The Soapbox Man

With a history of social and political unrest as old as the city itself, the last thing that Boston needs is another crisis. But if Mayor Simon Hatch, the wealthy scion of one the city’s most powerful families and his cronies get their way that would be just what would happen. Using the police chief and a few like-minded officers, the men have found a creative way to rid the city of some of its most undesirable residents, preferably, in their words, “before they reproduce and pass their unworthy genes to another generation.”

With a history of social and political unrest as old as the city itself, the last thing that Boston needs is another crisis. But if Mayor Simon Hatch, the wealthy scion of one the city’s most powerful families and his cronies get their way that would be just what would happen. Using the police chief and a few like-minded officers, the men have found a creative way to rid the city of some of its most undesirable residents, preferably, in their words, “before they reproduce and pass their unworthy genes to another generation.” A trio of individuals, strangers to one another at the start of the novel, unexpectedly find themselves with clues to the program. Tory Flanagan, the mayor’s security chief, William Moreland, a community activist with a nasty temper and Neil Curtis, a homeless man with one last chance to pull his life together find themselves running toward and away from each other at the same time. Unless the three find a way to overcome their fears and inner demons a city-wide gang-war, clandestinely sponsored by City Hall could erupt.

Tom Bohl is the author of The Soapbox Man and numerous not-yet-published stories and pre-novels. He is a Massachusetts native now living in the Low Country outside Charleston, SC. Though he sometimes uses project management software to construct his complicated plots and sub-plots Tom occasionally finds himself staring blankly at five-foot sections of paper covered with outlines, sticky notes and obscenities. He is a life-long Red Sox fan, proud step-dad, dog lover and budding entrepreneur. His wife Tammie endures all of this with grace, good humor and unflagging support.