The Hard Word: THE GRACE OF APPLIED FAITH: A REVIEW OF JAKE HINKSON'S FIND HIM
Showing posts with label Jake Hinkson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Jake Hinkson. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 08, 2023
Wednesday, February 09, 2022
Short Story Wednesday Review: The Deepening Shade: New and Collected Stories by Jake Hinkson
From the massive archive …
Published by All Due Respect Books, one knows that The
Deepening Shade: New and Collected Stories by Jake Hinkson is not going
to be one of those light and happy books. All Due Respect is known for their
anthologies and other projects where the happy people and cozy cats would be
killed and their bodies buried upside down in that old rock quarry outside of
town. There are no happy people in The Deepening Shade: New and Collected
Stories where the tone of the tales is dark and where religion and/or
alcohol often play a role. Sometimes their role is minor and other times their
role is major. Often times neither is the answer as events grind along with a
certain inevitability due to fate and the choices these characters make.
Finding the line between fate and personal choice is rarely easy and such is
the case here.
The read opens with “Maker’s and Coke.” Stopping by
Knight’s Liquor Store on the way to work was a possible mistake. Certainly
drinking on duty was a definite mistake.
Dancing as Dixie Delight at The Fur Trap doesn’t
change the fact that she is “The Big Sister.”
Janie has a huge problem and needs her help.
The girl is not only pregnant, but has been roughed
up a bit in “The Girl from Yesterday.” The guy who walked into the homeless
shelter with her did not look like the kind of guy who would do that, but the
bad guys who do that sort of thing are not always obvious. Marie Porter, one of
the people who runs the place, wants to know a lot more.
Not only is Randy considered Mister Employee of the
Month” at Alltel he is also more than willing once prompted to talk about
“Randy’s Personal Lord and Savior.” The backstory of why he does not drink and
is so religious is the point of the tale.
Just after noon on one August afternoon three
robbers come into the restaurant looking for money and more. Marianne’s attention
on her potential client is destroyed. In the “Aftermath” of the robbery her
perspective and maybe even her world is changed.
She never had children and now, in a strange twist
of fate, she lives in a nursing home across the street from a daycare. What
might have been is the ache of memory as well as physical pain in “The Empty
Sky.”
Graham has a major problem and needs Larry’s help in
“Cold City.” Since both are cops the problem is worse than for a normal
citizen. Then too, because they are cops, they have certain options.
There are problems that the McDonalds Corporation
doesn’t pay enough for one to deal with minutes before going off duty. A
customer is publicly making a big deal about one such problem in
“Microeconomics” so now it has to be dealt with before things get worse.
A Police Sniper is hard at work in the very short
“Good Cover.”
Handling snakes as a test of religious faith is just
part of the deal at work in “The Serpent Box.” It is not news to crime readers
that serpents come in many forms.
He’d known that night after she screamed in her
sleep that being with her had been a mistake. In “Night Terrors” the waking
hours afterwards are worse and the stuff of nightmares.
When your wife is cousins with somebody you have to
do things with folks would prefer not to do. Such is the case here in “Dinner
with Friends.” If only they all knew what you were capable of and had done you
might not have to sit around and listen to these idiots.
It was just supposed to be funny. The ad was
supposed to be a way to blow off some steam. Then things got really serious in
“Casual Encounter.”
Attending the meetings of recovering alcoholics was
a means to an end in “The Theologians.” He might not be the only one using the
group meetings for a far different purpose.
Summer heat in Arkansas is just part of the
background in “Our Violence.” So too is the legacy of family as well as
unresolved childhood issues that could be based on genetic as much as
nurturing.
The Deepening Shade: New and Collected Stories by Jake Hinkson showcases a complexity and a variety not seen in many short story collections or even anthologies for that matter. Much is at work in each of these tales in a book that is not for everyone. A mighty good read and one well worth your time both as a reader and as a writer.
Material supplied by the publisher last fall for my
use in an objective review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2015, 2022
Friday, May 07, 2021
FFB Review: The Posthumous Man by Jake Hinkson
From the archives...
Things often don’t go as planned. Elliot Stilling had planned out his suicide and it should have worked. As far as he is concerned as this novella from author Jake Hinkson opens, it is exceedingly unfortunate that he didn’t stay dead. He had been dead for about three minutes when the emergency room staff at a hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas screwed up everything and brought him back to life.
