a land more kind than home by Wiley Cash

Can't quite remember the source of the suggestion to reserve this from the library. MRB's friend behind the Temporary Knucksline? I've been on the wait list for what seems like months. I'll summarize in 3 words: worth the wait.

A healing service is being held at the French Broad River Road Church of Christ in Signs Following outside of Mars Hill in western North Carolina in rural Marshall. Carson Chambliss, the church's charismatic and tainted preacher feels the Lord's presence as he tries to heal the 80+ year old Molly Jameson by placing a copperhead in her hands. Predictably, it bites and it takes a few deacons to extract the beast. Molly goes home to perish alone in her tomato garden.


The story is told from the viewpoint of Addie Lyle (midwife and the town's consciousness), Jess Hall, and the middle-aged sheriff Clem Barefield. Jess Hall is a very curious 9yo boy who is the de facto watchdog over his older brother, nicknamed Stump, who has developmental issues; he's never spoken in all his 11 years. Jess has a habit of listening in on adults when he shouldn't. And it's this habit that triggers a series of events that impacts a few generations within the Hall and Barefield families.  He peeks in on a healing service for Stump.


I can't go too far into this plot as too many spoilers would be revealed.  While the snakes are the focal point of the book's violence, the real predatory snake in this tale is Pastor Chambliss who manages to get his rural parishioners to succumb to his teachings on God's healing touch and strength of faith as evidenced by handling poisonous snakes. 


Cash is from western NC and teaches at Bethany College in WV. This is his first book and in it he captures the sublime rhythm and lingo of the place. Some have called this a thriller, but most thrillers I've read usually wind up with a fairly predictable conclusion. This disturbing book wraps up with families torn apart and the remnants left in the hands of those least capable of carrying on. Good story, terrific writing, disturbing book. Helluva debut. 


East Coast Don

Rules of Prey

East Coast Don reviewed a John Sandford book more than two years ago, but this is the first time any of us guys at MRB have returned, despite ECD’s favorable review. This is a 1989 book, the first in the “Prey” series which now numbers 20 books. I agree with ECD that this is a better read than most of the ones I assign to the category of “airplane books.”

Lucas Davenport is the hero, a detective who has already killed five men in the line of duty, more than any other cop in the Minneapolis Police Department. But, before getting to Lucas, Standford introduced the serial killer “maddog” with a murder that was so graphically written, so sadistic, that I nearly put the book down at that point. I’m glad I didn’t because Lucas is a good guy, willing to act just outside the lines of the law, but of course, only for the sake of justice. Also, unlike other cops, he had legitimate outside income. He was a game creator, a game master who was paid big bucks for his new creations. He lived a life most cops could not. Meanwhile, maddog liked leaving clues to torment the police department. He had rules that he followed, and he left notes with the bodies of his victims, spelling out his rules: never kill anyone you know, never have a motive, never have a discernable pattern, never carry a weapon after it has been used, etc. The author took us through the detective process, introducing just enough info as the process continued to keep me interested. He presented the story as if two game masters were competing with each other. The Chief of Police was willing to tolerate Lucas’ behavior because he got results when no one else could. The local media was feasting on the tidbits that Lucas was feeding them, including some disinformation that was intended to help bring maddog out into the open. Lucas had romantic interest in a couple of the TV news anchors, one of whom was pregnant with his child and another who he was setting up as bait for maddog. The anchors who were fighting with each other for scoops, and then Lucas got involved with one of the near victims.

The pace of the book was excellent. Standford saved a good twist at the end.  Even though the resolution was not surprising, it was very satisfying. I’ll definitely read another Sandford. I think I’ve found a prolific and reliable author that I can turn to whenever I’m tired of other less talented writers.

The Providence Rider by Robert McCammon

Want full disclosure? scroll down to Mystery Walk.

Installment IV about Matthew Corbett, Problem Solver for the Herrald Agency of New York City, 1703 shortly after the conclusion of the Tyranthus Slaughter affair.

Matthew has been keeping the details of the Slaughter affair mostly to himself; the horrors are still very fresh in his memory. And remember, Professor Fell put a contract out on Matthew at the end of Mr. Slaughter cuz Matthew has foiled more than one of Fell's plans . But he's trying to come out of his funk by enjoying dances at Sally Almond's place and the attention of young Berry Grigsby.

