THE KILLING OF CHUY MURO

California in the Sixties—but not surf rock or the Summer of Love. Instead, 1963 marks Martin Luther King’s March on Washington, the Birmingham bombings, Kennedy’s assassination and, in Richland, California, the climax of a century of Anglo-Latino conflict, a racial friction neither as vivid nor as livid as from American slavery, but bearing its own post-World War II poison in farm-towns not unlike those in Steinbeck’s East of Eden and Grapes of Wrath.

First-person narrator Eddie Henley, now an ex-con, takes us back to his youth when he and Gene Taylor are sixteen, blind to their futures, and carefree. Their differing views create more schoolboy nonsense than lasting damage—until a police shooting becomes the thin end of the wedge driving them apart, ending a friendship that began “before we could pee standing up.”

Published August 1, 2026 by Close to the Bone Press
An imprint of Gritfiction Publishing, Northampton, UK
www.close2thebone.co.uk

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The Killing of Chuy Muro - A Novel By Lance Mason

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STORY SUMMARY:

In the California summer of 1963, Eddie Henley and Gene Taylor see their small hometown shaken by the friction, fears, and disputes that go hand-in-hand with immigration reform and long-standing Anglo/Latino societal and economic conflicts, a post-WWII political battleground across the world Southwest.

This Cain-and-Abel narrative of two boys, joined at the hip but split apart by fate and choices, presents a microcosm not only of society’s attitudes on race and identity, but of the demands and desires for change in a California that seemed the Center of the Universe at the time. This was Joan Didion’s zeitgeist, mirrored in the reckless rural life of West Coast beach towns in the ‘60s, and woven into the book's themes: the power of personal ethics, the twisting of futures through early loss, and the prices we pay when fear triumphs over promise.

“A 1960s California noir with the weight of a confession, conveying the violence of silence long after the last page. A searing portrait of torn loyalty, ethnic vengeance, and small-town secrets that rings with truth and earns its ending. Mason's novel crackles with the moral electricity of a country on the edge.” ~ George Cawood, Framework Studio, Los Angeles

“Lance Mason has the rare ability to weave history and imagination into intriguing original stories for his readers, creating the best of both worlds for a contemporary audience that loves fact mixed with fiction.” ~ Katy Munger, Founding Editor, Thalia Press, USA

“Mason’s dramatic arc for small-town life makes compelling reading, with resonant detail and a sound emotional core. From the opening, it’s clear The Killing of Chuy Muro reflects the author’s experience translated into the social fabric of the era, an authentic recall of post-war California’s time-and-place, but portraying the present as well.” ~ Christopher Buckley

“A hard-boiled tale of young men on the brink, set against the rich and gritty backdrop of 1960’s California.” ~ Scott Carpenter, Editor/Judge Annual Solas Awards, USA

“The author masterfully navigates this Cain-and Abel story, exposing the teenage angst and shifting moral compasses of two boys trapped in a childhood secret headed for tragedy.” ~ Lou Boxer, Editor, Retreats From Oblivion, USA

“Written with confidence and humanity, this novel coaxes readers into Mason’s world with an unobtrusive style that’s still compulsive and inviting. An enjoyable, satisfying read.” ~ John Connor, Murderous Ink Press, UK

"In The Killing of Chuy Muro, Lance Mason transports you back to early-Sixties California, giving it life in shimmering and simmering detail. Though hard-boiled, this noir-tinged tale has a lot of heart under its violence and vigilante justice, Mason creating such an authentic sense of place that you'll smell every scene. Strap in for Eddie Henley's harrowing saga." ~ Adam Van Winkle, Editor-in-Chief, Cowboy Jamboree and author of Count the Dust, USA

“Capturing time, place, and characters like few other writers, Mason’s prose shows a sharp eye for detail and seasoned ear for dialogue. A story from a writer who lived and dreamt some of the tragic truths in these hard-case lives.” ~ William Meiners, Editor, Sport Literate

“Writing with precision and passion, Lance Mason lays out the geography, era, and conflict without pause or courtesy—all happening as the action unfolds, deep in the story, heart thumping. Jeopardy oozes from the story’s pores, by an author at the top of his game.” ~ Clem Cairns, Fish Publishing, Bantry, Ireland