Cold Skin by Steven Herrick

Eddie lives in a small coal-mining town and wants nothing more than to quit school, work in the mines, and spend as much time as possible with his friend/girlfriend Sally. His brother Larry, on the other hand, is determined to do well in school and escape life in their small town but he does not have the social graces to successfully pursue the girl he is interested in. Their father has recently come home from World War II and is hostile and defensive about the role that he played and determined that he will never work in the mines again- and neither will his sons. Father and sons rarely see eye to eye and it leads to many ugly confrontations, particularly after a beautiful young girl is murdered.

This multi-layered and complex story is told beautifully through simple verse. The narrative unfolds through the voices of a diverse cast of characters- each with their own motivations for the actions or inactions. What follows is a compelling tale of courage and revenge that slowly unfolds the mystery which has a surprising resolution. Though the setting is Australia, the story could take place almost anywhere and it will be easy for teens to imagine it happening in their hometowns.