The Bottom Line: A raw, highly memorable dark psychological thriller about a pair of killers borne out of domestic abuse. Recommended for fans of Bret Easton Ellis and Jeff Lindsay.
The prequel to J. Denison Reed’s Clifford’s War series details the dark journey of two brothers, Darius and Marcus Tye. Set in 1990s rural Kentucky, the boys’ controlling father, Colby, insists on an unnatural level of respect on the family farm. Sadistic and paranoid, disturbing aggressions abound, such as not giving the kids gloves when doing heavy farm work, or tripping them, presumably to toughen them up.
The boys’ mother, Margaret, attempts to protect the boys while taking the brunt of her husband’s physical and sexual abuse. Colby, meanwhile, fantasizes about beating nearly every woman he meets into his version of acceptable female submission. At home, he realizes those fantasies in the form of raping, choking and whipping his wife. It’s a powder keg that ends one fateful night when the boys realize their father has finally taken things too far.
Despite the eventual intervention of extended family members and foster care, the brothers – now physically and psychologically damaged beyond repair – drift into a life of crime. Reed pulls no punches as he depicts the teenagers’ struggle to survive through gritty, dark circumstances. The struggle becomes especially poignant as the foster system that is intended to help them becomes the enemy, and Reed succeeds wildly as he depicts their plight with both sympathy and horror.
Reed holds the entry of his series hero, private investigator Clifford Dee, until the book’s final 20%. The intrepid PI begins his investigation by following a rumored killer to the edge of the woods before declaring, “I think this is how horror movies start out,” and wisely backing off. After collecting the proof his employer hired him to get, he’s offered a down payment on his next assignment — a truly indecent proposal that will leave readers turning the pages breathlessly until the book’s final shocker.
While TYE shares thematic similarities to both American Psycho and Dexter, Reed’s depictions of domestic violence feel uniquely realistic. Expect Reed’s cinematic depictions of abuse to be seared into your memory longer after turning the last page.
