Picked up in a cute, interesting used bookstore called Hole in the Wall Books in Falls Church, VA. If you're ever passing through, stop in and check it out! They also have tons of used and new comics!

Hammers on Bone by Cassandra Khaw

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


I've never read any Lovecraft stories, so I cannot compare Hammers on Bone to the Lovecraftian style. But I did enjoy the story. Even PI Persons's not-so-modern way of speaking/thinking, reminiscent of old gumshoe detectives.

Some of the things that stuck out for me that I loved!:
-The cover is beautiful! Well done Jeffrey Alan Love and Christine Foltzer! You never hear too much said about book covers in the reviews. I know the authors sometimes have little to no input on the covers, but I still think they are a big component of the novel/story.
-The dedication! I know that's not something you hear very often. Dedications are usually heartfelt and formulaic. But this one was a bit different and I want to share it with anyone who happens to be reading this review:

To all the monsters hiding in this world,
I hope the children will skin you alive.

To the children in the world,
let no one say you can't make your monsters bleed.

Very powerful!

And I have one other quote to leave you with. It is not powerful or anything like that; it's more in the lines of that's how I saw it, whether in a movie or in real life and it was nice to see it articulated in the same fashion:

The stepdad's the first to take roost in the living room, slouching into a leather recliner, beer can held like a scepter.

I don't know why, I guess the similarities in the imagery of how I saw it too, but I found it funny (in a macabre kind of way). And then they all sit down as a 'family' to watch Downton Abbey! Hahaha! Love it!

I'm putting this into the Round III Otherworldly Bookbox.

Enjoy!

This book rode to the end of the Otherworldly Book box.

I thoroughly enjoyed this quirk short read! I'm a sucker for a creative genre mash-up, and this one fits that category well. It's a Lovecraft-inspired, noir-esqe, modern-day tale with a heaping spoonful of social commentary. The plotting is tight, the descriptions are witty and entertaining, and most of the characters are pretty engaging. I didn't find the kids to be very convincing children, but there are plot reasons for that. I did find myself wishing that we had more background on some of the characters, and slightly sturdier motivations, but the story certainly books along fine without them.

Added to the Little Free Library