A Fault against the Dead — Gregory Ashe

Drugs. Sex. Murder. And, if they can squeeze it in, graduation.When Auggie Lopez returns to Wahredua for his senior year of college, he's excited about the future: he's growing his brand as an influencer, he's almost done with school, and he's building a life with his boyfriend, Theo. Then Auggie gets a phone call from Howard Cartwright, Theo's ex-and Cart tells Auggie he's being framed for murder.As Auggie and Theo begin to look into the death of a local parole officer, they realize something isn't right. A gang of armed men almost catches them while they're searching the victim's home, a threatening message spray-painted on the victim's home suggests a personal vendetta, and everyone wants to know about a missing cache of money. The trail leads Auggie and Theo into the dangerous world of the Ozark Volunteers-the local white supremacists who control the region's drug trade.After Theo and Auggie are attacked at home, they learn that the stakes might be much, much higher: someone is determined to put a stop to their investigation, no matter what it takes. And the killer, Theo and Auggie suspect, is hiding behind a badge.