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A KEVIN R. TIPPLE BOOK REVIEW: Lone Creek: A Novel by Neil McMahon
Lone Creek: A Novel By Neil McMahon HarperCollins Publishers 2007 Hardback ISBN # 978-0-06-079221-3
Set in Montana this novel follows Hugh Davoren, a construction contractor currently employed at the Sprawling Pettyjohn Ranch. The Balcombs purchased it a couple of years ago and Hugh Davoren is supervising a crew that is in the process of restoring the old Victorian Mansion. It’s a ranch that Hugh spent a lot of time on as a boy and it brings back powerful memories.
As does Mrs. Balcomb who looks amazingly like Deveron's long dead friend. Celia was an enigma that Davoren was never able to figure out. After getting arrested for theft within hours of seeing two dead horses on the property, Davoren has another enigma to figure out. Balcomb has powerful friends, plenty of money, and apparently a single minded obsession to see Davoren dead. Is it because of the dead horses or something else?
Filled with flashbacks that actually serve the purpose of moving the novel forward while providing a detailed back-story, this is a compelling read. This is the fifth novel by the author, each apparently a stand alone and this novel works exceptionally well. Davoren is a complex character racked by quilt over the past and what he might have to do in the present. While he could have easily become a stereotype as he does have the stereotypical elements such as being -----the ex boxer who was hurt in his eye so he can never safely fight again angle--- it works because it is just a small part of the overall picture of the character. The same is true of the other characters such as the rich wife, Mrs. Balcomb, who is running her own agenda, his old friend who happens to be a rather stoic Indian by the name Madbird, or the cunningly quiet Sheriff Gary Varna, among many others. Each one could have easily been a stereotype or cliché and yet while the obvious elements are there, they aren't. They are fully formed characters who live far beyond mere words on a printed page.
Then there is a twisting plot and multiple storylines. For the most part, all work very well though one becomes rather obvious midway through the novel. One wonders whether it was done that way as there was no other option or because the author wanted to tip his hat to Hitchcock. If it was a Hitchcock compliment, it is a little clumsy and a bit forced.
Despite that minor quibble, the overall read is a good one. A complex multi layered mystery that is also the story of one man's long journey to redemption and making peace with the past. The result is a read that pulls one deep into a story that ends powerfully and all too soon.
Kevin R. Tipple © 2007 |