Friday, May 11, 2018

Friday's Forgotten Books, May 11, 2018


I am a big Larry Watson fan and LET HIM GO did not disappoint. It was a great followup to books like WHITE CROSSES and MONTANA: 1948.

After their adult son is killed in an accident, his widowed wife marries again and leaves the Blackledge's home to go with her new husband to Montana. She takes their grandson with her, of course, and therein lies the problem.

"With you or without you," Margaret Blackledge insists, and at these words George knows his only choice is to follow her.
 

George takes to the road with Margaret by his side, tracking down the Weboy clan quickly. When Margaret tries to convince Lorna to return home to North Dakota, bringing little Jimmy with her, the Blackledges find themselves mixed up with the entire Weboy clan, a horrific family determined not to give the boy up without a fight. It's more about possession than love with a family like this. 

This slim volume contains a heart-pounding story, unforgettable characters, terrific atmosphere and some of the most beautiful prose you will ever read. I liked it almost as much as MONTANA: 1948, making it still one of my favorite books. Oh, to write like Mr. Watson.  

Mark Baker, FATAL FISHES, Sandy Dengler
Yvette Banek, PLOT IT YOURSELF, Rex Stout
Brian Busby, S, PORTRAIT OF A SPY, Ian Adams
Les Blatt, THE SECOND CONFESSION, Rex Stout
CrossExamingCrime, A CENTURY OF CREEPY STORIES; THE BELAMY TRIAL,  Frances Noyes Hart
Martin Edwards, THE SALTMARSH MURDERS, Gladys Mitchell 
Curt Evans, CUT THROAT, Christopher Bush
Richard Horton, A VIRTUOUS WOMAN, Kaye Gibbons 
Jerry House, THE HOUSE ON THE MOUND, August Derleth
George Kelley,, THE HUMAN EDGE, Gordon R, Dickson
Margot Kinberg, SMITH's FORTY ACRES, Dwayne Alexander
B.V. Lawson, UNCLE ABNER, MASTER OF MYSTERIES, Melville Davisson Post
Evan Lewis, THE COWBOY HANDBOOK, Bruce Dillman
Steve Lewis, Barry Gardner, UNDUE INFLUENCE, Steve Martini

Todd Mason, Humor Magazines and Anthologies
Matt Paust, HIDE MY EYES, Marjorie Allingham 
James Reasoner, THE PYTHON PIT, George F. Worts 
Richard Robinson, WHAT I READ
Gerard Saylor, THE SECOND LIFE OF NICK MASON, Steve Hamilton 
Kevin Tipple, DYING VOICES, Bill Crider
TracyK, THE WHIPHAND, Rex Carver 
TomCat, THE INUGAMI CLAN, Seishi Yokomizo 
Westlake Review, Peter Rabe
Zybahn, Stephen King, The Revelations of 'Becka Paulson

8 comments:

Kevin R. Tipple said...

Thank you, as always, Patti.

Rick Robinson said...

Thank you, Patti.

Charles Gramlich said...

Never read anything by Watson

Yvette said...

My post is up, Patti. Thanks.

Todd Mason said...

And mine, at long last. Thanks as always for adding the stragglers...

Kate said...

Thanks for including my post from earlier this week. Was a bit late in putting up my planned FFB post, but the link is here:
https://crossexaminingcrime.wordpress.com/2018/05/11/fridays-forgotten-book-well-short-stories-really-5-from-a-century-of-creepy-stories/

Brian Busby said...

Mine's up, too, Patti:

S: Portrait of a Spy by Ian Adams

Anonymous said...

Thanks, as ever, Patti, for including my stuff!