booksandbourbon's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
admacg's review
4.0
Getting into the winter evenings I love crime fiction. There’s just something about losing yourself in a crime mystery novel that that has as many layers as I’m wearing in this cold weather. I also like it dark, and thankfully this this novel is darker than a miners hankie.
This is a book told from two alternating points of view. Harland Leblanc is a groundsman at a local school in Texas who keeps to himself. The locals aren’t sure what to make of him, as he seems a bit odd and secretive. He’s also trying to keep his head down but finds himself getting involved when a young co-worker is accused of a terrible crime.
Meanwhile Micheal Fisher is doing his best to look after his mom and sister at their ramshackle home in the swamps of Louisiana.. He is dreading the return of his father, recently released from prison, a man who committed a horrible crime and shows no sign of changing his ways.
This is a tough story, make no mistake. It has a number of foul, wretched characters and they inhabit a bleak world. The atmosphere reminded me of that conjured by ‘The last detective’ tv series. There are occasional shafts of light, a little hope so that it’s not completely overwhelming, but they are few and far between.
It felt like a completely believable world, from the fetid swamps of backwoods Louisiana to the small Texan town that was slowly dying as the local industry upped and left. Grim places where life is tough and the people tougher because they have to be.
The alternating chapters are perfectly interwoven, the stories complementing one another. Both are gritty and engrossing, and you get fully drawn into the murder investigation, ensuring you keep turning the pages.
I found Harlen LeBlanc a troubled and complicated character. He is wounded and has secrets, and you know that something traumatic has happened in his past. Michael Fisher’s story is haunting and I felt myself desperately wanting for him to escape his home life.
Although it’s a dark book, there is humanity here too. There is kindness, of good people reaching out and trying to help, to nurture. It’s also about guilt, about being haunted by the past and trying to escape from it, and seeking some sort of justice.
The language is biblical at times, conjuring up a strong slice of southern gothic. It’s also lyrical, and it’s a strong work of literary fiction, not that crime and mystery books can’t also be beautifully written. But this is exceptional.
A word about the the narrator, Roger Clark, who absolutely nailed it in this book. His voice has such a strong cadence and and had the right amount of emotion, and threat, when it was needed. The language is poetic and gritty and I couldn’t place where I’d heard him before - apparently he also voiced Arthur Morgan in red dead redemption 2.
It’s still early December so there’ll be a few more dark nights for me to investigate James Wades first two books, as this is crime fiction of the highest quality.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for my advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review from here
This is a book told from two alternating points of view. Harland Leblanc is a groundsman at a local school in Texas who keeps to himself. The locals aren’t sure what to make of him, as he seems a bit odd and secretive. He’s also trying to keep his head down but finds himself getting involved when a young co-worker is accused of a terrible crime.
Meanwhile Micheal Fisher is doing his best to look after his mom and sister at their ramshackle home in the swamps of Louisiana.. He is dreading the return of his father, recently released from prison, a man who committed a horrible crime and shows no sign of changing his ways.
This is a tough story, make no mistake. It has a number of foul, wretched characters and they inhabit a bleak world. The atmosphere reminded me of that conjured by ‘The last detective’ tv series. There are occasional shafts of light, a little hope so that it’s not completely overwhelming, but they are few and far between.
It felt like a completely believable world, from the fetid swamps of backwoods Louisiana to the small Texan town that was slowly dying as the local industry upped and left. Grim places where life is tough and the people tougher because they have to be.
The alternating chapters are perfectly interwoven, the stories complementing one another. Both are gritty and engrossing, and you get fully drawn into the murder investigation, ensuring you keep turning the pages.
I found Harlen LeBlanc a troubled and complicated character. He is wounded and has secrets, and you know that something traumatic has happened in his past. Michael Fisher’s story is haunting and I felt myself desperately wanting for him to escape his home life.
Although it’s a dark book, there is humanity here too. There is kindness, of good people reaching out and trying to help, to nurture. It’s also about guilt, about being haunted by the past and trying to escape from it, and seeking some sort of justice.
The language is biblical at times, conjuring up a strong slice of southern gothic. It’s also lyrical, and it’s a strong work of literary fiction, not that crime and mystery books can’t also be beautifully written. But this is exceptional.
