The Felons' Ball: A Novel

The Felons' Ball: A Novel

“ The Felons’ Ball  is full of secrets—ones that refuse to reveal themselves and ones that refuse to stay buried. It's also full of wit and empathy and characters as real as your own family members. This novel is assured, propulsive, and thrilling, and I tore through it.”—Rebecca Makkai,  New York Times  bestselling author of  I Have Some Questions for You The critically acclaimed author of The Good Ones returns with an edge-of-your-seat thriller about a powerful Southern family whose dark secrets set in motion a chain of events with deadly consequences. In their younger years, Trey Macready and his best friend Ben Marsh were distributors and enforcers for the local distillers who made their small hamlet of Ewald, Virginia, the moonshine capital of the world. But that was years ago, and now the only tie to their criminal past is the Felons’ Ball—Trey’s annual birthday party where they regale the crowed with tales of their youthful exploits. But when Ben is found dead after Trey’s fiftieth celebration, it’s clear those connections may not be past at all. Finding Ben’s body propels his much-younger secret lover, Natalie—Trey’s daughter—to search for Ben’s estranged son, Lanny, and to find the truth about his killing. Her quest will lead to a battle with a police department that refuses to ignore her family’s history, and to form unexpected connections with Hardy, the sheriff investigating the case, and her brother-in-law Jay, who had a very public fight with Ben on the night of his murder. When Jay goes missing on the morning he planned to meet Natalie, she begins to wonder if her mother was right . . . and if the past should be left in the past. “A powerful work of literary suspense that feels both modern and timeless, about how loyalty to family can create its own moral universe. A love letter to Southern outlaws, a quietly gripping murder mystery, and a gorgeous portrait of a certain slice of Southern life, Stewart’s characters feel so rich and layered it’s hard to remember they’re fictional, and her Virginia is so real you can almost step into the pages. This story slips under your skin and refuses to let go, the kind of literary seduction only truly masterful writing can accomplish. This book belongs at the top of everyone's TBR.” - Ashley Winstead, bestselling author of Midnight is the Darkest Hour “Who can you trust in this small town family drama where everyone has secrets? Sometimes, the past is better left undisturbed. A compelling page-turner that takes family loyalty to a whole new level!” - Maxwell Gregory "The Felons' Ball is full of secrets—ones that refuse to reveal themselves and ones that refuse to stay buried. It's also full of wit and empathy and characters as real as your own family members. This novel is assured, propulsive, and thrilling, and I tore through it." - Rebecca Makkai, New York Times bestselling author of I Have Some Questions For You “ The Felons’ Ball is literary crime fiction at its best. It’s a tribute to small town Virginia that only someone with deep roots could have conjured; a gripping story of family secrets—and crimes—that only a literary master could have penned. A must-read for connoisseurs of only the finest kind of novels—the ones that stay with you long after you’ve mourned turning the last page.” - Alex Finlay, bestselling author of Parents Weekend "In a hamlet famous for its moonshine, secrets are deadly and grudges run deep. Polly Stewart’s The Felons' Ball is a searing, tensile Southern thriller about crime, consequences, and twisty backroads of love." - Margot Douaihy, USA Today bestselling author of Scorched Grace “Structured as a crime thriller, The Felons’ Ball in addition examines what comprises — what drives — family. Polly Stewart brings her taut new novel to a shattering climax as she fiercely demonstrates that accepting one’s designated position in a tightly knit family can manifest itself in so many, sometimes so unsettlingly different, ways.” - Anniston Star "A gripping exploration of how old wounds fester, how illicit pasts haunt the present, and how far individuals will go to protect—or uncover—the truth. If you crave a novel full of twists, turns, and emotionally resonant characters, this is a gripping mystery thriller you won’t be able to put down.” - MSN.com “If you follow every twist and turn of Southern true crime stories — looking at you, Murdaugh family murder fans! — you really should check out The Felons’ Ball (Harper) by Polly Stewart. A sharply observed and intricately plotted mystery set in the author’s native Virginia, The Felons’ Ball feels like a modern classic, awash in family secrets and moonshine.” - Boston Globe “Stewart does a fabulous job of melding the crimes and the family. I didn’t manage to find the right person in the who dunnit. (which I always appreciate!) The Felons' Ball was the first book I've read of Stewart. I would happily read her next book.”  - A Bookworm's World “ The Felon’s