The
only thing he really remembers is seeing a black star tattooed on the wrist of
a nurse with beautiful blue eyes. That same nurse by the name of Felicia Vogan
shows up in his room hours later. Not only did she make an impression on
Stilling as he lay dying, the former reverend made quite an impression on her.
They have some sort of connection that will draw them together in ways neither
saw coming in this intense noir style novella.
Considering
that this read comes from the publisher “Beat To A Pulp” one already knows
before starting the book that it will be dark, twisted, and feature multiple
murders as well as at least one other major crime of some type. The
Posthumous Man features all of that and more as well as a
consideration of theology and the state of the world and the people in it. It
is also an intensely good read.
The
Posthumous Man
Jake
Hinkson
http://thenighteditor.blogspot.com/
Beat To
A Pulp
December
20, 2012
ASIN:
B00ARL5MBY
E-Book
(also available in print)
190
Pages (estimated)
Material was picked up last month during publisher’s free read promotion.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2014, 2021
Monday, August 20, 2018
Tuesday, February 23, 2016
The Education of a Pulp Writer: On God, the French, and Orson: Jake Hinkson Interv...
The Education of a Pulp Writer: On God, the French, and Orson: Jake Hinkson Interv...: As far as many are concerned Jake Hinkson is the finest noir writer of his generation. From his searing debut, Hell on Church Street, to sco...
Wednesday, September 02, 2015
FEATURE: In The Strange Dark: MISCHIEF by Charlotte Armstrong (Jake Hinkson at The Life Sentence)
In addition to reading his essay below, you should also read Jake Hinkson's book THE DEEPENING SHADE. I reviewed it last month here.
FEATURE: In The Strange Dark: MISCHIEF by Charlotte Armstrong (Jake Hinkson at The Life Sentence)
FEATURE: In The Strange Dark: MISCHIEF by Charlotte Armstrong (Jake Hinkson at The Life Sentence)
Wednesday, August 12, 2015
Review: "The Deepening Shade: New and Collected Stories" by Jake Hinkson
Published by All Due Respect Books one
knows that The Deepening Shade: New and Collected Stories by Jake Hinkson is
not going to be one of those light and happy books. All Due Respect is known
for their anthologies and other projects where the happy people and cozy cats would
be killed and their bodies buried upside down in that old rock quarry outside
of town. There are no happy people in The Deepening Shade: New and Collected
Stories where the tone of the tales is dark and where religion and/or
alcohol often play a role. Sometimes their role is minor and other times their
role is major. Often times neither is the answer as events grind along with a
certain inevitability due to fate and the choices these characters make.
Finding the line between fate and personal choice is rarely easy and such is
the case here.
The read opens with “Maker’s and
Coke.” Stopping by Knight’s Liquor Store on the way to work was a possible
mistake. Certainly drinking on duty was a definite mistake.
Dancing as Dixie Delight at The Fur
Trap doesn’t change the fact that she is “The Big Sister.” Janie has a huge problem and needs her help.
The girl is not only pregnant, but
has been roughed up a bit in “The Girl from Yesterday.” The guy who walked into
the homeless shelter with her did not look like the kind of guy who would do
that, but the bad guys who do that sort of thing are not always obvious. Marie
Porter, one of the people who runs the place, wants to know a lot more.
Not only is Randy considered Mister
Employee of the Month” at Alltel he is also more than willing once
prompted to talk about “Randy’s Personal Lord and Savior.” The backstory of why
he does not drink and is so religious is the point of the tale.
Just after noon on one August
afternoon three robbers come into the restaurant looking for money and
more. Marianne’s attention on her potential client is destroyed. In the
“Aftermath” of the robbery her perspective and maybe even her world is changed.
She never had children and now, in a
strange twist of fate, she lives in a nursing home across the street from a
daycare. What might have been is the ache of memory as well as physical pain in
“The Empty Sky.”
Graham has a major problem and needs
Larry’s help in “Cold City.” Since both are cops the problem is worse than for
a normal citizen. Then too, because they are cops, they have certain options.
There are problems that the
McDonalds Corporation doesn’t pay enough for one to deal with minutes before
going off duty. A customer is publicly making a big deal about one such problem
in “Microeconomics” so now it has to be dealt with before things get worse.
