SleepbyStephenKing

  • Subscribe to our RSS feed.
  • Twitter
  • StumbleUpon
  • Reddit
  • Facebook
  • Digg

Wednesday, 17 October 2012

Killing Down the Roman Line by Tim McGregor (REVIEW)

Posted on 22:01 by Unknown
What do you do when a stranger shows up in your quaint little Canadian town to accuse your ancestors of a horrific act? What do you do when he holds you and your fellow citizens responsible for a murder that took place long before you were born? More importantly, what do you do when you begin to doubt the official history, and suspect that there may just be something to his demands for vengeance?



Such is the basic premise of Killing Down the Roman Line, a taut thriller about the prejudices, hatreds, and secrets of small town life, as told by Tim McGregor. Going into this already well versed with the tale of the Donnellys that inspire it, I was prepared to dismiss the book as a simple morality tale, and was dreading the inevitable change-of-heart that would expose the misunderstanding and redeem all involved. Much to my delight, that is most definitely not the tale that McGregor has set out to tell. This is a story of revenge, of the brutal pursuit of justice, with absolutely no mercy for those who stand in the way.



Will Corrigan is as rich, as arrogant, as self-righteous, and as pompous as they come. You can't help but sympathize with his desire for revenge, but you can certainly argue with his methods. He's a challenging character to put at the forefront of a story, but he has such a commanding presence that it works. Of course, it helps that he has absolutely not doubt as to the guilt of the townfolk, giving a false (perhaps) façade of legitimacy to his work.



As for the townspeople, they reminded me of the kind of characters you'd find in an old Stephen King short story, or perhaps in an episode of the Twilight Zone. They're odd, eccentric, and close-minded to a fault, but they're also vulnerable. As the story progresses, you almost begin to feel sorry for their predicament, but you can't get past their conspiratorial nature, nor their refusal to make any admission of guilt. These are people for whom secrets are to be kept, appearances maintained, and history (such as it is) preserved - at all costs.



Caught between the two is Jim Hawkshaw, a struggling farmer doomed as much by his own curiosity as his farm's proximity to that of the land Corrigan has come to claim as his own. Of course, the fact that he's long wanted that same land for his own casts some doubt upon his motives, but he really does end up being stuck between the proverbial rock and a hard place. As you might expect, things become personal, and in a way that's not good for anybody involved.



I really didn't expect the tale to come full-circle as it did, but I appreciated the literary irony involved. It's not a happy ending, but it's a fitting one . . . and one that lingers long after you've turned the last page. No matter whose story you believe, or whose side you chose to take, you can't help but come away from the story feeling a little dirty.
Email ThisBlogThis!Share to XShare to FacebookShare to Pinterest
Posted in book review, thriller | No comments
Newer Post Older Post Home

0 comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)

Popular Posts

  • Geddy's Moon by John Mulhall (REVIEW)
    Amnesia. It's one of the most overused tropes in entertainment history, overplayed to the point that it has become a soap opera punch li...
  • eBook Review: The Great Sphinx of Amun-Ra by Herbert Smith
    I must say, reading  The Great Sphinx of Amun-Ra was likely one of the oddest experiences I've had all year. Herbert Smith first came ...
  • Erotic Fantasy Short-Stories by Pat McCraw (REVIEW)
    When Pat McCraw asked me if I'd be interested in reviewing her  Erotic Fantasy Short-Stories collection, her first work to be translate...
  • Blake Crouch Creeps Me Out and Intrigues Me With Pines (#bookreview)
    Damn, but it's been a very long time since a book sucked me in as quickly, and as deeply, as Pines did. I originally picked this up a f...
  • Feature and Follow Friday
    Feature & Follow Friday is a blog hop that is designed to provide some much-appreciated exposure to the bloggers participating, and to ...
  • EXPLORATION: Schoellkopf Power Station (Part 1 - The Approach)
    The Schoellkopf Power Station is one of those almost mythical locations that have obsessed me since my early childhood days. Every time we d...
  • ORIGINS blogfest
    Okay, this is a really cool idea. Co-hosted by DL Hammons ( Cruising Altitude 2.0 ),  Katie Mills ( Creepy Query Girl ), Alex J. Cavanaugh...
  • Sharing a Sense of Desolation with Travis Simmons (#bookreview #giveaway)
    While it wasn't necessarily a bad book, there were so many little issues with Desolation that I really had trouble enjoying it. On the ...
  • February Follow Giveaway - WINNERS!
    A huge thanks to everybody who stopped by over the past month to take part in the February Follow Giveaway! We did successfully surpass the ...
  • Waiting On Wednesday - Necroscope: The Mobius Murders by Brian Lumley
    "Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine , that spotlights upcoming releases that we...

