Arthur Jenkins, recently widowed and adrift in grief and the morass of middle age, retreats to a cabin in his native state of Michigan, hoping for a fresh start.
That’s when his oldest friend, Eddie Fletcher, also in retreat after being relieved of duty by the Army while serving in Iraq, calls him on the pretense of a few days of fly fishing up north.
But Eddie had more on his mind than fishing. Two college students from Central Michigan University went missing more than 20 years ago while on a trip to the Au Sable River. Not a trace was ever found. What they did find were altars, stone circles, and evidence of something called Werewolf Parties. Eddie is convinced that the authorities bungled the investigation by pinning it on a notorious serial killer called Big Foot, and he wants Art to help him solve the cold case. Nothing like someone else’s personal tragedy to help kill the time.
And so it begins. With the help of Eddie's Army buddy, licensed private investigator Zachariah Phoenix, the three wade into the often-hostile backwaters of Michigan’s north woods, looking for old bones, answers, and a new lease on life.
Praise for The Outgoing
"From start to finish of this gripping new thriller, Thomas A. Buhr writes at the top of his game. He draws his characters with such precision — and they speak to each other with such genuine pitch-perfect Midwestern ease — that you will feel as if you’ve known these guys from way back.
"The miracle of this book lies in a dark, decades-old mystery at its core, a story that will rattle you and make you think twice, and at the same time, this novel will make you want to go fishing with old friends. You wouldn’t think a book could accomplish this, but The Outgoing does."
—Mike Magnuson, author of The Right Man for the Job, Lummox, and Heft on Wheels
"A taut thriller that builds like a river and ends in an exciting cascade. The Outgoing explores the best and worst in people, and does so with heart."
—Josh Greenberg, author of Rivers of Sand and Trout Water: A Year on the Au Sable