Ooooh oooh! Devil’s advocate?
Omg yes. ok.
I was on a Truman Capote binge when I had the idea for this one.
So it's basically 'In Cold Blood' with Steve being an investigative journalist (for Nancy's independently run magazine). He goes to Hawkins where Eddie is being charged with first-degree murder of Chrissy Cunningham. Like 'In Cold Blood,' Steve interviews Eddie and the residents of Hawkins, but soon finds out that the small town harbours deep seated biases and secrets.
I kind of want the story to go back and forth between a Steve centred 3rd person POV and snippets of the book he's writing about Eddie.
(Here is a little snippet of Steve's book, please ignore any punctuation mistakes)
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In the lush hills of Roane County, just a two-hour drive from Indianapolis, lies the town of Hawkins. It is an idyllic suburban daydream, with green manicured lawns, a heart-shaped lake, and a verdant forest encircling the town in quiet isolation. Hawkins is the kind of place we envision when we think ‘Middle America’— a town where neighborhood kids become lifelong friends, and parents proudly watch their sons and daughters play basketball and cheer.
The people of Hawkins are a friendly sort, welcoming to newcomers who share their vision of domestic bliss. It is the type of town that inspires its residents to take pride in their home, where everyone works hard to make Hawkins a place where families can settle and grow roots.
Before 1986, Hawkins had mostly flown under the radar as a seemingly ordinary town. Even the fire in 1985, which destroyed the newly opened Starcourt Mall (resulting in the tragic death of troubled teen Billy Hargrove), was barely mentioned outside Indiana. For the people of Hawkins, however, most of whom had been vehemently opposed to the mall in the first place, this tragedy felt like both a blow and a betrayal. In the aftermath, under heavy criticism, the mall's biggest supporter—Mayor Larry Kline—stepped down from office, leaving behind a scandalous cheating affair and a charred shopping center as his legacy. Even this barely made waves beyond the great state of Indiana. Undeterred by a disgraced mayor and the ruined remnants of modern America, the townsfolk of Hawkins carried on, their determined shoulders squared and smiles firmly in place. They would weather through this, as all red-blooded Americans do.
That is, until just a year later, when the Satanic Panic that had gripped the hearts of most God-fearing Americans finally landed on Hawkins' doorstep, turning a once-thriving, friendly community into one of melancholy and deep distrust.
