Caught in the Long Grass

Authors note: this is an updated version of Small Fish Big Fish, my first novel.

Jamie McCarthy has just turned seventeen. He's struggling to understand what life is about, how he fits in, and what his future might hold. He hopes one day to meet someone special, a girl with whom he can share his secret hopes, feelings, and doubts, but he's terribly shy, and the girls in this neighborhood just aren't his type.

Jamie lives in a part of town where graffiti is daubed on walls as an expression of the anger held by those unlucky enough to live there. Until now, he's managed to fly under the radar of the local gangs. But when Jamie spots some money lying on the floor of the grocers, he makes a choice that will change his life. He decides to keep it and heads to the fairground to have some fun.

What happens next sends the teenager's normally well-ordered life spinning out of control, and he finds himself on a pathway of escalating crime, driven by his own naivete and fear of his neighbor, Archie.

And somewhere along this road, he meets Sandy...

Caught in the Long Grass is based on a true coming of age story about a victim of teen violence and bullying. It is also a moving story of family and young romance. Adults and older teenagers will love the authentic 20th century setting, the drama, and the suspense brought to life by PJ McDermott's gritty biographical fiction.