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Book Review: A Congregation of Jackals by S. Craig Zahler

A Congregation of Jackals by S. Craig Zahler
Dorchester Publishing, 2011
ISBN: 978-0843964158

Editor’s note: This reviews the 2011 novel from Dorchester Publishing, now defunct. The cover image links to a new edition published in 2017 by Raw Dog Screaming Press.

A Congregation of Jackals is an intricate, cautionary, Wild West tale of what can happen if evil is left unchecked, and people allow themselves to grow complacent towards wickedness.

Rancher Oswell Danford and his brother receive a telegram from a former member of their old gang, inviting them to his wedding in Montana. Within the telegram, however, is the hidden message that a reckoning is coming to all of them. The deeds that led to this reckoning are explained by Oswell himself in a letter that he writes to his wife as he is traveling to the town of Trailspur. In a narrative never told to her before, he describes how, as bank robbers, their moral borders were progressively blurring, to the point that they even committed cold-blooded murder during their robberies, until they were offered a job by a man named Quinlan. (“I had never been involved with wickedness, with evil, until I meet [sic] the man that wrote that note,” Oswell writes.)

    After the job, faced with the absolute extreme of what they could become, the men are “scared straight” and go on to lead fairly normal lives for several years. Oswell and his men, in their own ways, have tried to repent for their past transgressions by leading specifically-structured lives (i.e. marriage, becoming religious, not bearing children), but fate interrupts their self-granted pardons.  Their choice to go to Montana and try to protect themselves and the people of Trailspur on their own, like all of their dealings with Quinlan (and the episodes surrounding him) has catastrophic results. What makes this story more troubling is that the sheriff of the town and other law enforcement officers, all seasoned enforcers, see the signs that something is wrong, but either choose to ignore it altogether or underestimate the malevolence that waits to destroy them all.

This story does not contain a supernatural element, nor does it need one: the characters, even down to Zahler’s paladin, the white-charger riding Deputy Goodstead, contribute in their own ways to the chilling, savage events that are worse than any mere ghost or goblin could contrive—to battle the Ruthless, the Just eventually become ruthless themselves. All of the characters are complex: the four men of the Tall Boxer Gang did horrendous things, and do not totally acknowledge the damage they caused, but the reader is sympathetic nonetheless. Even Alphonse, the sadistic Frenchman that creates “art” out of living subjects, has a moment of incredible but genuine concern for Quinlan, which somehow does not seem totally out of place (at least to me) despite his sociopathic tendencies.

There are several themes in this complex work that cannot be addressed in a short review. A Congregation of Jackals explores the nature of evil and how far-reaching and destructive its taint can be, especially to the innocent. In the end, according to Zahler, the Devil will have his due…and then some. When that occurs, everyone is damaged and satisfaction is achieved by no one, even the damned. This novel is recommended and would be interesting fodder for an adult-aged book club or any fan of horror who likes more meat in their novels than the superficial, hack-and-slash fare.

Contains: graphic violence, gore, sex

Reviewed by: W. E. Zazo-Phillips

Posted on October 22, 2018 by , Reply

Book Review: In the Valley of the Sun by Andy Davidson

In the Valley of the Sun: A Novel by Andy Davidson

Skyhorse Publishing, 2017

ISBN-13: 978-1510721104

Available: Hardcover, paperback, Kindle edition, audiobook

 

In the Valley of the Sun is Andy Davidson’s first novel. It walks a thin line between the genres of Southern Gothic and classic Western. Andy Davidson has a gift for building atmosphere; at times, West Texas drips off the page like humid air. The world is made vivid: you can picture the rust of the trucks,  the stress on the sheriff’s belt, and the smells of the badlands. There are plenty of grim settings, balanced by gorgeous prose.

It is absolutely a monster novel. The story kicks off with the main character, Travis, waking up covered in blood. While is isn’t immediately clear, once the reader realizes what’s happening, the story takes on a dangerous, otherworldly edge. While the word “vampire” is never specifically mentioned, as the story progresses, there is no doubt what monsters we are dealing with.  These are not Anne Rice’s “sexy” vampires; Travis is in trouble.

In addition to his supernatural worries, Travis has financial problems. He doesn’t have the money to park his truck and camper at the campground run by Annabelle Gaskin. Many of the best moments in the book are Travis’ conversations with Annabelle’s ten-year-old son. These moments are both tense and emotional, adding depth to the story.

Davidson does an excellent job in jumping between different characters’ third person point-of-views. and a variety of time periods. It all works, and is not jarring at all.

In the Valley of the Sun is a close cousin of Stephen Graham Jones’ Mongrels. While the two books focus on different monsters and cultural backgrounds, both take the same off-color look at the American South.

This is not the kind of horror novel that would benefit from a marketing department blasting out its nature. Davidson definitely has the potential to become a powerful writer in the genre of literary horror. The reality is that this is a fine debut of a strong new voice in horror fiction, and a book that can appeal to both horror and mainstream readers. In the Valley of the Sun is a thought-provoking and entertaining read that should be in every library collection. Highly recommended.

 

Reviewed by David Agranoff

 

Posted on November 2, 2017 by , Reply

Book Review: High Moon, Volume 1: Bullet Holes and Bite Marks by David Gallaher, art by Steve Ellis

High Moon Volume 1: Bullet Holes and Bite Marks by David Gallaher, art by Steve Ellis

Super Genius, 2017

ISBN: 9781629918419

Available: print

High Moon, the horror adventure webcomic from Zudacomics.com, full of werewolves, hoodoo, and supernatural mystery, is now in graphic novel form. In the first chapter, set in the Old West, bounty hunter Matthew Macgregor investigates the strange occurrences in Blest, Texas. Plagued by drought, famine, and hardship, Blest’s townspeople are suspicious of newcomers, especially when they are acting as the hand of the law. However, Matthew’s unwanted presence is the least of the town’s worries. Matthew discovers unnatural creatures stalk to town in the dark of night. Not one to cower from a fight, he pushes to bring light to the darkness, and chase the monsters out, while he tries to bury his own supernaturally driven past.

The second chapter centers on outlaw Eddie Conroy, who happens to be under the curse of the werewolf. The story opens with a train robbery in Ragged Rock, Oklahoma that yields mysterious cargo. A series of grisly murders follows in its wake. Things get even weirder when Tristan Macgregor, Matthew’s brother, arrives in town, with a mechanical arm, and hid face obscured by goggles and a mask. What does this mysterious figure want in this town? Another key part of the story is a violent love triangle between brothers, August and Frederick Kittel, and the beautiful Vivian. Conroy, while attempting to make amends for his past, discovers a dark secret about the strained relationship in the small town of Ragged Rock.

I am not normally a fan of Westerns, or of werewolf tales, but this is a great combination of the two genres. Ellis’ artwork provides the perfect atmosphere and tone for Gallaher’s well-crafted story of the supernatural in the Old West. If you want to read another amazing title by this team, pick up The Only Living Boy, the survival story of 12-year old Erik Farrell, who finds himself in an unknown, dangerous world where nothing is as it seems.

 

 

Contains: some blood, violence in the Old West

Reviewed by Lizzy Walker

Highly recommended

Posted on September 7, 2017 by , Reply
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