Carl Franke

Be Home By Dinner Carl Franke

A haunting, suspenseful saga that combines a Gen X romance, a splintered coming of age American portrait and the fallout of a madman.

1986: In quaint Oreland, PA, Garvey Nolan has it all-friends galore, a tomboy crush, Emma O'Sullivan, and a loving family. They provide Garvey an escape from Kratz Kova, the town's "mayor" and golf pro who lures kids with his yellow sports car.

When Garvey and his buddies' hobby of daytime mischief isn't enough, they sneak out at night and take it up a notch. But they aren't the only ones roaming the darkness. There, Garvey witnesses the horrific hobbies of Kova.

Threatened with violence and blackmail, Garvey aims to escape Oreland with Emma. But is there a better way to get rid of Kova for good?Taking place from 1978 through 1993, Be Home By Dinner explores the last generation of kids to grow up without ubiquitous internet access. Void of smart phones and surveillance cameras everywhere, they roamed free. No app tracked their footsteps. Communicative technology was a pay phone and the monsters of mankind lingered -- difficult to prove.

Be Home By Dinner questions whether misbehavior is a perpetual need that can't be severed after childhood. And wonders what constitutes it going too far.

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Reviews

"Sentimental nostalgic meets a chilling suspense story." - Louis S.

"This great book by C. Franke demonstrates that this town is straight out of a Norman Rockwell painting." - Bernie G.

"Girls, mischief, and social anxiety are all there, setting the tone of a world lived parallel to, but inexorably leading to, that of adults." - Paul C.

"If you grew up in the late 70s/80s, you will love this book." - Stef S.

"Great read and highly recommend to Gen X and their kids in high school and or college." - PJ W.

"It's well written & heckuva story that follows a kid as he grows up and lives life while maintaining a certain naivete as to why what he's doing keeps getting him into trouble..." - Pas N.

"The author has a knack for weaving together a well-paced narrative with rich details from a bygone era. Highly recommended!" - Kathleen P.

"I devoured this fine, engaging book in four sittings." - E. M. S.

"The author captures the myriad of routes to adulthood exceptionally well with ease of reading." - - Raymond F.

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Back Cover Description

A Catholic schoolboy, Garvey Nolan, befriends locals and becomes smitten with his next door neighbor, Emma O'Sullivan. Innocent pranks escalate amongst his friends. With reluctance, Garvey embraces trespassing and desecration, sacrificing morality for bonded friendships. The boys explore towns by bike and car, void of their parents, with the sole covenant of returning home for dinner.

But then, they sneak out at night. Shady Creek Country Club's golf course becomes the ultimate playground and hideout, a stage for mischief that blurs into malice, acres of lush land void of supervision.

A golf pro from Shady Creek, Kratz Kova, weaves a sinister presence through Garvey's life. Kova's dark intentions are revealed and progress as Garvey enters manhood.

Influenced by the healing power of music, Garvey strives to end what he has become, even at the risk of losing the devotion of his peers. He craves an escape from Oreland with Emma, far from the blackmail stranglehold of Kova. But can he truly break free?