A word about the the narrator, Roger Clark, who absolutely nailed it in this book. His voice has such a strong cadence and and had the right amount of emotion, and threat, when it was needed. The language is poetic and gritty and I couldn’t place where I’d heard him before - apparently he also voiced Arthur Morgan in red dead redemption 2.
It’s still early December so there’ll be a few more dark nights for me to investigate James Wades first two books, as this is crime fiction of the highest quality.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Blackstone Publishing for my advance audio copy in exchange for an honest review.
Review from here
addison_reads's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Thrillers set in the South are some of my favorites and this book by James Wade was a perfect Southern thriller.
I am ashamed to admit that before I was lucky enough to get this from #NetGalley I had never heard of James Wade before. Now that I have read this propulsive, heart-pounding thriller, I will be reading Wade's backlog of books.
Beasts of the Earth deals with some difficult themes, and it is dark and gritty with lots of unspeakable crimes taking place. However, Wade writes in a way that the reader becomes absorbed into the story and it is impossible to stop reading because you just have to know what is going to happen next.
Great characters, a great setting, a great mystery, and overall just an excellent read.
I am ashamed to admit that before I was lucky enough to get this from #NetGalley I had never heard of James Wade before. Now that I have read this propulsive, heart-pounding thriller, I will be reading Wade's backlog of books.
Beasts of the Earth deals with some difficult themes, and it is dark and gritty with lots of unspeakable crimes taking place. However, Wade writes in a way that the reader becomes absorbed into the story and it is impossible to stop reading because you just have to know what is going to happen next.
Great characters, a great setting, a great mystery, and overall just an excellent read.
montyalmoro's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Suicide attempt, Rape, Incest, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Adult/minor relationship, Kidnapping, and Murder
pagespoursandpups's review
4.0
Haunting. Gritty. Somber. Poetic. Engrossing.
These are a few of the words that came to mind as I finished reading this book. It is a heavy and somber story- but one that is written so poetically that it’s a hard one to put down. Wade leads the reader through two timeframes - each one slowly unwinding until the two intertwine.
“Man and anti-man, and each edging through a darkness both real and imagined, a mirror image of the other and neither betraying the whereabouts of the soul, stolen away, hidden, and all things black before it.”
In the 1965 story, young Michael is growing up without a childhood as he acts as guardian of his younger sister and provider for the family, When his father returns from prison, evil descends on the house. He finds his way out of the town, full of regrets and anger. He forges a friendship with Remus, who takes him in and teaches him the survival and life skills his father never did.
In the 1985 story, Harlan LeBlanc lives a simple, solitary life. He thrives on routine. He is a quite man who eats the same lunch everyday, works as the groundskeeper at the school but seems to be harboring a secret. When one of my his co-workers is accused of murder, Harlan is determined to discover who the real culprit is. While he puts himself in dangerous situations, the focus of the investigation shifts to him.
In this haunting, beautifully descriptive story, the reader is swept into the small town in Texas. There is always a question regarding the reliability of the narrator. Like a constant whisper in the background, the presence of mental illness, penance and justice can be heard throughout. It amazed me how Wade could suffuse such gritty subjects with eloquent and lyrical descriptions of the landscape and tapestry of the desolate town.
“The rain left the colors of the country deeper, more pronounced, as if the droplets themselves had been painted to match the world. The dirt lots turned overnight to mud and the dead lawns sprouted thistle weed and clover and all that blossomed would soon perish beneath the September sun or the winter to follow—fire or ice.“
This is a heavy story and may not be right for everyone, but those that read the synopsis and choose to pick it up are in for a treat. Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone books for the ARC to read and review. Pub date: 10.11.22
These are a few of the words that came to mind as I finished reading this book. It is a heavy and somber story- but one that is written so poetically that it’s a hard one to put down. Wade leads the reader through two timeframes - each one slowly unwinding until the two intertwine.
“Man and anti-man, and each edging through a darkness both real and imagined, a mirror image of the other and neither betraying the whereabouts of the soul, stolen away, hidden, and all things black before it.”
