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DUPED In AMERICA

DUPED In AMERICA is set in 2017 and introduces us to young, earnest, Holly Bagley, a rookie police officer in the tranquil college town of Farmington, in Southern Indiana. Holly, who yearns for her Marine boyfriend currently stationed in Afghanistan, must also grapple with her mother’s sudden death and a strained relationship with her Trump-supporting father, who is also a sergeant on the same police force.

Farmington’s bucolic calm is broken when a stolen car chase ends in a fatal crash, taking the life of Detective Garry Henderson’s teenage son, Denny. The detective is further shocked by the unexpected news of Denny fathering a child out of wedlock. In the wake of this tragedy, Chief Karl Jacobs assigns Holly and Henderson to a harrowing case: a possible hate crime involving black students being randomly shot at night.

The unlikely pairing of Holly and Henderson is loaded with tension from the onset due to their significant age gap, racial differences, and the prevailing socio-political climate of the Trump era. As they delve deeper into their investigation, they confront an alarming escalation of horror and violence that irrevocably transforms Holly’s life.

DUPED In AMERICA is not just a thrilling hate crime investigation, but also an exploration of generational and racial disparities, as well as the intricate social fabric of small-town America. It is a compelling narrative that underscores the impact of our decisions, the complexities of our world, and the unexpected alliances that emerge in our pursuit of truth.

Sample - Chapter 1

It was 2017. Bumptious Donald Trump, avatar of festering grievances, had taken the White House. Millions of citizens coast to coast grumbled with discontent even as millions of duped followers hailed his victory as bringing them long-awaited deliverance from cultural changes that could forever destabilize the American way of life.

Holly Bagley voted for Hillary, but her dear mom had suddenly passed away months before the election. Holly’s dad voted for the presidential candidate who had said Mexicans coming into this country were rapists and drug dealers and had boasted he could grab women between their legs because, “When you’re a star they let you do it. You can do anything.”

She was off duty now, and the grayness outside left her feeling blue again. So, with her purse and car keys jangling, she forced herself to look happy and capered out of the apartment, intending to buy a battery for her favorite watch and maybe look for a cute bra. Just the thought of it brightened her spirits.

Thirty minutes later, she found herself peering into windows in the mall, taking note of the stores that had gone out of business since the Great Recession of ’08—the ruins still smoldering, someone said. After a while, she began losing enthusiasm for shopping, her mind drifting out of sync with her feet. Find a jewelry store and ask the salesperson to open the watch and install the battery because I don’t know how.