One reader has compared this novel to No Country
For Old Men because of a murderous central character, John Cload, who
brings to mind yet another dark work of fiction The Silence of the
Lambs. Cload is more than a little like Hannibal Lecter, as he
befriends a deputy sheriff who keeps him company from outside his jail cell
through long, sleepless nights and escorts him to and from the county
courthouse where he is under trial.
The deputy, Valentine Millimaki, has been encouraged by the
sheriff to learn what he can about Cload that might help in the trial. But
besides a single killing, for which there was a witness, the deputy remains
unaware that Cload has bodies buried all over the rough Montana country along
the northern shores of the upper Missouri River.
Not more than marginally interested in Cload anyway,
Millimaki has troubles of his own. Cload correctly senses that they are woman
troubles. As a schoolboy, Millimaki once discovered the body of his mother, who
had hanged herself in a barn on the family farm. Now, his young wife has left
him, weary and depressed by life in a backwater Montana town.
![]() |
Missouri River, below Great Falls, Montana |
His characters are strongly drawn and come alive in
realistic dialogue. Most absorbing for the reader is the strange and fragile
bond that develops between the two men. One has the calm clarity of a man who
knows he is about to be convicted of murder. The other surrenders to a
pervasive gloom as he is overtaken by loneliness, and his life slowly derails. Each
needs the other, but for very different reasons, which do not become evident
until the final chapters.
The Ploughmen is currently
available in paper and ebook formats at amazon and Barnes&Noble.
Image credits:
Ron Scheer
Coming up: TBD
Sounds like a "downer" to me, but the writing may make it worthwhile.
ReplyDeleteI had written a short story with that title. Damn!
ReplyDeleteThe title comes from the fact that both central characters grew up on farms. One of them imagines himself plowing a field to lull himself to sleep when he is troubled by insomnia.
DeleteMegan's agent/bf handed this book and recommended it highly to me. But not a library in Michigan seems to have it. I may have to buy it.
ReplyDeleteI bought it after I learned of it from Jenny Shank on twitter. Many years ago, I read an essay by Zupan about riding in a ranch rodeo, and have been waiting for something from him ever since.
DeleteI probably would have skipped right by this book without your comments about Lambs and No country. Now I'm curious.
ReplyDeleteWith your interest in horror, I think you would like it.
DeleteRon, although this is not exactly my kind of book, I'm tempted to read it out of curiosity not to mention the "lucid and sharply polished prose."
ReplyDeleteThough the subject matter is a little dark, his style gives it a kind of elegance.
DeleteWent to the book release for this here in Missoula and enjoyed it. Kim is a good guy. I haven't read the book yet, but it is near the top of the pile.
ReplyDeleteI understand that he teaches carpentry.
Delete
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