River Rules is a small-town environmental suspense novel with a deep heart and powerful conscience. What the housing bubble didn’t break in Bridgeville—a small New England community blessed by the Connecticut River—greed, double-dealing, and rapid-fire change just might. Peter Russo, a part-time farmer and full-time rambler with his rescue dog, has a knack for conflict, and a burning desire to protect Bridgeville’s land and water from exploitation.
His best buddy, John Tomassi, a local cop, doesn’t want to be his babysitter—nor does his brother, Jeff. Peter’s ex-lover, Carmen, has no use for him as she doubles-down on her profitable apple orchard. But Rachel, his niece, needs his partnership in a food truck. Peter’s trouble with Bridgeville’s bureaucracy reunites him with two of his former club baseball players, Marco Torres, now on the wrong side of the law, and Kenny Johnson, a young cop. Peter’s helping hand not only gives Marco the chance he needs, but Marco and Kenny find that there’s more that connects them than divides them. The food truck is a lifeline to almost everyone except Nancy, Peter’s old friend, sinking fast from health issues and the aftermath of date rape.
Nobody’s famous and nobody’s rich except Brock Saunders, a local bully turned Ponzi-schemer and sexual predator. With Bridgeville life at the mercy of cultural crosswinds and economic forces seemingly beyond control, love, loss, baseball, and the search for truth create a spinning wheel of unexpected alliances, unsung heroes, and treachery.
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“Modern economic scheming versus provincial loyalty makes for an endearing thriller.”
— Kirkus Reviews
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Stevie Z. Fischer writes about the interplay of people, nature, and power in small-town New England. Her first novel, River Rules, looks at how everyday heroes can be forged as lives are changed by forces seemingly beyond our control. It illuminates the bonds of friendship, love of nature, and refusal to be marginalized. Although she has worked in jobs ranging from cheese slicing to strategic analysis, nothing has been so transformational as paying attention, walking her dog, and never meeting a stranger. Stevie teaches writing and lives in Connecticut.
Byron Wagner is an audiobook narrator and voiceover artist based in Los Angeles. He began his career in entertainment at age eight, performing as a magician and ventriloquist for children’s parties, then graduated to theater, radio, TV, and film. After living in the UK for several years, his continuing love of acting and reading have happily led him back to the other side of the studio glass, doing voice acting and narrating, directing, and producing audiobooks.