November Mourns

by Tom Piccirilli

Review by Stephen Clark

I was drawn to seek out a novel of Tom's after reading one of his short stories in The Horror Express, an excellent UK mag. The story was titled ‘With an Ear for my Father’s Weeping’. Although the piece only ran to six pages it was enough to hook me and encourage my interest into action. November Mourns was picked from his mounting list of novels at random, and if this standard of storytelling is the norm, I’ll be seeking out more in the very near future.

Shad Jenkins returns to his backwater, hillbilly strewn, moonshine-producing town after a stint in prison for assault. During his absence his sister was murdered. The body was discovered on Gospel Trail Road, which leads up to a gorge above the Chatalaha River, where in the past, victims of yellow fever were brought and thrown over. Through the town of inbred children and fanatical snake handling, Shad is determined to seek out the murderer. With a guiding hand brought on by blood dreams (visions of his dead mother and now sister), he follows a path to where others avoid and continues on to confront his sanity, his enemy and the true history behind the town of Moon Run Hollow.

 I had to order this from America but it was well worth it.

Publisher: Spectra  (May, 2005)

ISBN 0 553 58720 X   Paperback (320 pages)