MOULTRIE, Ga. — E.A. Cooper, a 1962 graduate of Moultrie Senior High School, has published his fourth book, “Longleaf Pine Murder.”

The novel has regional content of Thomas County, Ga., highlighting several area locations and points of interest, according to a press release announcing the book’s publication. 

The story involves two murders, weeks apart, that are intended to be taken for suicide; however, autopsy results reveal the deaths were murders committed in the same manner. Undercurrents in Coopers novel include the endangerment of the longleaf pine ecosystem, dynamics of plantation absentee ownership and racial inequality.

After graduating from Moultrie High School, Cooper enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps. Following his four years of voluntary service, including combat duty in South Vietnam, he re-entered civilian life in order to attend college. Ultimately, he earned a doctorate degree from the University of Georgia. A former college dean, he retired from Albany Technical College in 2014.

Cooper’s other books include “B.C. Street,” “The Okinawa We Lost” and a memoir, “Vietnam by the Light of the Moon.” All are listed on Amazon.com.