Hashtag
by Eryk Pruitt
Re-released through RHP on November 16, 2025
Print ISBN: 979-8-9991000-9-2; eBook ISBN: 979-8-9938836-0-1
Purchase on BOOKSHOP, or AMAZON
The repercussions are felt across the American South when a pizza joint in sleepy Lake Castor, Virginia is robbed, and corrupt Deputy Roy Rains attempts to cover up the crime.
The manager, Odie Shanks, chases dreams of Hollywood stardom and social media virality while his partner in crime, Jake Armstrong, pursues his own vengeful agenda.
Meanwhile, femme fatale Melinda Kendall, on the run from her drug dealer boyfriend, the Mississippi State Police, and the press, has hit the highway in a stolen ride with nothing but a .22 and a lifetime’s worth of repressed rage.
All three try to escape the consequences of their bad choices by making worse choices in this character-driven, gritty noir novel.
Following up on his phenomenal debut, Eryk Pruitt revisits the sleepy Southern town of Lake Castor through the lens of Internet celebrity and America’s addiction to true crime stories. Rock and a Hard Place Press is proud to bring this book back into print at a time when the red flags that Pruitt raises feel all the more relevant.
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WHAT THEY’RE SAYING:
“Dark and funny, well-written but never over-written, and just a hell of a good time.”
- Rob Hart, author of Assassins Anonymous and The Warehouse
“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
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Eryk Pruitt is a filmmaker, novelist, and screenwriter living in Hillsborough, North Carolina. His films have earned top prizes at film festivals around the world, and his novel What We Reckon was a finalist for the Anthony Award. His latest novel, Blood Red Summer, is available wherever you buy books. He can be found either at his desk, hard at work on another story, or mixing drinks at his bar, Yonder.
Other books from Eryk Pruitt from Rock and a Hard Place Press:
Dirtbags (re-published by RHP on June 28, 2025)
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Watch the original book trailer for Hashtag on Eryk’s YouTube channel