Two Manhattan businesses are blown up and Matthew Corbett's name is scribbled on the walls. It's an invitation. By way of Sirki, Professor Fell's personal liason and executioner, Matthew is being summoned by Fell; Matthew is resourceful and has garnered Fell's admiration despite having bested Fell in the Slaughter affair. Fell, as head of a burgeoning crime syndicate, is sure he has a traitor amongst his chief lieutenants and who better to solve his little problem than a proven problem solver?

Some none too gentle arm twisting encourages Matthew to join Sirki on the ocean-going Nightflyer destined for warmer climes, and who thinks Matthew needs some help than sweet Berry and Zed, the fearsome African Ga warrior freed at the end of Mr. Slaughter. A 3-week voyage takes them to Pendulum, the private island domain of Professor Fell where a meeting of Fell's chief deputies is to take place.

Fell is an enigmatic crime boss who hides his identity under some creative and bizarre disguises. He makes Matthew a pretty good offer that he better not refuse: Find the traitor and be handsomely rewarded and returned safely to Manhattan. Fail, and the implication is that Matthew and his friends will never leave the island alive. To gain access, Matthew is given an alias and a history so that he can move amongst the deputies who represent weapons, finance, extortion, forgery, poisons, and murder. Add to this an Indian woman named Fancy whom Matthew thinks is connected to the Iroquois that died saving Matthew during the Slaughter affair making her another soul for Matthew to save in his own plot to find the traitor, destroy Fell's plans and his lair, and escape back to Manhattan with Berry, Zed, and Fancy.

I saw one review refer to Matthew as sort of a colonial James Bond and I thought that was a pretty apt analogy. Drop the hero in the middle of an impossible task in an exotic location against a megalomanic who wants to unleash an apocalyptic weapon at considerable profit. While the plot may look like something Bond might conquer, it's McCammon's presentation that is the real star here. His elegant and articulate prose takes us to an unfamiliar time and place to present a difficult challenge that gets solved with extreme prejudice, and without compromise or leaps of faith. Matthew Corbett is an engaging character with much to admire, but we do find fault with as he struggles with his own temptations and demons, much of which are Fell's doing, As stated, this is the 4th Corbett book. While it might help to read these in order, one really could pick these up in any order as enough links to past adventures (mostly to Mr. Slaughter) are presented. Enough clues are scattered about to make Corbett fans eager for the next installment.

With each new McCammon book, I am continually amazed at the author's skill and creativity. For me, this was an exquisite construction and recreation of crime, mystery, and adventure in colonial America. Man, am I ever glad I picked up Gone South from the library way back in 1992.

Victims: An Alex Delaware Novel

After trying to read a couple bad books, trying new authors who wrote books I couldn’t finish, I escaped to a sure thing, an Alex Delaware novel by Jonathan Kellerman. This was a good choice, the latest in the series, just released in March 2012. It was the usual cast of characters, crime psychologist Alex, his live-in girlfriend Robin, and detective Milo. Kellerman didn’t waste time on character development of these people who are already well-known. Rather, he jumped in with a grisly murder of Vita Berlin whose neck had been twisted an angle “not compatible with life.” She had also been dissected. She was one of those antagonistic bitches that pissed off everyone she came in contact with. Unable to make any headway with the case, a second dissected body was found, Marlon Quigg, a kind a well-loved man, who seemed to have nothing in common with Berlin except the method of execution. As the story unfolds and Kellerman leads us through the detective process, more murders occur. The story takes us through various mental health facilities in Los Angeles, and even to now closed massive state facilities that were functioning when I was doing psychiatric training at UCLA in the 70s. He touches on the unsavory world of the insurance-for-profit industry and pseudo-professionals who are able to dupe nearly everyone. It was a good story, disturbing in several ways, but a very good escape.

Murder Season by Robert Ellis

Robert Ellis’ Murder Season is a compelling mystery thriller.  His heroin LAPD homicide detective Lena Gamble returns for her third murder investigation filled with danger, political pitfalls, and multiple twists and turns.

