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Book details
  • Genre:FICTION
  • SubGenre:Mystery & Detective / General
  • Language:English
  • Pages:300
  • Paperback ISBN:9798350941616

RAGS

by Andrea Anderson

Book Image Not Available Book Image Not Available
Overview
Max has been so successful with his first book he wanted to write another one soon. As he did with the first one he wanted to experience what he would be writing about first hand so he could be sure he was writing the truth. He puts his old life on hold and takes to the streets thinking that it would be just as easy to get bad as it would be to become homeless. After a storm destroys his cardboard house he leaves it and looks for another place to get out of the rain. After finding another place to take shelter, he hears shouting and being very curious he comes out of the shelter and witnesses a murder. The killer knows Max has seen him and gives chase. Max is now not only living on the street but has the police looking for him for a crime he did not commit. Not knowing the ways of the street people he is close to giving up when a Hog, homeless man helps him find food and shelter. By coincidence Max meets a colleague that worked with him on his other book. Since he is in hiding and can't return to his old life, he persuades her to help him collect material for the book and keep him informed on what the police progress is in finding him. Max and Hog become friends and Hog helps Max to live on the street. Together they have some adventures and by living in the homeless camp Max hears many stories of how and why the people there decided to leave their old lives. Max and Hog find a part time jobs and begin working on a spooky old house and have some extra ordinary things happen.
Description
Max goes to live on the street to collect material to write his next book. He feels it is necessary for him to do this so that he is sure his writings reflect the truth. Not knowing much about living as a homeless person he has difficulty surviving. To make natters worst a storm takes out his cardboard house and in finding a new place to get out of the rain he sees a murder. The killer also sees Max and begins to chase him. He doesn't catch Max but goes to the police and they puts out a wanted poster saying Max is the killer, so he cannot return to his old life easily. While on the street Max meets Hog a homeless man who helps him how to survive by living in a homeless camp in a tent. Max does not reveal why he is on the street and begins to talk to the other people in the camp to ask them why they chose to leave their old lives. By luck Max meets an old colleague who volunteers in a soup kitchen and he persuades her to help him with the material he has collected for his book. She is aware that he is wanted for murder but after he tells her the story of what he saw she believes he is innocent. They meet clandestinely and he gives her the information he has collected and she puts it on a her computer for him to use later. Max and Hog get part-time jobs working in an old house that is being renovated and they meet Deidre there. Deidre is a woman who has a dream of becoming a clothing designer but has no way of breaking to the business so she works as an unpaid intern. She applies for a job there and gets turned down and she quits. She begins work as a personal assistant and a gentleman's escort to make money. She gets involved with a police detective and finds out that the killer who is blackmailing the detective, that's why he is so willing to put out wanted posters looking for Max and goes along with the idea that Max is a serial killer. The killer also takes an interest in Deidre and after finding out that she works as an escort and the detective doesn't know that he begins to blackmail her also. Max and Hog have been working at a big house as painters helpers. The house is almost completed and the painters ask Hog and Max to come work at another house which turns out to be the property of the killers company COO Marlene. The person that was murdered was Marlene's boyfriend but she doesn't know who killed him. A surprise comes when the police come to the camp and Max thinks they are looking for him when they are really looking for Hog for past vehicular manslaughter charges. They arrest Hog and placed in jail and Max calls upon one of his old friend to help Hog and get him freed. Max wants to save Hog so he tells Hog's story about how he became homeless due to a terrible accident causing his mother-in-law and son to die, his wife seriously hurt and Hog's arms and hands burned badly. Hogs wife tells him she never wanted to see him again for killing their son and mother but is persuaded by Max and the lawyer to testify at the trial and Hog goes free. Hog and Max continue working at the house and one day Max has an encounter with a mentally ill street woman and gets arrested. Just as he is about to be freed, they discover his outstanding warrant for murder. Max goes to jail and Hog tries to get the lawyer that defended him to help Max. During the trial the real killer is shot and Max is wounded but is freed. He goes back to his old life and remains friends with Hog and the others who tried to help him.
About the author
As a healthcare professional who lives in a big city the author has experienced contact with many homeless people. Just walking down the street or to the subway it is hard not to see homeless people living on the streets or in tents in the parks. I wonder if people realize where the homeless come from and that some of them have horrific life stories that have driven then where they are now. I have no real answers as to how to help homeless problems but it is so sad to see such a waste of humanity and often hidden talents.