Bull
Mountain,
Like
Lions, by Mike Panowich.
Hold onto your seats, folks, you’re in for a very
bumpy ride as former FireFighter Brian Panowich flexes his literary muscles and
launches our readers’ rollercoaster at the summit of Bull Mountain, his first
novel of a family of Good Ole Boys gone bad in North Georgia.
The first book recounts the history of a dynasty of
hillbilly drug-dealers started by Cooper Burroughs, who killed his brother
Riley in front of Cooper’s 9 year-old son Gareth because Riley thought they
should try to make money legitimately – then Cooper instructed Gareth to dig Riley’s
grave. Mountain Men are tough, and their
sons better be damn tough as well. The
sooner they learn that the better!
Gareth grows up according to plan; the sad thing is that he has three sons whom
he expects to be as ruthless and brutal as he has trained them and they are,
expanding his meth empire with the outside help of a biker gang into other
states – except for youngest son Clayton:
durned if he hasn’t become the local Sheriff! And as far from being a crooked lawman living
in their pocket as it is possible to be, for Clayton loves his wife, loves
where he lives, and wants to Protect and Serve.
‘Bull Mountain’ deals with his struggle to reconcile his upbringing, his
conscience and his homicidal family – just managing to survive after a bloody
shoot-out with his brother, the consequences of which are covered in ‘Like
Lions’.
It’s not easy to produce a sequel that lives up to the
excitement and suspense of the first book, but Mr Panowich has succeeded
effortlessly, carrying on the unrelenting tension and brutal characterisation
at a heart-stopping rate. Clayton is
still Sheriff, but has been terribly wounded in the gunfight with his
brother; he is now a father, with a baby
son at home – and a wife he sees less of than he should, for his conscience
won’t let him alone and he drinks to stop its nagging voice. The family drug empire without his brother’s
leadership is floundering and other crims are making aggressive moves. What to do?
How can a crippled, alky headcase save his community – save
anything? Clayton is in a very dark
place, and worse is yet to come.
But!
The writer saves the day in a way that doesn’t insult the
reader’s intelligence; he ties up all
loose ends efficiently and as a bonus provides a most satisfying twist to the
plot at the very end. His
larger-than-life characters (and their dialogue!) are unforgettable: hard men, harsh prose, and hard country. Brian Panowich, you’re a STAR. SIX STARS.
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