The Devil Walks at Midnight

A Twenty-Mile Bottom Tale

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Pub Date Mar 16 2023 | Archive Date Mar 30 2023

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Description

In Twenty Mile Bottom, Mississippi, a grandmother mysteriously disappears. Her 18-year-old grandson, Roy Gene, smells a rat and launches his own investigation. Unbeknownst to him is a domestic terrorist plot masked by a renegade religious cult run by a gypsy fortuneteller and his alcoholic evangelist grandfather. The grandfather's infamous Halloween service, "The Devil Walks at Midnight" is the emotional lynch pin to a corrupt theology of fear that keeps everyone in line… except Roy Gene's grandmother… and Roy Gene.

Others smell a rat, too. Federal investigator Chase Hightower, probing why Twenty Mile Bottom has over 500 disability cases of paranoid schizophrenia, crosses paths with Roy Gene and the two join forces. As conspiracies unravel and murders are solved, all hell, literally, breaks loose as Twenty Mile Bottom goes up in a cataclysmic explosion and conflagration.

The narrative takes the reader though a rollicking farcical world of hilarity and pathos, and of sin and redemption, with glimpses into the world of disability fraud, domestic terrorism, and unsung disability investigators.

In Twenty Mile Bottom, Mississippi, a grandmother mysteriously disappears. Her 18-year-old grandson, Roy Gene, smells a rat and launches his own investigation. Unbeknownst to him is a domestic...


A Note From the Publisher

Joe Edd Morris is the author of Land Where My Fathers Died, The Prison (both awarded Best Fiction by the Mississippi Library Association), Torched: Summer of '64 (Eric Hoffer Grand Prize, Montaigne Medal and Maxie Awards finalist), The Lost Page and The Lost Gospel. His short stories have appeared in numerous literary journals. Joe Edd is a psychologist and retired United Methodist minister. He and his wife, Sandi, live in Tupelo, Mississippi, where he has a private practice in psychology. He enjoys traveling, gardening, playing the piano and writing.

Disclaimer: This is an advanced reader copy. Edits and changes are possible before the publication date.

Joe Edd Morris is the author of Land Where My Fathers Died, The Prison (both awarded Best Fiction by the Mississippi Library Association), Torched: Summer of '64 (Eric Hoffer Grand Prize...


Available Editions

EDITION Ebook
ISBN 9781685131593
PRICE $6.99 (USD)
PAGES 319

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Average rating from 2 members


Featured Reviews

I like The Devil Walks at Midnight, it is fast paced, highly entertaining, and gripping. The world building and the character development are as good as always, the storytelling kept me reading.

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When the Government noticed that almost everyone and 20 mile bottom were receiving SSI checks for schizophrenia they sent people to investigate unfortunately those people never came back. So now they’re sending Chase Hightower he says he has ties to the community and claims to be the cousin of Axel Gibbons. Little does detective high tower know but he is picked the ring leader of the local cult. Axel preaches that people who really believe in God shouldn’t work and he brings out scripture from the Bible that he claims backs up his statement he also drinks. Him in a gypsy woman who only recently moved to the area lowered over the people of 20 mile bottom but not in an oppressive way but in a way where they feel like family a big lazy government check collecting family. Axel’s daughter Loyola and her husband Waddle have six children the daughters have done them proud their husbands do not work, but the two oldest boys have left for greener pastors and the youngest boy Jean Roy refuses to act crazy to get a check. His dream is to be a wrestler and he’s determined to make this dream come true. It’s because Jean Roy spent most of this time with his grandpa and moo moo his grandma who axle claims was recently stampeded by hungry pigs and was killed. Gene Roy does not believe this and he goes every day looking for a signed up with grandma. While this is going on Chase Hightower is all over 20 mile bottom and the cold is even had a meeting about it was mumu killed by pics or is there something more underhanded going on and will chase high tower solve the case or will he end up like the other investigators never to be seen again? I have never read a book by Joe Ed Morris before but I will definitely be reading more from him in the future. This book is a perfect mixture of intriguing, funny and everything that keeps you wanting to turn the page. This is such a crazy story and it’s written with smart dialogue and the momentum flows nicely and definitely makes you not want to put the book down I totally loved it! I received this book from NetGalley and black rose writing but I am leaving this review voluntarily please forgive any mistakes as I am blind and dictate my review.

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