Jaxon with an X: A Novel

Small Towns | Big Lives

By: D. K. Wall

Narrated by: Sean "DrC" Cordry

Six-year-old Jaxon Lathan disappeared while playing in a park. Ten years later, he’s found wandering a deserted highway.

The boy’s family races to the hospital to see him, but they are shocked at the sight. The bubbly youngster has been replaced by a scarred and emaciated teen. As they begin to bridge the lost years and rebuild their bonds, they must wrestle with their own guilt and demons.

Fearing other children are at risk, the sheriff follows the clues deep into the Great Smoky Mountains. He finds half-buried secrets, a twisted family, and his own missed opportunities. When he peels back the last layer of the mystery, the revelation shakes everyone.

All Jaxon has dreamed for years is to be with his family. Has too much happened or can he find his way home?

Jaxon with an X is an emotionally charged standalone literary fiction novel. If you like rural settings, broken families learning to heal, and stories of personal endurance, you’ll love D.K. Wall’s absorbing tale as read by Sean "DrC" Cordry.

©2020 D. K. Wall (P)2025 D. K. Wall

Compelling

I’m a sucker for abduction kids coming home novels, so my rating might be higher than others will write.

JAXON WITH AN X is told from two different perspectives, that of Jaxon and his family and another from the police/FBI investigation.

DK Wall’s choice to structure his book in this manner allowed for maximum suspense adding tension. I continued listening to the audiobook until I couldn’t stay awake.

Jaxon and his entire family were sympathetic, even his recently sober father made me root for him. I was frustrated with the local sheriff, who continued to suspect the father long after he should have realized he was looking in the wrong direction. He owed Matt an apology, which never came.

I found myself tearing up several times during the book. I know I’ll reread JAXON WITH AN X multiple times.

Compassion after Horror

Reading about how those young boys were kidnapped, brutalized, molested and murdered made me feel so angry, disgusted and helpless. I couldn't believe that one could be so vile and evil, but I know there are people out there who do those kinds of cruel, inhumane things.
However, the people of Jaxon's town brought me up out of that horrible basement of horror to experience love, kindness, compassion, grace and hope which was so refreshing after the terror.
This was a wonderful read: hard at the beginning, but so refreshing at the end!