68 Knots excerpt

Here's how the novel begins.....


Arthur stared in disbelief at the dead body sprawled across the bed. The lanky 17-year-old sank down into a wooden desk chair and ran his hands through his hair.

Oh shit, he thought. This could be real trouble.

He shook his head. This summer was supposed to be exciting, adventurous, and fun. But it started badly and got steadily worse. And now this, he thought. Now what are we going to do?

He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to calm his nerves and clear his thoughts. I guess I’ll tell the others, he said to himself. They’ll freak out, but I’ll try to keep them focused. Someone has to step up and lead this crew, and it might as well be me....