- In the lawless swamps of rural Florida, generations of rival families clash in a battle for power, money, and survival, as a hidden fortune ignites a deadly game of betrayal and redemption in "SAWGRASS WARS."-a crime saga unlike any other.
- Young friends are determined to get rich without making the same mistakes that put their parents in prison. The story follows Alex and his friends, with the help of Bones father Malone, rebuild their parents' criminal drug smuggling empire. After a hugely successful run as a narcotics distribution point for the Medellin Cartel of Colombia in the 1980s, the federal authorities descended upon Dawber and arrested most of the adult population-all of whom had played a significant role in the drug trade there. The mastermind of the drug running operation, an accountant named Johnny Malone, mysteriously disappeared the night that the feds arrived. Many townsfolk suspected that it was Johnny who called the authorities, as part of a power play against his business partner, Bocephus Dawber (after whose family the county was named). Many more Dawber residents believed that Johnny had hidden millions of dollars in airtight bags in the murky depths of the Dawber County swamps before he disappeared, intending to eventually return and reclaim that cash. Malone's missing millions have become a gangland legend in the decade after the federal authorities shut the drug running operation down, with criminals the world over seeking it. In the aftermath of the federal raid, Dawber became a ghost town. In 2003, however, the children of Johnny Malone and the other Dawber County residents who were involved in the drug running trade have grown tired of living beneath the poverty line in the forgotten swamps of Dawber County. With many of the men who were arrested by the federal government set to be released, three teenagers, Alex Gregory, Bones Malone, and Billy Dawber (nephew of Bocephus Dawber) conspire to find Johnny Malone's missing millions before anyone else can. This is a tale of scrappy and resourceful teenagers, who've nothing to lose, going on the greatest adventure of their young lives. It is The Outsiders meets The Sopranos with elements reminiscent of Elmore Leonard's Justified series, and AMC's Breaking Bad sprinkled in for good measure. In the course of this gripping caper, the boys will sojourn from the alligator-infested swamps of Dawber to the high rises of Miami and back. The three boys meet strange and terrifying people-all while defying the odds. They race against gun-toting rednecks, bloodthirsty Haitians, twisted ex-convicts, and corrupt law enforcement officers as they all struggle to lay claim to Johnny Malone's missing $5 million. And in the course of their exploits, these three best friends soon discover things about themselves, their families, and life itself that will forever change their fortunes-and the destiny of Dawber County. The series targets fans of young adult coming-of-age fiction, crime sagas, and anti-hero fiction. It will appeal to a wide cross-section of people, ranging from young adult fiction readers to those interested in the power plays of the criminal underworld. Since this is a crime saga with storylines that link back not just decades, but almost a century, this story will also resonate with people who enjoy historical fiction. And since the heroes of the story are themselves engaged in a criminal enterprise, the audience will essentially be rooting for the villains.—Kurt Weichert
- In the 1970's young friends from Dawber County leave to fight in the Vietnam war. When they return home they are greeted by Bo Dawber the most powerful man in the county. Bo is so impressed with the war heroes that he hires them to be his enforcers. Bo needs them to restore order to his county from his violent and dangerous rival cousins from the neighboring county. The friends quickly take out Bo's enemies with overwhelming force and give Bo's family complete control of the county again.
A few years later after new fishing regulations decimate the local economy. Bo Dawber's accountant, a former Vietnam veteran, Johnny Malone gets angry that the only people still making any money in Dawber County are the Dawber family and their stuck up friends the Winston's. Malone puts together a plan to put the town's fishermen back to work. He convinces his former army buddy Sanchez to help him set up a land, air, and sea drug smuggling operation.
At first, Bo Dawber is furious that Malone is smuggling drugs through his county. That changes when Bo sees how much money Malone is bringing in. They make a deal and Malone is given permission to continue the smuggling with Bo Dawber getting the largest cut of the money.
A few years later Bo Dawber finds out that Malone has been hiding the majority of the money from the shipments. Bo makes a deal with another South American drug cartel and he has Sanchez murdered. The good friends are distraught that their friend Sanchez was murdered but they are also mad that Malone was double-crossing the Dawber's without their knowledge. Bo demands his enforcers kill Malone but they refuse to hurt their childhood friend. Later Bo Dawber confronts Malone with the Shultz gang. Shultz and his gang were brutal killers that were loyal to the Dawber's but were usually kept out of the inner circle. Bo gives Malone an ultimatum he must give him the missing money or else he will have the Shultz gang feed him to the alligators. Malone agrees at first and he promises to pay them and walk away.
Shortly after the meeting with Bo, Malone finds out that Bo was the one who had Sanchez killed. His friends also tell him that Bo wanted them to kill him. Malone gets angry and plots his revenge. Malone sets up Bo Dawber and his inner circle by leaking information to the FBI and to the drug enforcement agencies. The drug enforcement agency and feds take down the largest drug smuggling ring in the United States.
Malone's plan worked except he ends up with some unexpected collateral damage... his best friends are also arrested. Most of the fisherman in Dawber county end up going to prison for a few years. The ringleaders like Bo Dawber and Malone's childhood friends end up getting thirty-year prison sentences without the possibility of parole.
Malone is never charged with a crime and denies that he has anything to do with the arrests. The Dawber's and the Winston's are convinced Malone was behind all of the arrests. Malone decides to disappear from Dawber County especially since everyone believes that he has five hidden coves full of millions of dollars.
It doesn't take long for everyone in Dawber county to suffer again. The worst part was all of the children that were left behind to struggle without their parents.
A few years later Kenny Gregory's sixteen-year son Alex and his best friends are running around southwest Florida stealing boat motors for extra cash. Billy Dawber, Bo's sixteen-year-old nephew was the ringleader of the group of friends. Malone's estranged sixteen-year-old son Bones was the toughest kid out of the bunch. Alex, Billy, Bones and Skully's daughter Mary Ann have been best friends since they were in the the first grade together.
Alex gets tired of being broke and thinks his best friend Billy Dawber has them pissing in the wind with his petty crimes that never make that much money. Alex decides he's going to secretly find Bones father, Malone and he's going to make Malone help his crew of teenagers restart their parents smuggling business. Alex is determined to get rich without making the same mistakes their parents did.
The story follows Alex and his friends, with the help of Malone, rebuilding their parents' criminal empire.
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