everything. Their love for him. Their love for each other. Their trust of longtime friends.
But Bill persists. With the help of a few of his students who joyfully lighten the load, he works to find the boy he once knew. But Liam's not alone in his tortured mind. Unknown to anyone, including him, a monster lurks inside.
Trigger Warning: One of the threads in this story concerns abuse, but it’s never depicted on page. Consensual sex between men is.
Author's Note: Looking for a way to tell this story, I went back to what I call my "queer genealogy series", Pierre & Bill. If you've read the other books, the setting will be familiar. If you haven't, you won't miss a thing because the story features new characters and takes a new direction.
