The Corroded Crown: Kings of the Rust Belt; Factory and Family Secrets

By James Harvest

A FAMILY'S EMPIRE BUILT ON A FOUNDATION OF LIES. A SECRET SO TOXIC, SOME WILL KILL TO KEEP IT BURIED.
THE CORRODED CROWN, "Kings of the Rust Belt is the next great American thriller. A powerful, heart-pounding story of legacy and lies that grips you on page one and never lets go."
When a sudden tragedy forces history teacher Leo Novak to return to his decaying Ohio hometown, he plans to stay just long enough to bury the past for good. But he soon discovers his family's iconic steel forge-the source of their wealth and pride-holds a horrifying secret, long entombed in its cold, silent heart. His father, the formidable patriarch, is now a silent witness in a hospital bed.
His brother, Jake, is a bitter drunk drowning in resentment. His sister, Maya, is terrified that their father's illness was no accident. And circling them all are powerful, dangerous men from the city's highest offices and its criminal underworld, all desperate to ensure the Novak family's secrets stay buried beneath the rust.
To survive, Leo must unravel a web of corruption, betrayal, and murder that stretches back decades. He will be forced to ally with the brother he distrusts and protect the sister he barely knows. The truth will reveal that their father's greatest legacy isn't made of steel, but of poison... and the only thing more corrosive than the secret itself is the fight to expose it. Perfect for fans of Mystic River by Dennis Lehane, The Wire, and Cormoran Strike, this is a masterfully plotted, character-driven suspense novel that explores the brutal price of family loyalty and the shattering cost of forgiveness.
Kings of the Rust Belt is more than a thriller-it's a haunting elegy for the American Dream and a relentless race against time.
The forge is cold, but the past is white-hot. And it's about to explode.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: B0FQHR8G6R
• ISBN13: 9798264543333
• Release Date: September 2025
• Publisher: Independently Published
• Length: 170 Pages
• Weight: 0.52 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.4" x 6.0" x 9.0"