Categories

  • "Waiting On" Wednesday (14)
  • #TuesDecay (8)
  • A to Z Challenge (25)
  • adventure (19)
  • Angry Robot (3)
  • archaeology (10)
  • atheism (1)
  • awards (2)
  • B.R. Kingsolver (1)
  • bdsm (2)
  • Ben Bova (1)
  • Bentley Little (1)
  • bizarro (13)
  • Blake Crouch (1)
  • book review (143)
  • book review-DA (16)
  • book review-SB (2)
  • Brandon Sanderson (4)
  • Brian Lumley (2)
  • Call for submissions (2)
  • Cameron Pierce (1)
  • Carlton Mellick III (2)
  • censorship (1)
  • charity (1)
  • Charles Stross (1)
  • Clive Barker (4)
  • Clive Cussler (1)
  • comic books (3)
  • contest (2)
  • conventions (2)
  • cover reveal (5)
  • Daniel H. Wilson (2)
  • David L. Golemon (3)
  • David S. Goyer (1)
  • David Wellington (1)
  • deals and freebies (4)
  • Dean Koontz (1)
  • Doctor Who (1)
  • Douglas Preston (2)
  • Edward Lee (3)
  • epic fantasy (37)
  • Ernest Cline (1)
  • erotica (6)
  • fantasy (92)
  • fiction (3)
  • Follow Friday (40)
  • freebies (10)
  • ghost (2)
  • giveaway (33)
  • Gothic romance (1)
  • guest post (37)
  • Guy Gavriel Kay (5)
  • haunted (4)
  • historical fantasy (11)
  • horror (113)
  • humour (13)
  • Ian C. Esslemont (1)
  • In My Mailbox (4)
  • Insecure Writer's Support Group (6)
  • interview (20)
  • Jacqueline Carey (1)
  • James Enge (1)
  • James Maxey (1)
  • James Rollins (2)
  • Jeff Salyards (2)
  • John Grover (3)
  • Jonathan Strahan (2)
  • Joseph Devon (1)
  • Julie E Czerneda (1)
  • Kate Locke (1)
  • Kevin J. Anderson (1)
  • Kevin L. Donihe (1)
  • Larry Correia (1)
  • Launch Day (1)
  • Layton Gree (1)
  • Lee Battersby (3)
  • lgbt (4)
  • Lincoln Child (2)
  • Mailbox Monday (11)
  • Mark Lawrence (2)
  • Matt Forbeck (1)
  • Melanie Rawn (2)
  • Mercedes Lackey (1)
  • Michael J. Sullivan (2)
  • Michael West (5)
  • Monday Morning Musings (5)
  • mystery (8)
  • Neal Stephenson (1)
  • Nicholson Baker (1)
  • nonfiction (4)
  • origins (1)
  • paranormal romance (2)
  • Paul Kemp (1)
  • Peter V Brett (3)
  • photo exploration (8)
  • Pip Ballantine (3)
  • poetry (2)
  • post-apocalyptic (14)
  • pricing (1)
  • promo (2)
  • publishing (1)
  • Raymond E. Feist (3)
  • Richard Laymon (2)
  • Richard Matheson (1)
  • Robert J. Sawyer (1)
  • Robert Jordan (2)
  • Robin Hobb (2)
  • romance (2)
  • Rowena Cory Daniells (10)
  • Schoellkopf Power Station (2)
  • sci-fi (93)
  • Secondhand Sunday (2)
  • Sergey Dyachenko (1)
  • Seventh Star Press (6)
  • Solitaire Parke (1)
  • Stacking The Shelves (27)
  • Star Trek (1)
  • Star Wars (1)
  • steampunk (8)
  • Stephen Baxter (2)
  • Stephen King (6)
  • Steven Erikson (3)
  • Steven Shrewsbury (1)
  • Storm Moon Press (1)
  • superheroes (6)
  • suvudu (4)
  • T. Aaron Payton (1)
  • Taylor Anderson (1)
  • Tee Morris (2)
  • Terry Pratchett (2)
  • TGIF (25)
  • thriller (58)
  • Tim Lebbon (1)
  • Tom Knox (1)
  • Tom Lloyd (1)
  • Top Ten Tuesday (1)
  • tour-BBT (9)
  • tour-BTS (4)
  • tour-DMB (2)
  • tour-FRP (4)
  • tour-IOBT (4)
  • tour-JPR (1)
  • tour-Nurture (2)
  • tour-PIC (4)
  • tour-PUMP (5)
  • tour-TCM (1)
  • tour-TLC (1)
  • tour-VBT (7)
  • Tracy Hickman (1)
  • Twisted Tinsel Tales (9)
  • Tyr Kieran (1)
  • urban fantasy (32)
  • vampires (23)
  • Waiting On Wednesday (62)
  • werewolves (1)
  • What Are You Reading? (19)
  • zombies (8)

