Just yesterday Henri was playing marbles with his friend Joe. Now Joe’s been found murdered.

Henri Dupont, the son of the owner of the only store in Dupont, Missouri, spends most of his days (when he’s not doing chores or fidgeting in school) searching for edible mushrooms or tasty delicacies like wild onions. In 1938 there are still horses and buggies on the town’s one street, along with a few cars, going back and forth to the mine that is the only real employer. Often Henri is roaming the woods with two old mentors – Harold Neidermeyer and David Carter, a White man and a Negro who claim to be cousins, and David Carter’s bright son Dave Carter.But Henri has just heard the news that one of his closest friends his age has been murdered. “Who could have done such a thing” is on the lips of everyone in the normally peaceful town.Here are the first two chapters (6700 words) of a longer novel, about 58K words. I’d love to trade Beta Reads with you, especially if you are interested in historical fiction. Although the protagonist is a child, this is not meant to be a YA novel as it deals with racism, some violence, and of course a series of murders. I’m looking forward to helping you with your project. PM for Google Docs link.