The Line That Held Us feels dragged out of the mud somewhere deep in the mountains of North Carolina and handed directly to the reader with dirt still on it. And this was an excellent addition to our Book Club—you can join us by heading over to Patreon (The Hidden Pine Lodge). It’s only $4…
Tag: fiction
Southern Reads: Heaven, My Home
Sequels are a tricky thing. They carry the weight of expectation, the shadow of their predecessor looming large over every page. Heaven, My Home, the follow-up to Attica Locke’s Bluebird, Bluebird, is a strong novel in its own right, but does it quite match the power and punch of its predecessor? That’s where opinions start…
Southern Reads: Nothing But The Bones
The Weight of Blood and Redemption: Brian Panowich’s Nothing But the Bones Brian Panowich’s Nothing But the Bones hits the literary landscape like a freight train barreling through the heart of the Southern noir tradition. With his sharp prose and unflinching narrative, Panowich delivers a prequel to his Bull Mountain series that grips readers from…
Southern Reads: Bluebird, Bluebird
With Bluebird, Bluebird, Attica Locke doesn’t just write about East Texas; she makes it bleed, hum, and sing. This isn’t your run-of-the-mill whodunit; it’s a blues song soaked in whiskey, tangled in kudzu, and ripped out of the heart of America. Locke introduces Darren Mathews, a Black Texas Ranger with more baggage than a Delta…
Southern Reads: Exploring Brian Panowich’s Gritty Southern Crime Trilogy: Bull Mountain, Like Lions, and Hard Cash Valley
Brian Panowich’s trilogy—comprising “Bull Mountain,” “Like Lions,” and “Hard Cash Valley”—is a compelling saga of Southern noir, where crime, family loyalty, and the rugged landscape of North Georgia intertwine. Each novel stands on its own as a gritty, suspenseful story, but together, they form a rich, interconnected narrative that delves deep into the dynamics of…