An astonishing and nervy debut, Nitro Mountain is a study in Appalachian noir, following a group of small-town Virginian characters--"the good, the bad, and those who swing back and forth" (John Casey) who are bound together by alcohol, petty crime and music. In the mine-riddled town of Bordon, Virginia, a group of lost souls are bound together by alcohol, small-time crime, and music.
Leon is a lovesick bass player with a broken hand and a belief that next time-next time-he'll definitely get it right; Jennifer is the bright-but-battered waitress who can't quite escape the orbit of Arnett, the local drug dealer. When Jennifer convinces Leon to murder Arnett so she can finally be free, a dark chain of events is set in motion, its violence echoing the pain and misery that shape their fractured lives.