Hobo Rules

In a gripping tale of survival and justice, a teacher becomes involved in the murder of a private prison czar's wife. Set in Sacramento in 2000, Jennifer Embers' hunger for social justice and compassion for her incarcerated students entangle her in a murder investigation that shakes the community. The brutal killing of the wife of Mike Teagle, a powerful figure in the private prison industry, points to malfeasance at the highest levels and draws Jennifer into a contemporary subculture of hoboes she had no idea even existed. Jennifer teaches at several community locations, among them a woman's writing class at the Sacramento County Jail. Her students' stories are steeped in the systemic injustices of race, gender and class: Inappropriate welfare fraud charges, petty theft, drug addiction and wrongful accusation for domestic battering. One of her students, Amber Sparrow, has been wrongly accused of partner abuse by her meth-cooking boyfriend. She's also a talented writer. Jennifer champions Amber's writing and uncovers a web of corruption and greed that connects her students' lives to others' motives for murder. The deeper she delves into the case, the more Jennifer confronts the harsh realities of the private prison system and the societal forces that perpetuate it. With the help of her best friend, Sarah, she navigates the dangers posed by Teagle and his associates, all while grappling with her own history as a survivor of domestic violence and recovering alcoholic. How much is Jennifer willing to risk to find justice? Hobo Rules is a powerful exploration of resilience, compassion, and the fight for a better world.