Award-winning author James Wade blends atmospheric prose with soul-stirring themes in Hollow Out the Dark, a gothic adventure set against a Depression-era landscape where a whiskey war threatens to decimate a small Texas town.
A veteran of the Great War, Jesse Cole is grateful for the quiet life he now leads. But when his closest friend runs afoul of local criminals Frog and Squirrel Fenley, Jesse is forced to spin his moral compass and enter a violent and volatile underworld. There he encounters corrupt lawmen, hired assassins, and a dark family secret that will upend all he once knew.
Complicating matters are Texas Ranger Amon Atkins—who arrives to investigate the Fenleys just as their empire is threatened by a deadly new competitor—and the green-eyed, raven-haired Adaline, a love Jesse thought he’d lost forever.
With resources scarce and winter falling hard on the town, a desperate Jesse must choose between the law and the lawless and find a way to survive while still protecting the people he loves.
A heart-pounding tale full of plot-twisting revelations, Hollow Out the Dark brings readers into a whiskey-fueled world where everyone has a secret, and love everlasting balances on the edge of a knife.
James Wade is the award-winning author of Beasts of the Earth, All Things Left Wild, and River, Sing Out. He is the youngest novelist to win two Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America, and the recipient of the MPIBA’s prestigious Reading the West Award. James’s work has appeared in Southern Literary Magazine, the Bitter Oleander, Writers’ Digest, and numerous additional publications. James lives and writes in the Texas Hill Country with his wife and children.
It’s 1932 in East Texas. The
depression has a firm hold on the area and crime is rife. Bootleg whiskey
stills pepper the land and the bad guys are called Squirrel and Frog Fenley.
Jesse Cole, a veteran who’s struggling financially and mentally, is trying to
support his dead brother’s wife and child. He’s fighting the pull of easy money
and keeping his friends out of trouble. Into the mix rides a Texas Ranger,
intent on solving a murder, dealing with crooked cops, reluctant witnesses and
deciphering his boss’ motives for sending him into the devil’s den.
HOLLOW OUT THE DARK is a complex
story full of morally gray characters. It is violent and shocking and exudes
the gritty atmosphere of the time. I found it hard to read and hard to put
down. I enjoyed the Texas setting and the time period, set during the great
depression with flashbacks to WWI. There is little, if any relief from the
grimness of the story which made it more believable. Hard times, hard people,
hard decisions.
The characters are complex and
well-drawn; the story has a few surprises I didn’t see coming. The setting is
so well drawn, you’d swear you could taste the rotgut whiskey, feel the
pervasive cold and shiver in the rainy woods.
This is the second James Wade
book I’ve read and enjoyed. I recommend his novels to readers who appreciate
hard hitting books with an immersive setting.
"I found it hard to read and hard to put down." That says SO much. Great review, Jeanie. I'm bracing myself for a completely immersive experience. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Terrific review, Jeannie. Like Kristine, I really connected with your comment about the book being hard to read and hard to put down. That is so true, but the beauty of James Wade's writing keeps pulling us in.
"I found it hard to read and hard to put down." That says SO much. Great review, Jeanie. I'm bracing myself for a completely immersive experience. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
ReplyDeleteTerrific review, Jeannie. Like Kristine, I really connected with your comment about the book being hard to read and hard to put down. That is so true, but the beauty of James Wade's writing keeps pulling us in.
ReplyDeleteA fabulous review Jeannie
ReplyDelete