The Rock Hole

May 1, 2011

Texan farmer Ned Parker takes his part-time role as a constable seriously, so when mutilated animals with symbolic messages attached to their bodies start showing up in his neck of the woods, he pays attention. He makes sure his friend, black deputy sheriff John Washington, knows about the crimes as well. His ten-year-old grandson, Top, has just come to live with the Parkers, and much of this tale is told from Top's viewpoint. If anyone was hoping for an Andy of Mayberry story, this isn't it, because the rural area is harboring a serial killer. And the killer has plans for Parker's family. VERDICT Wortham does a great job of creating a foreboding atmosphere from the get-go. His assured debut is multilayered and shows his love of storytelling. The juxtaposition of the old ways with the new era--the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War--provides just the kindling needed for a crackling good mystery in a Western setting.

Copyright 2011 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

April 18, 2011
Set in 1964, Wortham's engaging first novel takes readers to Center Springs, Tex., where 10-year-old Top has come to live with grandparents Becky and Ned Parker. Ned is both farmer and constable, used to dealing with illegal stills, minor thefts, drunks, and family disputes, but not with the kind of vicious cruelty behind a slew of animal tortures and killings. What might be an idyllic time for Top and his tomboy cousin, Pepper, is marred by their overhearing Ned and Deputy John Washington, who polices the town's black community, discussing whether the atrocities are being committed by whites, blacks, or Indians across the border in Oklahoma. When the killer turns to human victims, starting with Ned's cousin Joseph, the stage is set for a tense ending. Solid characters and a vivid depiction of a vanishing period make this a series to watch.