Exracetrack journalist Priam Harvey, occupant of the prized "corner stool" at McCully's Tavern, marks the first anniversary of his firing from Sport of Kings magazine and the coincident departure of his girlfriend, Barbara, by doing what he does best: drinking and gambling.
Events conspire, however, and when Harvey is pulled off his stool — literally and metaphorically — he is forced to make an important decision about his involvement in the lives of those around him, and, for that matter, in his own life.
Harvey, who appeared briefly in J.D. Carpenter's first novel, The Devil in Me, and played a major role in its sequels, Bright's Kill and 74 Miles Away, takes center stage in this unusual tale of one mans coming to terms with himself.
"It will suck the reader in as though you are hanging out with Harvey as his day progresses. With Carpenter's depictions, you get the sense that you are there, witnessing the goings-on yourself, never feeling like an outsider looking in. All the characters are three-dimensional, rather than just some cutouts used to dress up the atmosphere. This novel will probably slip through the cracks of most
Bruce Grossman
"J.D. Carpenter has written a novel filled with hard-boiled prose combined with the lore of horse racing. Charging out of the gate like a seven furlong for three-year-olds, Twelve Trees races along to a satisfying conclusion. The tale of one man's coming to terms with his life, it is best read with a pint of Creemore and two fingers of Bushmills."