It’s emblematic of my nature that, having decided that I should read novels for fun again, I have gone on a freakin’ bender.
Right now, I’m poaching in Hillbilly Highways’ territory with Bearskin by James A. McLaughlin. Hope HP doesn’t get too riled.
Damn, it’s good. There’s probably nothing I like better than a “literary” crime novel. McLaughlin can flat write — his descriptions of the Appalachian backcountry and the Arizona desert are sensuous and immersive. You don’t often get the smell of the country, and McLaughlin gives us that. And he’s got a good yarn to tell:
Rice Moore is just beginning to think his troubles are behind him. He’s found a job protecting a remote forest preserve in Virginian Appalachia where his main responsibilities include tracking wildlife and refurbishing cabins. It’s hard work, and totally solitary—perfect to hide away from the Mexican drug cartels he betrayed back in Arizona. But when Rice finds the carcass of a bear killed on the grounds, the quiet solitude he’s so desperately sought is suddenly at risk.
More bears are killed on the preserve and Rice’s obsession with catching the poachers escalates, leading to hostile altercations with the locals and attention from both the law and Rice’s employers. Partnering with his predecessor, a scientist who hopes to continue her research on the preserve, Rice puts into motion a plan that could expose the poachers but risks revealing his own whereabouts to the dangerous people he was running from in the first place.
McLaughlin is a Jim Harrison fan and he knows what a “Mozambique” is. He is our kin.
Other than some missed sleep, this bender has done me no harm and quite a lot of good. Think I’ll keep rollin’.
H.P. @ Hillbilly Highways says
You see, this is what I get for kicking my review to closer to the paperback release date. An excellent, excellent book. I look forward to writing on it.
JimC says
I look forward to your review…
Matthew says
Not long ago read Eric Brighteyes H Rider Haggard’s Viking fantasy novel. While it wasn’t my favorite Haggard it was pretty good particularly the ending. Reread some Solomon Kane. Currently, reading Ensign Flandry by Poul Anderson. It’s sci-fi but it is set on a frontier world and deals with two empires (one human one alien) using it’s natives in a proxy war. Actually, reminds me of Vietnam in someways.
deuce says
Hard to go wrong with Haggard, REH and Poul!
Matthew says
Yup.
I actually decided it to read the Anderson because I had a dream about discussing his work with someone.
lane batot says
Dang–definitely sounds like one I’d like, if only for the location and subject matter(I DON’T tend to be a fan of crime writing, because 99% of them are urban and just revolving around humans in urban settings, which bores my critter/woods geek-self to chronic yawning. Ditto for crime TV shows…). I’ll havta look THIS one up, fer shore. Where I lived on the Tennessee/N. C. border for many years, black bear poaching was a big, organized, criminal business–NOT something you wanted to mess with(much as I sympathized with the bears). The marijuana growers tended to be MUCH less hostile! Of course sometimes, they were the one and the same…..
JimC says
This is in your wheelhouse.
lane batot says
Just ordered it! Purty darn cheap, too! Gawd, I love Amazon….
Breaker Morant says
Speaking of the “Mozambique” drill-I love this youtube version of the song.
It is set to video of Rhodesian soldiers.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mx2UpGG4JEU
I will never figure out how those tough bastards fought in the African bush wearing 1970’s era tight “Shortie-shorts.”
JimC says
“The Seventies” were inescapable.
wayne says
Seems like a couple of us recommended this book a while back. Like I wrote then, I didn’t want the book to end.
felonious monk says
Yeah! thank you Wayne.
Isaac says
“We ain’t Rednecks. We is Appalachian Americans!”
This is literally my backyard! The sheriff’s departmart has literally used their push bumpers to move black bears outta people’s driveways. What is sad though is Galax Va (home to the world’s oldest and largest Bluegrass Fiddlers convention) is ate up with Mexican meth. The funniest thing is we have a lot of Mulngeons here and they can range from Mexican/Hispanic looking to ghost-white with black eyes and hair. Anyway, I recently overheard a disagreement in Walmart where the guy was yelling: “I ain’t no Mexican— my kin have been here long before them cartel types got here!” Funny but sad. And yes I am married to a cole miner’s daughter.
PS— we ain’t as bad as Eastern Kentucky tho! Just sayn’ 😉
JimC says
We have a Fronteir Partisan here with some Melungeon roots. Fascinating stuff.
lane batot says
To join the politically correct era, it is NOW improper to say “hillbilly”–we prefer the term “Southern Highland Americans”. And “redneck” is now a racial slur–we un’s prefer the now more respectful “Cervically Solar Enhanced”. Ahem!
Vincent Saunders says
Writing from New Zealand I enjoy your site and get your recommended books out of the library
Regards
Vincent Saunders
JimC says
Thanks Vincent. Your country has some fascinating frontier history that I really hope to explore in depth some time soon.
lane batot says
I’ve got some Maori books, and just finished one on extinction of the megafauna, including the moas, giant eagles, and others in New Zealand–FASCINATING stuff! My favorite New Zealand movie? Perhaps I shouldn’t admit it, but it is the horror/farce “Black Sheep”–what a HOOT! So yeah, kiwi perceptions are MORE than welcome on this blog!
felonious monk says
Surprised you haven’t commented on the little boy safeguarded by a black bear whilst lost
in the woods. Also you will be pleased to learn that Michael Mann now has his own imprint,
and twitter account to go with it, you might like to “write in” with some film tips.
JimC says
Hah! Instigator…
lane batot says
Ha! Yeah, that black bear sleeping with the 3-year old was a story TOLD by the 3-year old! We’d all LIKE to believe such a tale, but not perzackly likely…..Conversing with Michael Mann would ONLY be for the bored windmill tilter, because no matter what suggestions(however brilliant and practical they might be), they would make as much impression on The Mann as Don Quixote did on the windmills….
felonious monk says
Howdy Vincent, I am just across the ditch and came upon Vincent O’Malley’s work
only this morning, what with a new book and a website to go with it.
Do you know his work? if so would you recommend it?
felonious monk says
Like the windmill theme, whatever gave you that idea Lane ?
Got to tel ya though it’s a toss up, believing you or a 3-year old and
I don’t think Don Winslow is a bored wind…..etc, but I like your
writing, it’s never boring and always amusing.
lane batot says
I done got 56 years worth of tale telling on that toddler–he’s a rank(especially if he slept with a bar) amateur!
felonious monk says
I know but what a good story it would make for the intrepid reporter/investigator: twas da bear what done it !
And he got away ! Know perzacktly what you mean with the film stuff as well. I have had more than my fair share
of designers, architects, art directors etc. make unreasonable demands and to this day one of my favorite phrases
is: “love your work” even use it at the register in the super mercado. Try working as a carpenter for a name director
makes ads for a living, its like problem solving for a petulant child. So lets all just take a moment and appreciate
the amount of shit Eeyore had to put up with and don’t breath too deeply….it can kill ya!