When Scott Brighton returns to Gig Harbor, Washington after several decades away, he hardly recognizes his hometown. The once quaint fishing town is now bustling with tourists and strip malls--hardly the uncultivated backdrop of his boyhood. But the years have not erased the unresolved wounds of the past, and Scott quickly finds himself drawn into the wake of a prank gone awry that entangled him and his high school friends in the mid-1970s. Though he returns with high hopes to settle his family here and turn a new page, it quickly becomes evident not everyone has put the past to rest. He must grapple with an apology he never gave, interact with those he thought had moved on, and still remember the harm that he and his peers caused all while raising his son Jared, who is reaching the age he was when he made his gravest mistake. It's not lost on him that Jared reminds him a lot of Jesse Sander, the kid he once picked on--with detrimental effects.
As Scott crosses paths with some of the key players--some who were innocent-- how will Scott navigate the unspoken regrets without causing further damage? As he wars with his own conscience, will he find a semblance of rest, or will he cause harm to those he holds dear and have no inkling of what he was once capable of being involved in?
The Last Culprit is a coming-of-age story that explores how people respond to trauma differently and how it leaves an imprint on the heart for good or ill. In her telling of this story, Weis contends with human motivations, the sea between intention and impact, and what it takes to forgive ourselves and others.
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