The Starlite Drive-in

Book excerpt: When human bones are discovered on the grounds of the old Starlite Drive-in, only Callie Anne Benton knows the identity of the victim who mysteriously disappeared thirty-six years ago. It’s the sweltering summer of 1956 when a handsome drifter named Charlie Memphis arrives at the Starlite to help Callie Anne’s injured father run the theater. Both she and her mother, Teal, fall for Memphis’s rugged style and gentlemanly manners, but Callie Anne’s father—bitter in his role as caretaker for the rural drive-in and his agoraphobic wife—doesn’t like the drifter’s increasing interest in Teal. A disastrous turn of events changes their lives forever, and it’s up to the grown-up Callie Anne to unlock the secret of the decades-old mystery. Told through the voice of Callie Anne, a whip-smart tomboy reminiscent of Scout Finch, The Starlite Drive-in is a vivid snapshot of 1950s America. A compelling novel infused with hope, tragedy, and suspense, Callie Anne’s story will strike a chord with readers both young and old.