A prison escape and pursuit

 Lemar Pye, his mentally challenged cousin, Odell and another prisoner escape from McAllister State Penn, a maximum security prison. Pye had just murdered another prisoner so he had nothing to loose. The men go on a killing and robbery spree in Oklahoma and West Texas.

They stop at the farm of crusty WWII vet, Bill Stepford to find guns and ammunition.

Later that day, state trooper and his young partner, Ted Pepper, stop at the farm to check on Stepford. A local waitress asked them to look in on him because she was worried that he hadn't stopped at her restaurant for his morning coffee. This was something Stepford never missed.

Unaware that they were walking into an ambush, Pepper is killed and Pewtie is wounded and left for dead.

Stephen Hunter has provided his readers with a well plotted story of the escape, the horrors that are committed by the fugitives and the relentless pursuit.

All of the major characters have flaws. Pye is a self centered egotist, having an affair with his young partner's wife. His lieutenant is an alcoholic living in the past. Lemar Pye is such an evil person that the memory of  his disregard for taking another man's life will remain in the reader's memory for a long time. I was totally wrapped up in the chase to bring him to justice.

"Dirty White Boys" has been compared to the characters and setting of "In Cold Blood," and I found the book to be an enjoyable reading experience.