Blog Archive

  • ►  2013 (217)
    • ►  August (7)
    • ►  July (24)
    • ►  June (29)
    • ►  May (25)
    • ►  April (47)
    • ►  March (29)
    • ►  February (25)
    • ►  January (31)
  • ▼  2012 (283)
    • ►  December (35)
    • ►  November (28)
    • ▼  October (22)
      • ARIA: Left Luggage by Geoff Nelder (REVIEW)
      • Kameron Hurley Ebook Giveaway (courtesy of Night S...
      • Waiting On Wednesday - American Elsewhere by Rober...
      • Iceberg by Clive Cussler (REVIEW)
      • Feature & Follow Friday
      • The Vampire Hunters by Scott M. Baker (REVIEW)
      • Sasha Plotkin's Deceit by Vaughn Sherman (REVIEW &...
      • Waiting On Wednesday - Two Graves by Preston and C...
      • Feature & Follow Friday
      • Killing Down the Roman Line by Tim McGregor (REVIEW)
      • Waiting On Wednesday - Earth Thirst by Mark Teppo
      • Shudder by Harry F. Kane (REVIEW)
      • Interested in collaborating with Clive Barker? Hel...
      • Little Green God of Agony - Free Online Stephen Ki...
      • Feature & Follow Friday
      • Kingdom by Anderson O'Donnell (REVIEW)
      • Waiting On Wednesday: Tears in Rain by Rosa Montero
      • Bone Wires by Michael Shean (REVIEW)
      • The Emperor's Soul by Brandon Sanderson (REVIEW)
      • The Donors by Jeffrey Wilson (REVIEW)
      • The Alpha Wolf Bent Me Over by Donald Armfield (RE...
      • Wicked and Wild Halloween Scavenger Hunt
    • ►  September (24)
    • ►  August (28)
    • ►  July (21)
    • ►  June (23)
    • ►  May (24)
    • ►  April (23)
    • ►  March (20)
    • ►  February (26)
    • ►  January (9)
Powered by Blogger.

About Me

Unknown
View my complete profile