Bloody Bones
In 1924, a man calling himself a preacher leads a young girl into the pine woods, claiming her mama is hurt. When out of sight, the man slams a branch onto the side of the girl’s mouth before he rips off her panties, then puts his hands on her throat.
In 1956, eight-year-old Lamar Lavonne and his dog Hobo are attacked and killed by Mauser, Billy Bob Wilcox’s Doberman. Billy Bob’s father, sheriff Luther Wilcox, covers up the attack, dumping Lamar’s body in quicksand. But his is not the only body in the dirt. The Dark Man is submerged in the sand, held down by a plowshare, but quick to take advantage of the corpse, inhabiting Lamar’s body, rising from the sand, and terrorizing the townsfolk—again.
Bloody Bones is a historical horror novel, the latest from author Boatman. Like many horror stories, action drives the narrative as victim after victim face the living dead Dark Man. But the narrative moves from incident to incident with little context, making it hard to understand how the overall plotline arcs, and robbing readers of the tension that comes with anticipating the next move.
Characters are introduced quickly and not fully fleshed out, so it’s difficult to get to know and connect with them, and when no clear protagonist emerges, lines between the characters blur.
