The summer of 1969. The moon landing. The Manson murders. A summer of heroes and villains. And in a southern town, a young boy goes missing, days before his P.O.W. father returns home. While the police search goes nowhere, young Sam Bordelon, Lucy Landry and the rest of the neighborhood "Batraiders" turn their last true summer of innocence into a desperate search for the child. To succeed, they'll have to overcome their fears of the unknown and uncover hidden secrets that lie in the deep, dark Louisiana woods. And in doing so, learn that becoming a hero often comes with a high price.

Louis Tridico grew up in Louisiana's bayou and plantation country, listending to stories his father and uncles told about the people and culture of the region. Often funny, sometines scary and always memorable. Separating fact from fiction was usually impossible. After graduating from LSU, he began a career in advertising, PR and political consulting, including a stint as media spokesman for the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office. He and his wife live in Texas. Visit his website at LouisTridico.com