By Jack N. Lawson

Dr. Emily Travis, an animal scientist in Raleigh, NC, has been requested to visit a dairy farm where the cattle have become seriously sick—to the point of death—with a mystery illness. She is aided in her investigation by her prison chaplain husband, Stephen, who is recovering from a gunshot wound due to their investigation into the victimization of inmates by prison staff (Criminal Justice). What begins as a straightforward scientific investigation leads to the discovery of deliberate dumping of toxic waste (PCBs) over hundreds of miles of rural roads—polluting land, water sources and all those who rely upon them. But who would do such a thing and why? As more animal herds and people begin to fall ill, Emily and Stephen find themselves involved in a web of criminal intrigue wherein the person(s) behind the toxic spills will stop at nothing—including murder—to keep from being found out.

Reviews

What They Are Saying About Dirty Business

Dirty Business by Jack N Lawson, is set in North Carolina in the 1980s. A young, newlywed couple face several challenges to their future together. These two main characters have very different education and focus: one is a scientist, one a man of God. Emily works at a local university while she completes her PhD. Stephen is a prison chaplain, recovering from a serious head wound, suffered during an incident at his prison. Both are committed not only to each other, but to their community.

There have been reports by local farmers of sick animals and reduced productivity. Some locals experience unexplained illness. As it becomes apparent that the land is being poisoned, the pollution coming from an unidentified source, the community faces continuing hardship. Can Emily and her students identify the perpetrators?

Stephen must decide his future career path, having made the decision to leave the prison service; will this influence his relationship with Emily? And who is Emily?

In this novella, many of the wide range of characters have interesting backstories. How will the protagonists pull together, and how will they find a way to serve their community and secure a safe future with each other?

While the novella is set in the late 20th century, its themes of justice and redemption are of relevance in every era. There is plenty of pacey dialogue: prison staff and inmates, police officers and local farmers come to life through banter and tense exchanges. As the plot unfolds, the reader is taken to a range of locales, from prison to mountain, 5-star hotel to university campus.

Where will Emily and Stephen settle, and how will their future be impacted by Emily’s investigative work? Read Dirty Business to find out…

—Glenne Gibson

Kenilworth, England

Jack Lawson has faithfully re-created the story of arguably the nation’s greatest environmental crime—the wilful spillage in the late 1970s of PCBs along hundreds of miles of rural highways in eastern North Carolina—all in order to avoid the financial cost of proper disposal and storage. I know, for I was reared there, and, as a young lawyer, I was involved in some of the litigation spawned by the spillage. That litigation has continued to the present day.

And that is not the only “dirty business” confronting the novel’s heroes in this tale! Lawson spins a tale bringing to life the people and cultural experience of that time and place, told with sensitivity and insight informed by keen observation worthy of Mark Twain.

—Steve Coggins

Wilmington, North Carolina