In the 1965 story, young Michael is growing up without a childhood as he acts as guardian of his younger sister and provider for the family, When his father returns from prison, evil descends on the house. He finds his way out of the town, full of regrets and anger. He forges a friendship with Remus, who takes him in and teaches him the survival and life skills his father never did.
In the 1985 story, Harlan LeBlanc lives a simple, solitary life. He thrives on routine. He is a quite man who eats the same lunch everyday, works as the groundskeeper at the school but seems to be harboring a secret. When one of my his co-workers is accused of murder, Harlan is determined to discover who the real culprit is. While he puts himself in dangerous situations, the focus of the investigation shifts to him.
In this haunting, beautifully descriptive story, the reader is swept into the small town in Texas. There is always a question regarding the reliability of the narrator. Like a constant whisper in the background, the presence of mental illness, penance and justice can be heard throughout. It amazed me how Wade could suffuse such gritty subjects with eloquent and lyrical descriptions of the landscape and tapestry of the desolate town.
“The rain left the colors of the country deeper, more pronounced, as if the droplets themselves had been painted to match the world. The dirt lots turned overnight to mud and the dead lawns sprouted thistle weed and clover and all that blossomed would soon perish beneath the September sun or the winter to follow—fire or ice.“
This is a heavy story and may not be right for everyone, but those that read the synopsis and choose to pick it up are in for a treat. Thank you to NetGalley and Blackstone books for the ARC to read and review. Pub date: 10.11.22
kellyhitchcock's review
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
My TikTok review: https://www.tiktok.com/@kellyhitchcockpairings/video/7183188261764877611
openmypages's review
5.0
Harlen LeBlanc is the groundskeeper at a highschool and is well known in town for being a bit insular. He finds himself embroiled in a town scandal and commits himself to getting to the truth of what happened. In alternating chapters, we get the story of Michael, a young boy whose father has just returned from prison. Michael is unquieted by his father's actions and wants to do anything he can to protect his family. Slowly, the two stories unravel and weave together in a way that is breathtaking.
Oh, I loved this book. I literally was up til 3am one night because I couldn't put it down. The writing is so evocative. I loved the stark narrative of life interwoven with philosophical and spiritual passages. This was the reading experience I wanted when reading Razorblade Tears, if you liked that book, this will be right up your alley. It reminded me of the writing of vintage John Grisham, a la A Time to Kill or The Chamber - the examination of good and evil and how easily they cohabitate. This story was full of raw emotion that made my jaw ache as I read. Harlen made me want to be a little nicer to strangers because you just never know what deep emotion and honor lies within a person.
I'm off to add all of James Wade's backlist to my TBR.
Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for access to this novel via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.
Oh, I loved this book. I literally was up til 3am one night because I couldn't put it down. The writing is so evocative. I loved the stark narrative of life interwoven with philosophical and spiritual passages. This was the reading experience I wanted when reading Razorblade Tears, if you liked that book, this will be right up your alley. It reminded me of the writing of vintage John Grisham, a la A Time to Kill or The Chamber - the examination of good and evil and how easily they cohabitate. This story was full of raw emotion that made my jaw ache as I read. Harlen made me want to be a little nicer to strangers because you just never know what deep emotion and honor lies within a person.
I'm off to add all of James Wade's backlist to my TBR.
Thanks to Blackstone Publishing for access to this novel via Netgalley. All opinions above are my own.
randyham's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
My first foray into a James Wade novel & it was so good! Wade is great at combining southern gothic with thriller and coming up with a top notch work.
paperbackbish's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
abookishtype's review
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
3.0
Harlen LeBlanc is a haunted man. If anyone bothered to look closely at him, they’d be able to see it. His house barely has any furniture. He only seems to use his kitchen to brew coffee and always orders the same meal from the cafe in a broken-down town in Texas. He’s always on time for his job as a groundskeeper at the lone local high school and never asks for a raise or a promotion. It isn’t until several chapters into Beasts of the Earth, by James Wade, that we find out why Harlen shuns company. We don’t have to wait that long, however, to learn that his loyalty to good people will pull him out of his reclusiveness. Harlen, you see, cannot abide injustice...
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss, for review consideration.
Read the rest of my review at A Bookish Type. I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via Edelweiss, for review consideration.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Incest
Minor: Rape and Child abuse