Heading Out to Wonderful

It is the summer of 1948 when a handsome, charismatic stranger, Charlie Beale, recently back from the war in Europe, shows up in the town of Brownsburg, a sleepy village nestled in the valley of Virginia. All he has with him are two suitcases: One contains his few possessions, including a fine set of butcher knives; the other is full of money. A lot of money. Finding work at the local butcher shop, Charlie gradually meets all the townsfolk, including Boaty Glass, Brownsburg s wealthiest citizen, and most significantly, Boaty s beautiful teenage bride, Sylvan. This last encounter sets in motion the events that give Goolrick s powerful tale the stark, emotional impact that thrilled fans of his previous novel, A Reliable Wife. Heading Out to Wonderful is a suspenseful masterpiece a novel of obsession and love gone terribly wrong in a place where once upon a time such things could happen.