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clara_reads_books's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Vomit and Sexual assault
aellis0116's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
medium-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
ridgewaygirl's review against another edition
5.0
A small town preacher in Arkansas is being blackmailed. He's at the forefront of the fight to prevent a referendum on whether the county should remain dry and so he makes an offer to the man with the most to lose if the vote doesn't happen, a man hoping to open a liquor store in town. He, in turn, decides to get the money by stealing it from a shady businessman.
If you like your crime novels noir, your characters compromised and plenty of things going wrong, you'll love this one. Hinkson's spare writing style suits the subject matter, and he manages to make each of his many characters surprisingly complex and nuanced. Taking place during the 2016 presidential primaries, Hinkson makes even the tertiary characters feel like actual people, no small task when writing about desperate people willing to do just about anything to protect what's theirs, or to escape to a better life. Here, the most sympathetic characters are the pair of blackmailers who set a whole series of crimes and disasters in motion. It's a well-told story that has a ton of tension and a very satisfying ending. I'm excited to read more from this author.
If you like your crime novels noir, your characters compromised and plenty of things going wrong, you'll love this one. Hinkson's spare writing style suits the subject matter, and he manages to make each of his many characters surprisingly complex and nuanced. Taking place during the 2016 presidential primaries, Hinkson makes even the tertiary characters feel like actual people, no small task when writing about desperate people willing to do just about anything to protect what's theirs, or to escape to a better life. Here, the most sympathetic characters are the pair of blackmailers who set a whole series of crimes and disasters in motion. It's a well-told story that has a ton of tension and a very satisfying ending. I'm excited to read more from this author.
itsmarkyall's review against another edition
5.0
Review from Twitter:
Just finished Dry County. It’s going to take me a day or two to recover from this book, son. I don’t call a lot of works brilliant but this one clearly is. It’s the type of book that makes other writers jealous because we all want to write something this smart.
Just finished Dry County. It’s going to take me a day or two to recover from this book, son. I don’t call a lot of works brilliant but this one clearly is. It’s the type of book that makes other writers jealous because we all want to write something this smart.
tommooney's review against another edition
4.0
Good. Maybe even a bit better than good. A central character that's gone the full Walter White. It's like Breaking Bad but with a preacher instead of a teacher. And when he goes wrong, he seriously goes wrong. Evil, even.
Dark, violent, pulpy hillbilly noir.
Dark, violent, pulpy hillbilly noir.
walkingtalkingeye's review against another edition
5.0
This book kicks ass. Believable characters and a believable story with a writing style that seems to pick up speed as it goes along. This is how you do modern noir.
swinglifeaway's review
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rubigam's review against another edition
3.0
*3.5*
This was a very fast read, the story is well developed, I enjoyed the different voices and I liked how it was so straight to the point (Everything basically happens in 1 day.)
However, I did not feel that it had a very strong turning point (if at all) and it didn't leave me with any strong feelings at the end.
Overall it's a good book, good characters and a full circle storyline.
This was a very fast read, the story is well developed, I enjoyed the different voices and I liked how it was so straight to the point (Everything basically happens in 1 day.)
However, I did not feel that it had a very strong turning point (if at all) and it didn't leave me with any strong feelings at the end.
Overall it's a good book, good characters and a full circle storyline.
soniacaillou's review against another edition
5.0
On rentre immédiatement dans l'histoire, et les personnages prennent de plus en plus de densité au fur et à mesure qu'on découvre qui, quoi, comment...
On vit le récit au travers du point de vue des différents personnages impliqués, avec un côté tellement grinçant, cliché plus vrai que nature, au sein d'un trou perdu où les gens semblent l'être aussi.
J'ai adoré cette lecture, j'ai passé un très bon moment.
On vit le récit au travers du point de vue des différents personnages impliqués, avec un côté tellement grinçant, cliché plus vrai que nature, au sein d'un trou perdu où les gens semblent l'être aussi.
J'ai adoré cette lecture, j'ai passé un très bon moment.
eleellis's review against another edition
4.0
Dry County by Jake Hinkson could be described as what has come to be known as rural/country noir. Richard Weatherford is the local preacher of a church in politically, conservative county. Weatherford appears to have a perfect life and a perfect family but has secrets of his own that if revealed would ruin his position with the church, community and destroy his family.
The backdrop of the novel includes a battle between teetotallers and a man that desires to open a liquor store within the county, but is facing strong resistance to doing so.
In this novel, desperate people do desperate things with tragic results, with the reader guessing who will emerge on top.
While reading this novel, it felt similar to the writing of Jim Thompson, but with all the rough edges sanded down and the narrative completed in a more genteel way while possessing nasty characters with a smoother veneer then characters in Thompson's novels.
Strongly recommended to those that enjoy rural/country noir and the novels of Jim Thompson.
The backdrop of the novel includes a battle between teetotallers and a man that desires to open a liquor store within the county, but is facing strong resistance to doing so.
In this novel, desperate people do desperate things with tragic results, with the reader guessing who will emerge on top.
While reading this novel, it felt similar to the writing of Jim Thompson, but with all the rough edges sanded down and the narrative completed in a more genteel way while possessing nasty characters with a smoother veneer then characters in Thompson's novels.
Strongly recommended to those that enjoy rural/country noir and the novels of Jim Thompson.