FICTION

The Line That Held Us

by David Joy
Putnam. Aug. 2018. 272p. ISBN 9780399574221. $27; ebk. ISBN 9780399574238. F
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Darl Moody was trespassing on his neighbor's land as he tracked a huge buck through the woods in the mountains of western North Carolina. If he killed it, the buck would provide food to last through the winter. To his horror, Darl misses the animal and accidently shoots and kills the youngest of the Brewer brothers, who had been digging for ginseng. The Brewers are a family notorious for vengeance and violence. In his panic, Darl calls best friend Calvin Hooper to help him hide the body. When Dwayne Brewer can't find his missing sibling, he seeks vengeance on Darl, Calvin, and Calvin's longtime sweetheart, Angie, who were the last people to see Dwayne's brother alive. The events that subsequently unfold will forever change their lives.
VERDICT Joy, whose debut novel, Where All the Light Tends To Go, was an Edgar Award finalist, delivers a stunning third Southern noir novel (after Weight of This World). Fans of Ron Rash will love the atmospheric Appalachian setting wrapped up in a suspenseful plot. [See Prepub Alert, 2/12/18.]
Reviewed by Russell Michalak, Goldey-Beacom Coll. Lib., Wilmington, DE , Jun 15, 2018
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