Synopses & Reviews
In this haunting, suspenseful debut novel, John Mantooth takes readers to a town in rural Alabama where secrets are buried deep, reality is relative, and salvation requires a desperate act of faith.
When Danny was fourteen, his mother and sister disappeared during a violent storm. The police were baffled. There were no clues, and most people figured they were dead. Only Danny still holds out hope that theyll return.
Months later, a disheveled Vietnam vet named Walter Pike shows up at Dannys front door, claiming to know their whereabouts. The story he tells is so incredible that Danny knows he shouldnt believe him. Others warn him about Walter Pikes dark past, his shameful flight from town years ago, and the suspicious timing of his return.
But hes Dannys last hope, and Danny needs to believe
Review
Praise for Shoebox Trainwreck
"Good, spare, bleak storytelling, and some haunting images that will stick with readers."--Publishers Weekly
"Unique, startling, moving."--Shroud Magazine
"John Mantooth is an exciting new voice in dark fiction."--Douglas Clegg, author of Neverland
Review
“Powerful, dark, and heartfelt.
The Year of the Storm is a wonderful coming of age novel by a very talented new writer. An astounding debut.”—John Rector,
Wall Street Journal Bestselling Author of
Already Gone,
The Grove,
and The Cold Kiss
“A dark and mysterious southern-gothic story with hints of Tom Franklins Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter and Stephen Kings novella The Body, John Mantooths voice is masculine and powerful, flavoring the pages with the Alabama wilderness, the turmoil of family and how all of these elements work to shape and nurture teenage boys into men.”—Frank Bill, author of Crimes in Southern Indiana and Donnybrook
"As strong a debut novel as any I've read in a long time. It's frightening and sad, vicious and unforgiving, quiet and contemplative. It's a helluva start to what's surely going to be a career worth watching."—fearnet.com
"The Year of the Storm by John Mantooth is the very definition of "attention grabber." It is a flat out page turner. It is a rare thriller which combines elements of rural noir, supernatural horror, and is an intense dual coming of age story that is as spellbinding as anything from horror masters such as Stephen King and Laird Barron."—litreactor.com
“Masterful foreshadowing… A tough and violent book, but also one with prose that aches with loss.”—Booklist
Praise for Shoebox Trainwreck
"Good, spare, bleak storytelling, and some haunting images that will stick with readers."--Publishers Weekly
"Unique, startling, moving."--Shroud Magazine
"John Mantooth is an exciting new voice in dark fiction."--Douglas Clegg, author of Neverland
About the Author
John Mantooth is an award-winning author, middle school teacher, former school bus driver, and basketball junkie. His first collection of stories, Shoebox Train Wreck, was released in 2012. He lives in Alabama with his wife and children. This is his first novel.