THE MORE THEY DISAPPEAR

A heartbreaking whydunnit set in the ferocious Kentucky hills, The More They Disappear is relentless but masterful in its portrayal of love, addiction, and lonesomeness.” —Smith Henderson, author of Fourth of July Creek

When long-time Kentucky sheriff Lew Mattock is shot in the head by a confused, drug-addicted teenager, chief deputy Harlan Dupee is tasked with solving the crime. Every criminal the sheriff has ever locked up is a suspect, but as Harlan examines the circum- stances surrounding Lew’s death, he finds out his former boss wasn’t an innocent. Harlan’s search takes him headlong into the county’s burgeoning prescription drug trade, from wooded ATV parks and tobacco farms to riverboat casinos, from the slanted steps of trailer parks to the manicured porches of prominent citizens. As the evidence brings Harlan closer to his unlikely suspect, he comes to doubt the law and its ability to solve the country’s problem. The More They Disappear explores the violent years following Purdue Pharma’s release of OxyContin. It is an unnerving tale of addiction and loss, the battle to overcome the darkest parts of ourselves in search of redemption. Jesse Donaldson was a fellow at The Michener Center for Writers in Austin, Texas, and his writing has appeared in The Oxford America, Little Star, and Crazyhorse. He lives in Oregon.