Lena Gamble is assigned as lead detective to a double homicide in Hollywood’s hottest celebrity hangout, Club 3 AM.  One victim is the club’s owner, Johnny Bosco who has connections to LA’s district attorney.  The other is 25-year old Jacob Grant who was recently acquitted for raping and murdering his 16 year old neighbor, Lily Hight.  Grant escaped a guilty verdict on a technicality so the media has levied its own condemnation.  Lily’s father, Tim Hight is caught on the club’s surveillance video while leaving the building near the time of the murders.  While the press applauds the father’s supposed revenge that the authorities could not muster, Lena isn’t convinced Tim Hight is guilty.  After searching both Hight’s and Grant’s homes, she discovers Jacob and Lily had an adult relationship and that Lily was not the innocent young woman portrayed in the news.  Lena finds she must first reinvestigate and solve Lily’s murder in order to solve her own case.  In doing so, improprieties of the DA’s office as well as the LAPD are uncovered.  Lena is forced to make snap judgments on whom she can trust within city government while fearing for her job, her life, and the lives of those involved who know too much.

Murder Season is a compelling story and Ellis is a master of misdirection.  He pulls you in, convinces you the outcome is clear, then reveals another villain.  This story has more twists and turns than Mulholland Drive…. perhaps too many.  I bought into it right up to the last chapter where he finally crosses the line for me.  Still a great read but he needs to back it off a notch…fewer hairpin turns more straight aways.    He gave a first class murder mystery an implausible feel in a heartbeat.  To me this is what will keep Ellis from being the next Michael Connelly.

The Bones

After finding some entertainment in The Angry Buddhist, I tried another Seth Greenland book, but I was less impressed with this one. It’s an LA story of parasitic and opportunistic relationships of people who are seeking wealth and fame. There was no strong ethical male figure as is found in so many of the MRB blog. Frank Bones is an aging comedian, one who has been making a living but has never really made it big. Frank knows that he deserves to be a star. When he was still in New York, Frank ran into Lloyd Melnick, a not-too-talented writer. Unlike Frank, Lloyd has hit it really big by happening to be in the right place at the right time. Lloyd knows that he has been very lucky and does not deserve the fortune he has made. Both men are romantically involved with social mountaineering women. Some of the dialogue was fun. There was one scene between Frank and his girlfriend, Honey Call (really), an aspiring but untalented actress. They are having a morning together. Nearly naked, she microwaves mac and cheese for the two of them for breakfast. The author reveals that her pubic hair is shaved in the shape of a heart, but then, she insists they say a prayer before beginning the meal. That was enough absurdity to keep me reading for a while. Alas, halfway through the book, no crime had yet occurred. Given that this is mostly a crime-genre blog, the biggest crime may be that I bought the book. I put the book down, couldn’t stand it any more. It does not get my recommendation, and I don’t have plans to spend more time with Mr. Greenland.

Mystery Walk by Robert McCammon

Where full disclosure is warranted, I will . . . McCammon is one of my top 2 or 3 favorite authors and I am unlikely to find fault with anything he produces.

A couple weeks ago, McCammon’s website noted that Mystery Walk (copyright 1983) for the Kindle was on sale for something like $2 through Amazon. Having won a silent auction of beach supplies, including a Kindle, I decided this might be a good title for my first experience at using an eReader.

Mystery Walk follows two markedly different boys over about 10 years, mostly in rural northern Alabama in the 1960s.  Billy Creekmore is the son of a local resident of Hawthorne and his wife, a Choctaw Indian. Ramona comes from a lineage of healers whose special gift is to absorb the pain of people who died suddenly so that their spirit can transition to the next world. The spirit of a person who is unprepared for death lingers on earth in search of help. When a disturbed vet kills his family and himself, the town shuns the street of the death house. All the bodies were found except the son. One afternoon, young Billy is walking home from school and is strangely drawn to the house, then into the kill rooms, and finally to the basement where he sees a revenant trying to crawl out from under a pile of coal. Billy stays a second and then dashes out, terrified after seeing what he thought was his friend.

From this first experience with the dead, and the fear that surrounds the town, Billy and his mom head off to see his grandmother for his first introduction in his unique gifts and learn more about what he will face – his Mystery Walk.

