In an evocative follow-up to hisLos Angeles TimesbestsellingArroyo, Chip Jacobs returns with a gripping tale of brotherhood, recklessness, andfootloosesouls inthe anything goesof late-seventies Southern California.

Astheir elite, all-boys prep schoolturnscoed, transforming from suburbanLord of the Fliesto gender-roiled soap-opera, two unlikely friends-Luke Burnett and Denny Drummond-alternate rescuing each other from self-destruction amid troubled home lives. Eager to maximize their era as invincible seniors at Stone Canyon Prep,theyand their palscommandeer Bob's Big Boy, explore the secret world beneath Caltech,stumble intoa possibly-supernatural lab animal, andgrapple with near-ODs at a playoff game. Just asour heroesmanage tograduate, their bond is shattered by a wild gunshotthat'll hauntthem for decades.

Twentyyears later, Luke is a high-powered journalist with anosedivingcareer, while Denny, a visionary software engineer, is socked bya terminal diagnosis.Desperate to make amends for that coyote shot, Denny guilts his estranged friend into helping him, all climaxing with a Hail Mary bid to demystify mortality, with an assist from Elizabeth Kubler-Ross, whilereconnectingwith what matters most.

Later Daysis a powerful exploration of the ties that bind and break us. Perfect for readers drawn to rollercoaster friendships, forgiveness, and the raw beauty of life skimming its edgesto Near-Death Experience.With insight into Pasadena's buried histories and the psychological baggage of growing up in the shadows of "Great Men" fathers, Jacobs' second novel is as emotionally resonant as it is intellectually sharp.