Nothing More Dangerous by Allen Eskens

Nothing More Dangerous is a compelling novel by Allen Eskens in which he takes a character, Boady Sanden, from two previous books, and goes back to 1976 to take a look at a moment in time in small town Jessup, Missouri.

Eskens has said in an interview, “I like writing stories where the protagonist goes on a personal journey that changes them by the end of the novel.” Readers see that idea exemplified in each of Eskens’ novels. Boady goes from a naïve 15-year-old who has never thought much about race and using certain derogatory terms to a compassionate young man who is educated not only by his secretive neighbor but also by his encounter with a black family, and young, white supremacists.

Helping to shape Boady is Hoke, a mysterious neighbor, who asks lots of questions but gives very few answers. For as long as Boady has known Hoke, 10 years, Hoke has been keeping a running log on who knows what? Eventually Boady will have a chance to delve into these volumes which give him insight into the man who has become a father figure to him. In the meantime, Hoke gives Boady something to think about when considering his new black neighbors.

When Boady refuses to spray paint derogatory words on the side of the Elgin’s house, he marks himself as an enemy of the CORPS, a group of Klan wanna-bes. In fact, Boady soon becomes best friends with Thomas Elgin, which further infuriates the group, causing them to attempt a vicious attack on the twosome.

The plot thickens when Boady and Thomas encounter a dead body while they are exploring in the woods. It turns out to be Lida Poe, a person of interest in an embezzlement of the plant where Thomas’ father has been brought in to straighten things up. As Boady keeps putting together more clues about what is going on in his town of Jessup, he finds himself and Thomas in life-threatening danger from the CORPS.

Allen Eskens became one of my favorite contemporary writers with The Life We Bury, in which an adult Boady appears. Eskens continues to be a compassionate writer who gets to the very core of what it means to be an individual in a battle between right and wrong. He’s masterful in his crafting of young, male characters who are at the heart decent human beings called upon to step up in difficult situations.

 5 stars!