JJ Falconer runs perhaps the most successful evangelical crusade in the south. When young Wayne was about 8 or so, a car critically mangled his dog. Little Wayne ran out and scooped up his dog, hugging it close and praying for God to help his dog. Within minutes, the dog’s injuries are lessening and the dog begins to recover. Witnessing this miracle, JJ realizes Little Wayne Falconer has the healing gift and starts to promote him as part of his crusade.

At a tent revival near Hawthorne, the paths of Billy and Wayne cross for the first time. Billy sees the black mist around a couple of locals even after being told by Little Wayne that they had been healed; the black mist indicates imminent death. Ramona has seen the mist too and shouts out that by telling people to stop with their meds, that the crusade was promoting murder. Needless to say, Ramona is now a pariah amongst the Hawthorn locals who live for the Crusade.

JJ is convinced that Ramona and her son are evil doing Satan’s work and does everything he can to keep Little Wayne safe. Billy is just trying to figure himself out.

From here, the story follows Wayne and Billy (Billy mostly) throughout their teen years. Wayne is healing and Billy is helping spirits of the suddenly dead move on. But each sees a similar dream of an eagle in mortal combat with a snake of fire. And Billy encounters the mysterious shape changer tempting him as he wanders his personal wilderness.

JJ dies and Wayne is guilt-ridden that he was unable to heal his father. Wayne is now in charge of a multimillion dollar enterprise, and no where mature enough to be the head. In his nightmares, JJ comes to Wayne, telling him that the Indian bitch and her son must burn in the fires of hell for Wayne to be free.

Wayne catches the eye of a Palm Springs-based financier who makes Howie Mandel’s germophobia behavior look like a mild tic. The obese Jabba the Hut wannabe becomes Wayne’s defacto father-Svengali figure, keeping him drugged and confined to be a personal healer to the mogul. To win Wayne’s devotion, and sort of fulfill the wishes of JJ’s ghost, our corporate raider tasks his people to (1) take over the crusade and (2) get rid of Wayne’s tormentors.

This classic battle of good vs. evil expertly combines Indian mysticism with religion and images of the devil vs. spirit of all that breathes. It also explores nature vs. nurture in the paths taken, and thrust upon, Billy and Wayne as each takes their own version of a Mystery Walk. Not the typical good guys vs. the bad guys, life is black and white in a gray world, pile up the bodies and don’t look back kind of fare so typical of MRB. While some of our favs have a real knack for clever, witty, dialogue amongst the characters (e.g., Stella, Higgins, Bruen, Crais, Connelly, Pelecanos, et al.), McCammon’s eloquent prose presents a lyrical image that unfolds akin to looking at a detailed, but not overpowering painting or photograph. Because of the genre of his earlier works (supernatural thrillers), he was unfairly compared to Stephen King, but never acquired King’s mass-market appeal. With all the fascination with vampires and the undead today, one would think folks would discover They Thirst, Swan Song, or maybe Stinger or The Wolf’s Hour. For me, McCammon presents skillful writing and escape at its best at every opportunity. And it only gets better in his Matthew Corbett series set in the early 1700’s New York, where I currently explore via my Kindle.

East Coast Don

Killing Escobar: The Hunt for The World's Greatest Outlaw

I’ll only give you a very brief review of this 2001 nonfiction work. The book followed Pablo Escobar’s rise from a street thug in Medellin, Columbia to becoming one of the richest men in the world as head of the Medellin drug cartel. The book also reviewed some history of Columbia. Known as El Doctor, Escobar was born on 12/1/49 and killed on 12/2/93. Essentially, the book chronicled the life of a psychopath. He simply muscled his way into the drug trade and then intimidated and killed anyone who got in his way. Although he was devoted to his wife and their children, the youngest daughter having been named after Manuel Noriega, he was certainly not faithful. El Doctor frequently exercised his lust for young teenage girls. Given his financial support of the citizenry of Medellin, his bribery of officials throughout the country, and the fear he induced in everyone, until near the end of his life, Escobar moved freely, especially in Medellin, although he was one of the most wanted men in the world. Even when he was in prison, he lived in relatively luxurious circumstances, and he left the prison whenever he wanted to attend a soccer match. His brutality to anyone who betrayed him or stole from him was legendary. After the death of Len Bias in 1986 and the gradual understanding of the evils of cocaine by the young professionals in the U.S. who had been his users, the cocaine trade began to suffer. Eventually, the Columbian forces, backed by lots of U.S. money, were able to locate and kill Escobar. He considered fleeing to Panama, but he eventually decided to stay and fight from his home turf. In the last year of his life, a vigilante group murdered nearly everyone in his organizational structure, leaving him progressively more alone. He was shot while trying to flee from a house that had been surrounded by government troops. It was interesting, but I found it to be a challenge to keep track of everyone that Escobar murdered along the way – this was reality, not the fantasy that MRB usually indulges in. 

