ABOUT THE BOOK:
Flooded by memories, poisoned by the deadly fallout of Agent Orange, and desperate for work, Dan Lambert kills a man in a moment of blind fear and fury. It is an act he cannot excuse--a mistake that will change his life forever. Now Dan is on the run, heading south toward the Louisiana bayous. On his trail are police officers and bounty hunters, including the most memorable and bizarre team ever paired in modern fiction: Pelvis Eisley, an Elvis impersonator of the worst kind, and Flint Murtaugh, a fastidious, ruthluss loner and freak-show refugee who carries the body of his unformed twin brother on his side.
As Dan heads down into the swampland in search of his own salvation, he meets a young woman who is on a similar journey. Like Dan, Arden Halliday bears a great burden--a disfiguring purple birthmark that blankets half her face. Wounded by the stares, by the pity and revulsion, she is making her way into the bayous to search of the Bright Girl--a legendary faith healer who will rid her of her birthmark and her suffering. Though on separate missions, Arden and Dan come to respect each other's quest for freedom, for a touch of simple kindness in a world grown cruel. Thrown together by circumstance, bound by a loyalty stranger than love, they set off on a journey of relentless suspense and impassioned discovery...an odyssey over dark, twisting road and waterways into the beautiful and mysterious depths of the human heart.
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MY REVIEW:
Gone South by Robert R. McCammonMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Gone South by Robert R McCammon was published in 1992 is 392 pages long.
Dan Lambert is a Vietnam vet down on his luck. He's divorced, out of work, and sick. His bills are piling up and he is several months behind on his truck payment. When he goes to the bank to speak to the loan manager about working something out so he can keep his truck, he finds a world of trouble. The new bank manager won't give Dan some breathing room and Dan loses his temper. Before it's all said and done a man is killed and Dan is on the run.
Dan's plan is to leave the country. Along the way, Dan's situation goes from bad to worse. A reward has been placed for his capture and two bounty hunters, as well as cops from all over are on the lookout for Dan.
Dan also meets up with some other folks in need of help and in search of their own peace.
Arden, born with a birthmark that has made her life miserable is in search of a faith healer that will heal her. When her path intersects with Dan's, the two of them start on a journey that will hopefully see them finding the love and purpose and peace they are looking for - If they make it there that is.
I've only read one other book by Robert R. McCammon and that was some years ago. (I do vividly remember parts of it of it though .) This one sounded a lot different from anything else he had written and I wasn't really sure if I would like it.
The author's work is often placed in the "horror" genre, but this book is not your typical horror or fantasy. Actually, I don't know what genre it fits in for sure. Basically, it was just a good story.
Perhaps, a little adventure, some action, some criminal activity, and some drama. In the end, there is an awesome happily ever after.
I buddy read this book with my husband. We both liked it a lot. We were a little perplexed because we kept waiting for some kind of heavy supernatural development that never came, But, one can decide for themselves about the conclusions, which may have a paranormal hint.
There was never much of a dull moment, and the book is compulsively readable. If you like feel good stories that appeal to everyone, you will like this one.
GET YOUR COPY HERE:
https://www.amazon.com/Gone-South-Robert-R-McCammon-ebook/dp/B005T54GH4/
https://www.amazon.com/Gone-South/dp/B00XOMCW6Q/
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/gone-south-robert-mccammon/1000002581
ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Robert Rick McCammon was a full-time horror writer for many years. Among his many popular novels were the classics Boy's Life and Swan Song. After taking a hiatus for his family, he returned to writing with an interest in historical fiction.
McCammon resides in Birmingham, Alabama. He is currently working on the eighth Matthew Corbett novel, The King of Shadows.
