True Crime Story
Jon Wells of The Hamilton Spectator in Ontario, Canada, has written another exceptional long-form narrative, "Deadly Encounter." This series is about the aftermath of a fatal beating in a blue-collar bar, and Wells uses a novelistic style to capture the essence of the characters while weaving together their stories. Here's a scene from chapter 1:
At the front of the bar a customer rises from his table. Just got off work, needs to wash his hands. Walks to the back, opens the door to the hallway, sees the man face down on the floor.
His hand still gripping the doorknob, he stares at them, sees anger, cruelty, almost an evil light in the faces looming over the body.
"Do you want some of this?" one of them threatens.
A metallic flash. There is something in his mouth, like wire, almost like fangs. And now, the man's open hand presses in the customer's face, against the jaw bone, casually shoving his head against the wall as he passes by.
To see Wells' earlier long narratives, go here, here and here.
We'll soon report on an outstanding Fort Worth Star-Telegram narrative series that is still in progress.
http://www.thespec.com/specialsections/section/deadlyencounter