What Doesn't Kill You by Iris Johansen

I’ve passed over Iris Johansen books on the library shelf many times and curiosity finally prevailed with ‘What Doesn’t Kill You.’  I should have passed over this one as well.  It has action, suspense, mystery and even romance but I just could not relate to the characters, their relationships or the situation.

CIA Agent Catherine Ling was abandoned as a toddler on the streets of Hong Kong by her prostitute mother. She learned to survive by selling information, vowing not to follow her mother’s vocation.  As a teen, mysterious Chinese apothecary Hu Chang saves her life and becomes her mentor.  Hu Chang’s potions can be miracle cures or poisons and he is a willing provider of both as long he is in complete control.  Under Hu Chang’s care, Catherine learns many survival skills and he encourages her to join the CIA. She becomes one of their best field operatives.

Chang creates a drug so powerful that it can kill without a trace. The villain, Hugh Nardik learns of Chang’s powerful elixir and schemes to gain control. Nardik hopes to manipulate Hu Chang through Catherine by kidnapping her son so he can steal the potion.  He plans to use the potion to assassinate the latest conservative U.S. Presidential candidate with no evidence of foul play.  The CIA learns of the plot and sends hunky operative John Gallo to assist Catherine and Hu Chang in foiling the assassination attempt while saving Catherine’s son and recovering the dangerous drug.

This one didn't keep me reading into the night as a real page turner will do.  The emotional connections of the main characters did not seem genuine.  For example, Catherine and John Gallo’s relationship was developed more like a romance novel than proper material for men reading books.  If your sister enjoys espionage, maybe this is for her.

Rough Riders by Charlie Stella

Full disclosure – Charlie Stella is at or near the top of my power rotation. Here we go.

Rough Riders is the follow-up to Stella’s first novel, Eddie’s World. At the end of that book, hustler James Singleton is trying some scam while turning state’s evidence, but ends up getting shot in the face, losing his eye and part of his cheek, and finally spirited off into witness protection.

Fast-forward about 10 years. Singleton wears half a facemask, is still working some scams, and lives a protected life in Minot, North Dakota under a new identity as Washington Stewart. Enter Colonel Robert Schmidt, MD and licensed helicopter pilot. A while back he stumbled onto a couple punks bringing in a load of heroin to the air force base and sees a big score if he can get help unloading it. It also looks like his wife cruises the Internet for sex and the Col. Dr. has simply decided he wants her dead. And our boy Singleton/Stewart has some answers and the contacts. But he also still harbors a bit of a grudge against Eddie Senta (namesake of Eddie’s World) for his disfigurement.

So let’s see if I can put all this together in less than 10,000 words. A college kid dies of an overdose. Singleton sends a couple guys back to NYC to kill Eddie and his wife, but the hit fails and both end up in the hospital. Eddie’s wife hires Alex Pavlik, one of the cops from Eddie’s World, to track down Singleton as she is sure he is behind the attempt, but Pavlik's girlfriend is worried about his safety. Singleton tries to get Senta again and the creeps he sends are no better the 2^nd time around. And the witness protection FBI handler is kind of dicey. Pavlik works his way to ND, meets up with a Lakota lawyer who helps out (and I hope Stella finds a way to bring the lawyer back in a future book), follows a couple clues to Minot. Singleton arranges for the Col. Dr.’s wife to meet a nasty end and this brings out the local cops, namely Det. Dale Hehn, a good guy investigator and former suitor of Miss North Dakota who now serves drinks at a hotel bar and who makes a play for Alex Pavlik causing his guilt meter to redline. And don't forget the FBI trying to get a couple Vegas accountants to roll on their mob boss so they use Singleton and promise him another new identity and address, I think.

