Synopses & Reviews
A blend of science and superstition recalls the wacky mysteries of James Doss (The Shaman Signs 0-380-97721-4 and The Night Visitor 0-380-97721-4) and the magical realism of Luis Borges.
Summer in Benteen County, Kansas, is a season possessed of all the gentle subtlety of an act of war. Winter, of course, is no better, but remembrance of its frosts and blizzards and winds that begin to suck away your life before you walk a dozen steps has grown faint by the early hours of a Sunday morning in late June.
While some try to sleep, and some like Sheriff English and his ex-wife try sex, the Reverend Peter Simms takes an early walk in the park and encounters someone counting coup. When the Sheriff's part-Cheyenne brother, Mad Dog, arrives to meditate, he finds the Reverend's mutilated corpse.
Mad Dog is the obvious suspect and begins to hang out in the town jail while Sheriff English widens his net and picks up not only several suspicious characters, but an increasingly dark history for the Simms family. The case grows stormier. Soon, so does the weather. As a tornado gathers to hurl its fury on the hapless town, the fury of the killer rises to meet it in an ending that will, literally, blow readers away.
Review
""J.M. (Mike) Hayes has written just two books. His first, The Grey Pilgrim, is a thriller based on the last American Indian uprising in Arizona, which happened in 1940. The story was published in hardcover as a Walker mystery in 1990, and promptly went out of print. Now, a decade later, Poisoned Pen Press has released Hayes' second work, Mad Dog and Englishman, in a slender, well-packaged hardcover, along with a trade paperback reprint of The Grey Pilgrim. I bought both books based on small promotional blurbs given in the Poisoned Pen's monthly newsletter. I take purchasing chances like that on occasion. When they pay off, it's usually with dividends. I mean, how can you not like a book that begins:
""Summer in Benteen County, Kansas, is a season possessed of all the gentle subtlety of an act of war.""
One immediately envisions a small-town, rural environment where the air hangs heavily, buzzing flies doppler in and out of hearing range, and there is a general sense of lethargy extending across the town square to all the cars parked in front of the cafe. A perfect setting upon which to impose the violence and disruption of the mutilation murder of a local preacher. Author Hayes advances his scenario using a variety of
well-drawn character viewpoints. The novel's eponymous Englishman is local sheriff, caught off-guard by unexpected bloodshed, further stunned by the kidnapping of his daughter. Sheriff English's brother is Mad Dog, whose nickname stems from his eccentric mannerisms, and a penchant for performing mystical Indian ceremonies. Mad Dog sets himself up as a candidate for arrest by discovering the remains of a killer's wrath. Another fine supporting player is Mrs.Kraus, a feisty grandmother-type who doubles as police dispatcher, and whose occasional lapse of radio contact complicates lines of communication.
The author's powerful voice belies his relatively small body of work. Hayes writes with assurance, sprinkling his story with an abundance of black humor and a strong sense of place. He isn't afraid to describe a bloody body, provide a discourse on child abuse, or present a bucolic nonchalance over individual sexual proclivities. He even throws in a few eff words for spice. If there is a downside to this book, it comes at the finale where he seems unsure how to wrap matters up in a tidy package.
Poisoned Pen Press came into existence in 1996, as a response to the growing number of mystery authors being dropped by their publishing companies. Barbara and husband Robert Rosenwald are now responsible for 20 and 30 releases each year, and the number is steadily increasing. Their press runs are small, but so are their costs - estimated break-even point is 1,000 copies. I have no idea how many copies of Mad Dog were printed, but there ought to be enough to start a word of mouth campaign in support of this fine book. I applaud Robert and Barbara for their skill at identifying J.M. Hayes as an author people need to read.""
--Reed Andrus, Charlotte Austin Review
Review
"When I get sent a novel to blurb, I never know what to expect. It's such a wonderful surprise to get a fine one. This novel has a well-told tale, great characters, and a wonderfully done setting, and I hope it will be a series. It sure has the makings of one. It's a suspenseful tale, told from the title to the end with wit and warmth by a very talented writer."
--Nancy Pickard
Synopsis
Summer in Benteen, County, Kansas, is a season possessed of all the gentle subtlety of an act of war. Winter, of course, is no better, but remembrance of its frosts and blizzards and winds that begin to suck away your life before you walk a dozen steps has grown faint by the early hours of a Sunday morning in late June. While some try to sleep, and Sheriff English and his ex-wife try sex, the Reverend Peter Simms takes an early walk in the park and encounters someone counting coup. When the Sheriff's part-Cheyenne brother, Mad Dog, arrives to meditate, he finds the Reverend's mutilated corpse. Mad Dog is the obvious suspect and he begins to hang out in the town jail while Sheriff English widens his net. English picks up several suspicious characters, and an increasingly dark history for the Simms family. The case grows stormier, and so does the weather. As a tornado gathers to hurl its fury on the hapless town, the fury of the killer rises to meet it.
Synopsis
"A suspenseful tale, told from the title to the end with wit and warmth by a very talented writer." --Nancy Pickard, award-winning author
Summer in Benteen County, Kansas, is a season possessed of all the gentle subtlety of an act of war. Winter, of course, is no better, but remembrance of its frosts and blizzards and winds that begin to suck away your life before you walk a dozen steps has grown faint by the early hours of a Sunday morning in late June. While some try to sleep, and Sheriff English and his ex-wife try sex, the Reverend Peter Simms takes an early walk in the park and encounters someone counting coup. When the Sheriff's part-Cheyenne brother, Mad Dog, arrives to meditate, he finds the Reverend's mutilated corpse. Mad Dog is the obvious suspect and he begins to hang out in the town jail while Sheriff English widens his net. English picks up several suspicious characters, and an increasingly dark history for the Simms family. The case grows stormier, and so does the weather. As a tornado gathers to hurl its fury on the hapless town, the fury of the killer rises to meet it.
About the Author
J.M. Hayes was born and raised on the flat earth of central Kansas where Prairie Gothic takes place. He graduated from Wichita State University and did another three years of post graduate work at the University of Arizona. He shares a home in Tucson, AZ with his wife, two computers, four thousand or so books, two German Shepherds, and a Scottish ""Terror.""