Books In The Hood Review: I Disappeared Them

Preston L. Allen has authored eight works of fiction, including Every Boy Should Have a Man, Jesus Boy, All or Nothing, and the award-winning collection Cuhrchboys and Other Sinners. Preston was born in Honduras, he has lived in Boston and Miami. Florida played a pivotal role in his career. Preston holds a BA in English from the University of Florida and an MFA in creative writing from Florida International University. He lives and teaches writing in South Florida.a

Preston's latest work, the Akashic published, I Disappeared Them. It is a Miami-based crime thriller. The story is centered around a man known by his peers as Poe Edgar Jackson. At night Poe is acknowledged as The Hunter, a meticulous serial killer whose victims disappear without a trace. Lastly, authorities and the media titled The Hunter as the Periwinkle Killer.

Poe wasn't born as The Hunter. Preston takes his time to transcend the generational branches that rooted Poe's fate. He witnessed his parent's dysfunction firsthand. As they lived in a cycle of constant conflict and infidelity. Unbeknownst to Poe, his father Edgar L Jackson. Was a man with hobbies, habits, and voices in his head. Throughout their conflict, Edgar had dreams of hurting the family. Edgar killed his best friend after finding out he had been intimate with his wife, Poe's mother.

Edgar was not held accountable for this crime, but other actions caught up to him, causing him to die unceremoniously in prison. Leaving Poe to be raised alone by his mother. Poe carried the lessons his father left behind as he navigated through life. He lived as a lost kid. Eventually finding his future as the Hunter through interactions with his childhood best friend, and a love triangle that proved the beast of infidelity had latched onto Poe as it did his parents.

Poe grew up to be a dedicated father and leader in a dysfunctional home, where the lines between love and lust were

blurred. A home where he served as a father to a child who was a result of his partner's affair. Poe worked late as a pizza man. Which allowed him to identify, research, and successfully execute his targets. But did not allow him to financially support his household. Poe is motivated by a sense of justice that ultimately seeks to protect children. Most of his victims had managed to commit horrible crimes and slip through police custody. Poe, as the Periwinkle Killer. Had even managed to get his hands on another serial killer who exclusively sought children.

I Disappeared Them is a fun, thrilling, and silly novel. Preston's unique format of storytelling pulls readers through the metamorphosis of Florida. While forcing many real-world truths to the front of the conversation. Preston explores ideas of nature vs nurture, generational curses, and environment. He braids them together with the taboo of infidelity, and how it affects the family structure of any child. I Disappeared Them is ideal for readers who seek a classic crime thriller. But craves a new flavor that is unique to the perspective of the genre.

Preston Allen's I Disappeared Them is published by Akashic Books and is available at book retailers nationwide. For more information on the author, please visit, https://www.akashicbooks.com/author/preston-l-allen/.