And believe it or not, it all funnels down to Singleton. He tried to arrange a long distance hit – twice. Arranges for Col. Dr.’s wife to get dead. Works with the doc to help fly a copter and the drugs out of ND to Mexico. Had some connection to the drugs given to the college kid, jerks his handler around to hide his plans with the doc. Kills (or his girlfriend kills) a couple more locals. Runs over one cop. A junkie freezes and big bucks defense lawyer shows up way too frequently. And I’m sure I’ve left out maybe a dozen other critical characters and side plots and apologize to the author for messing up my summary. 

MRB fav Stella is a whole lot better at developing the plot than I. No way I could do this clever storyline any justice. His deft skill at juggling plots and characters is what makes Stella one terrific, if undiscovered and underappreciated, storyteller. Some authors make the scene come alive, Stella makes the characters so alive it’s like the reader is less an observer and more of a bit of a participant, or at the very least an eavesdropper. Take equal parts Bruen, Higgins, Pelecanos, and Leonard, stir in realistic, believable, characters that you can identify with, and even sympathize with (including some bad guys), season with local color from both NY and ND, and top off with sex, drugs, rock and roll and some cool cultural references for a rough ride through the wild winter of ND. Sort of like Goodfellas meets Fargo. Check out Eddie’s World and start right in on Rough Riders. You’ll love the ride.

Then read everything else he’s done.

East Coast Don

The Prisoner of Guantanamo

As the title suggests, the story mostly takes place in Guantanamo. The author, Dan Fesperman, introduced a great character, FBI interrogator Revere Falk. Falk not only has ties to the FBI, but also a mysterious and complicated connection with Gonzalo Rubiero, aka Paco, a spy for Castro. The action centers around the interrogation of prisoners from the middle east, especially Afghanistan and Yemen. The Yemeni Adnan al-Hamdi is of particular interest because of his seemingly incidental arrest by the Americans, yet the lingering suspicion that he knows much more than Falk has been able to extract from him. Is there a Cuban-Yemeni connection? Who is Hussay? Maybe the only way to get the information is to torture it out of him, rather than use the kinder and gentler way of Falk. The CIA and FBI, as well as private contractors are involved in the interrogations, but no one trusts anyone else. Although they obviously need Arabic speaking interpreters and interrogators, it is those Arabic speakers who come under the most suspicion about data that the U.S. wants and can’t get. Just who is it that is really pulling all the strings behind the scene? In the midst of the action, a sergeant turns up dead on Cuban turf, not the American military base – and it makes no sense where his body was discovered.

Falk is a great character with all the necessary flaws to make him interesting, and he must work hard to sort out the good guys from the bad guys. The author gives him a love interest in Pam Cobb, and like Falk, she is one of the Arabic-speaking interrogators whose loyalty is in question. It’s not clear where her allegiances truly lie.

Not all of the loose ends were tied up, but I found the resolutions of the major conflicts to have been particularly satisfying, but I didn’t see it coming. I chose a Fesperman book based on East Coast Don’s strong recommendation, and I am excited to have a new author to read. I’ve already acquired my next Fesperman novel, Lie in the Dark.

The Wettest County In The World by Matt Bondurant

In his very entertaining blog, MRB friend Charlie Stella recommended this book by Matt Bondurant. I’ve learned that if the Knuckmeister hisself recommends a book, it’s probably pretty dang good and he ain't been wrong yet. 

This is advertised a ‘a novel based on a true story’ and the general storyline is based on newspaper and historical reports, court records, and family tales. The gaps are largely supposition, making this a ‘novel’. Let’s get to it.

Franklin County is in southwestern Virginia just south of Roanoke. It’s just after WWI. To say time were tough is an understatement. Jobs and money were scarce, but brewing whiskey is one thing that can be counted on. Everyone wants their hooch and the rural mountains of the area all the way into West Virginia are more than happy to feed the country's thirst.

