#IntheMadMountains by @joelansdale

By Pamelascott

A sinister blues recording pressed on vinyl in blood conjures lethal shadows with its unearthly wails. In order to rescue Tom Sawyer, Huck Finn traverses the shifting horrors of the aptly named Dread Island. In the weird Wild West, Reverend Jebidiah Mercer rides into a possessed town to confront the unspeakable in the crawling sky. Legendary detective C. Auguste Dupin uncovers the gruesome secrets of both the blue lightning bug and the Necronomicon.

Exploring the darkest corners of the human psyche, here is a lethally entertaining journey through Joe Lansdale's twisted landscape, where ancient evils lurk and sanity hangs by a rapidly fraying thread.

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I was down at the Blue Light joint that night, finishing off some ribs and listening to some blues, when in walked Alma May (THE BLEEDING SHADOW)

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(@TachyonPub, 15 October 2024, e-galley, 256 pages, ARC from the publisher via @NetGalley)

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I'm a huge fan of the author and was looking forward to reading In the Mad Mountains. I am also a huge fan of Lovecraft so this book was a 'must read' for me. The stories are cosmic horror which I don't read very often but were clearly inspired by Lovecraft. I enjoyed all of the stories in this collection but a few stand out. Dread Island crosses Lovecraft with Huckleberry Finn. I know what mad genius had that brilliant idea? I also loved The Tall Grass and Dread. I'd recommend this collection.

4/5