1950's, South Carolina, the place Rory returns to after his service in Korea cost him the part of one leg. He returns to the mountain home of his granny, the women who raised him after his mother was committed to an asylum. Violence visited her, harm irrevocaly changed her life, and she was never able to raise her own son, never spoke again to tell who was responsible.

To read a Taylor Brown novel is to be drawn into the world he creates. His use of imagery, makes one feel as if they were actually there, observing all that happens. His characters drawn authentically, real people with real problems, flaws, soft spots, hopes and dreams. In this novel it is the world of white lightening, bootleggers, the beginning of auto racing, my husband a huge NASCAR fan, I was familiar with part of this. Ardent churchgoers, snake handlers, not a big fan of snakes, revenue agents and corrupt sheriffs, all under the control of a man they refer to as the King of the Montain. A time when herbs and plants were used for healing, loved this part, learning how they were used. Where a family meant everything and where violence was a way of life. There is plenty of action, revenge factors, fast cars and a love interest, alot going on but woven semlessley into the narrative. I loved every minute if it, and could have read more.

I have now read all three of this talented author's novels and enjoyed them all, though River of Kings is still my favorite. Haven't forgotten the horse though in Fallen Land. If you haven't experienced his novels yet, and you like gritty southern fiction mixed with great characters and some history thrown in, definitely give him a try. Don't think you'll be sorry.

This was my monthly read with Esil and Angela and as always loved their viewpoints and treasure these reads.

ARC from Edelweiss.

Gods of Howl Mountain was the first book I've read by Taylor Brown. He has a very distinctive style and sensibility. Set in the mountains of North Carolina in the 1950s, Brown portrays an insular world with its own rules and sense of justice. This is a gritty story full of moonshine, home remedies, corruption, car racing, dark religion and rough justice. The story is focused on Rory and his Granny. Rory is a recent Korean War veteran, who lost part of his leg in the war and now runs moonshine for a living. He lives with his Granny -- portrayed as old but only 54 years old -- who is tough as nails. In the background is a violent incident that happened many years ago that led to Rory's mother becoming silent and living in an asylum. It's a short book, but there are many intertwined narratives strands leading to a dramatic ending.

I really enjoyed Brown's writing. It's a real talent to be so descriptive while keeping the story moving so swiftly. I absolutely loved Rory and Granny as characters -- Brown does not fall into the trap of depicting stereotypical southern mountain dwellers, but rather he has created fully dimensional complicated people. Where the story waned a bit for me is that at times it became too action packed -- care races and hard scrabble fights aren't really my thing. But this is a minor criticism. Overall, this was an excellent read and I will look for Brown's earlier books.

One warning: you may not want to read this one if snakes freak you out. Lots of snakes...

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy. (This one won't be published until March 2018.)

And thanks to Diane and Angela for another excellent buddy read and for introducing me to Taylor Brown.

Taylor Brown invites the reader to this place and time with such fantastic descriptive writing and in a page you are there . To this mountain in 1950’s North Carolina, to the land of moonshine and makeshift churches where snakes rule, where evil deeds of the past still haunt, to a place of healing herbs and potions, violence, deceit and greed - all so gritty and dark and so beautifully written with a sad love story at the center of it . Brown has such a command of the language, nothing flowery here, just perfect descriptions with the perfect adjectives that made me reread some passages just to feel them again and see what he wants us to see.

Rory, a whiskey runner, is haunted by his time in the war in Korea, by the loss of a limb, by the killings, and by what happened to his mother before he was born. His Grandmother, feisty and formidable Granny May is haunted by what happened to her daughter and by what she had to do in the past for them to survive. So it’s Rory’s mother story that is central to the novel. I love that we get to know it from Bonni’s perspective with short chapters interspersed so we get to know how much she loved the Gaston boy. Flashbacks to the past from both Rory and Granny are seamless as well. They take us to the past but tell us so much about where they are in the moment, in their thoughts of the past.

No need to to rehash the plot, only to say it’s action packed in places , introspective in others, sad but with the injection of humor at times, repeating myself but gritty, sometimes violent and gruesome but all in all a fabulous story of the south, of love and family. 4+ stars from me.

This was a monthly read with my great Goodreads friends Diane and Esil. It took three tries to find one we all thought positively about and thanks to Taylor Brown this was it.


I received an advanced copy of this book from St. Martin’s Press through NetGalley.