Howard Bondurant is just back from the war and he ain’t talking much about it. But he is one big dude and is quick to act when called. Forrest Bondurant is Howard’s older brother. He sort of runs a bit of a diner assisted by Maggie. Jack is the youngest brother and he’s trying to stretch his wings in the family business – making and delivering moonshine.

The Bondurants have a bit of a reputation for more than just prime whiskey. While they didn't seem to really instigate much violence, they certainly knew how to end things quickly. And Forrest had the toughest rep. One snowy night, he was jumped outside the diner by 3 guys. While he got the best of one guy and was making a serious dent in the 2nd, an unseen 3^rd got to Forrest from behind and darn near decapitates him with a hunting knife. Forrest’s reputation was solidified by surviving and when the ER nurse asked how he got to the hospital 10 miles from the attack, Forest replied ‘I walked.’ One tough guy.

The Bondurant boys and other families are making good money considering the tough times. But the state’s county prosecutor and sheriff demand protection money from the families making their rotgut. Pay up and we will see that you get to the county line without incident. Refuse and we just might make sure you don’t get down out of the hills. Forrest thinks the old way was just fine and would keep on that way culminating with a shootout on a bridge that became part of Franklin County lore. A whole slew of minor plots and characters add authenticity, breadth, and depth to the story.

Maybe I have a little redneck in me, but I found this a fascinating commentary of the time, its hardships and how people with darn near nothing manage to survive when so many others were failing. I thought it was kind of interesting that I was reading this at a time while I was also watching the History Channel’s 3-part series on the Hatfield and McCoy feud and it almost seemed like the Bondurant’s could have been 1930’s era relatives of either family. Jack Bondurant turned out to be the author’s grandfather.

But what really grabbed me was when I learned that it’s been made into a movie called Lawless that is due out in late August; you can bet I will be in a theater on opening weekend. Watch that trailer and tell me you are not going to go see it. Glad I read the book first. Might be a good thing for you to do before Labor Day when the Bondurants bring their version of justice to the screen.

East Coast Don

The Small Boat of Great Sorrows by Dan Fesperman

Better watch what you dig up on the job. It could be a metaphor for something bigger. Former cop Vlado Petric of Sarajevo got his family out of what was left of Yugoslavia and settled in Berlin. Now he works construction doing site preparation for German builders. On one dig, he comes across an underground bunker that was a rest haven for SS drivers. Walking through the bunker brings back some chilling memories of Vlado.

            

Seemingly out of nowhere, an American working for the war crimes tribunal in The Hague contacts Vlado to see if he’d be interested in doing a little undercover work in Serbia. The tribunal has been on the trail of a World War 2 Croatian officer accused of genocide. Seems the Croatian sided with the Nazi’s and what was done to ethnic minorities rivaled what the Nazi’s did. But to get to this guy, the tribunal has to get to a younger version who also committed atrocities during the break up of Yugoslavia. This piece of work is to be lured out with the offer of grants to remove mines and Vlado is tabbed to make contact. If successful, the tribunal suggests that Vlado and his family would be able to go back home.

            

After agreeing, Vlado and his American contact head to Croatia, but at each step, Vlado learns bit by bit just how and why the tribunal came to select him to do this job. And like digging up that bunker in Berlin, one can be quite surprised at what one digs up when they keep digging, and most of the reasons point to Vlado’s father who never really addressed the question of “what did you do in the war, Daddy.” Was his role in WWII what Vlado thought or was it worse? And why did his dad go to Italy after the war and stay for 15 years? The more you dig, the more surprises unfold.

            

Fesperman is a journalist from Baltimore who has covered a number of hostilities so his attention to historical detail is critical in setting the scene at both the end of WWII and after the Balkin war. Each day is like rolling away another stone hiding some detail of the conflict and just who and what Vlado’s father was.

            

This book is Fesperman’s 2^nd and I think it would have been better to have read the first novel, "Life in the Dark," where Vlado is introduced and the reasons behind why he had to leave his home so suddenly. Despite that, the circuitous path followed by Vlado is curious enough to keep you tuned attentively to the details. I’m certain more Fesperman books will be reviewed here. Thanks again to Jack the Librarian for suggesting Fesperman’s books.

By the way, the slightly pretentious title is actually a line from an old Slavic poem.

East Coast Don