A Police Sniper is hard at work in
the very short “Good Cover.”
Handling snakes as a test of
religious faith is just part of the deal at work in “The Serpent Box.” It is
not news to crime readers that serpents come in many forms.
He’d known that night after she screamed
in her sleep that being with her had been a mistake. In “Night Terrors” the waking
hours afterwards are worse and the stuff of nightmares.
When your wife is cousins with
somebody you have to do things with folks would prefer not to do. Such is the case
here in “Dinner with Friends.” If only they all knew what you were capable of and
had done you might not have to sit around and listen to these idiots.
It was just supposed to be funny. The
ad was supposed to be a way to blow off some steam. Then things got really serious
in “Casual Encounter.”
Attending the meetings of recovering
alcoholics was a means to an end in “The Theologians.” He might not be the only
one using the group meetings for a far different purpose.
Summer heat in Arkansas is just part
of the background in “Our Violence.” So too is the legacy of family as well as unresolved
childhood issues that could be based on genetic as much as nurturing.
A read containing stories of
characters dealing with the blows of life, The Deepening Shade: New and Collected Stories”
is a work that resonates on many levels. A hard scrabble way of life is the
background to many of these tales as folks deal with events of various types.
Dark humor is at work here as is religion, desperation, and crime. Whether
choice is really at work in each of these tales, as some would argue, is a
question that often is not easily answered. These stories feature people
dealing with events where fate and choice are the opposite sides of the same
coin and it is up to the reader to determine which way the coin landed.
The Deepening Shade: New and
Collected Stories by Jake Hinkson showcases a
complexity and a variety not seen in many short story collections or even
anthologies for that matter. Much is at work in each of these tales in a book
that is not for everyone. A mighty good read and one well worth your time both
as a reader and as a writer.
The Deepening Shade: New and Collected Stories
Jake Hinkson
All Due Respect Books
January 2015
ASIN: B00RUBIHLQ
E-Book
(Paperback available)
238
Pages
$2.99
Material
supplied by the publisher last fall for my use in an objective review.
Kevin
R. Tipple ©2015
Friday, March 27, 2015
Friday, February 20, 2015
Via Notes on the Shore: The Deepening Shade by Jake Hinkson
Notes on the Shore: The Deepening Shade by Jake Hinkson: Pages: 141 Genre: Noir, Short Stories Format: E-book Published by All Due Respect Books Borrowed from Kindle Library When I picked t...
Tuesday, December 30, 2014
Monday, June 02, 2014
Via The Night Editor: IDA (2014)
The Night Editor: IDA (2014): Seldom do I walk out of a movie with a ready opinion. I usually have to let a movie sink into me. I admire people who know what they like ...
Saturday, May 10, 2014
The Night Editor: Edward A. Grainger on Wyatt Earp
The Night Editor: Edward A. Grainger on Wyatt Earp: Western powerhouse Edward A. Grainger, aka David Cranmer , has a new piece over at Criminal Element called " All My Earps: The Many F...
Tuesday, May 06, 2014
Review: "The Posthumous Man" by Jake Hinkson
Things often don’t go as planned. Elliot Stilling had
planned out his suicide and it should have worked. As far as he is concerned as
this novella from author Jake Hinkson opens, it is exceedingly unfortunate that
he didn’t stay dead. He had been dead for about three minutes when the emergency
room staff at a hospital in Little Rock, Arkansas screwed up everything and
brought him back to life.
The only thing he really remembers is seeing a black
star tattooed on the wrist of a nurse with beautiful blue eyes. That same nurse
by the name of Felicia Vogan shows up in his room hours later. Not only did she
make an impression on Stilling as he lay dying, the former reverend made quite an
impression on her. They have some sort of connection that will draw them together
in ways neither saw coming in this intense noir style novella.
Considering that this read comes from the publisher “Beat
To A Pulp” one already knows before starting the book that it will be dark, twisted,
and feature multiple murders as well as at least one other major crime of some
type. The Posthumous Man features all of that and more as well as a
consideration of theology and the state of the world and the people in it. It
is also an intensely good read.
The Posthumous Man
Jake
Hinkson
Beat
To A Pulp
December
20, 2012
ASIN:
B00ARL5MBY
E-Book
(also available in print)
190
Pages (estimated)
$0.99
Material was picked up last month during publisher’s
free read promotion.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2014
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