Friday, September 28, 2018

Friday's Forgotten Books, September 28, 2018


I am a big Larry Watson fan and LET HIM GO did not disappoint. It is 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.  

Brian Busby, FOUR DAYS, John Buell
Martin Edwards, EDITH'S DIARY, Patricia Highsmith
Curt Evans, DEATH OF AN OLD GIRL, Elizabeth Lemarchand
Richard Horton, THE BRIGHT FACE OF TERROR, Robert Nielsen Stephens
Jerry House, THE BRIGHTFOUNT DIARIES, Brian Aldiss
George Kelly, THE GREAT SF STORIES, edited by Asimov and Greenberg
Margot Kinberg, SEE YOU IN SEPTEMBER, Charity Norman
Rob Kitchin,  THE ATROCITY ARCHIVE, Charles Stross
B.V. Lawson, VOICE OUT OF DARKNESS, Ursula Reilly Curtiss
Evan Lewis, TROUBLE COME AND GET IT!. Mickey Spillane
Steve Lewis, MURDER IN RED, Frank Castle
Todd Mason, THE DARK SIDE, ed. Damon Knight
J.F. Norris, THE THREE-FOLD CORD, Francis Vivian
ONLY DETECT, THE SINGING SANDS, Josephine Tey
Matt Paust, NIGHTFALL, David Goodis
James Reasoner, GENE AUTRY AND THE RIVER THIEF OUTLAWS, Bob Hamilton
Richard Robinson, HOW LIKE AN ANGEL, Margaret Millar
Gerard Saylor, BIRD AND SQUIRREL ON FIRE, James Burks
Kevin Tipple/Barry Ergang, PEOPLE BEHAVING BADLY, John Ottini
TomCat, THE SINGING MASONS, Francis Vivian
TracyK, THE DROWNING POOL, Ross Macdonald

7 comments:

J F Norris said...

Here's the link to my post for this week:

The Threefold Cord by Francis Vivian

TracyK said...

Now I have even more motivation to read something by Larry Watson.

Anonymous said...

I like Watson's work, too, Patti. I've not read that one, though, and it sounds as though I should. Thanks for including my post this week!

Mathew Paust said...

Haven't read anything by Watson. Guess it's catch-up time!

Todd Mason said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Todd Mason said...

I'm really beginning to hate spell-checkers.

Bad link to the Kitchin choice:

https://theviewfromthebluehouse.blogspot.com/2018/09/review-of-atrocity-archive-by-charles.html

Thanks for assembly, Patti...I'm on to do them next week.

Todd Mason said...

And a bad link on Rick's:

https://tipthewink.net/2018/09/27/ffb-how-like-an-angel-by-margaret-millar/