From one of the freshest voices of Southern noir comes a gritty crime story with plenty of Southern flavor and a world and characters you'll be clawing for more of. The repercussions are felt across the American South when a pizza joint in sleepy Lake Castor, Virginia is robbed and the manager, Odie Shanks, is kidnapped. The kidnapping is the talk of the town, but it's what people don't know that threatens to rip asunder societal norms. Odie chases dreams of Hollywood stardom and an explosive social media presence while his partner in crime, Jake Armstrong, pursues his own vengeful agenda. In the meantime, corrupt and lazy Deputy Roy Rains has a hard-luck time of covering up the crime in order to preserve his way of life. And college student Melinda Kendall has hit the highway in a stolen ride with nothing but a .22 and limited options, on the run from her drug dealer boyfriend, the Mississippi State Police and the media, trying to escape some bad choices by making even more bad choices. Praise for HASHTAG: "Think of Elmore Leonard's great stories set in the south, and you will get a sense of Pruitt's style. This is a great ride." Bookreporter "Dark and funny, well-written but never over-written, and just a hell of a good time." Rob Hart, author of New Yorked and City of Rose