Ed Kurtz

This is a book I shouldn't like. The setting is a Western, which would be strike one. And, at it's heart, it's the story of a gay man, seeking revenge on the death of his lover. I'm not a homophobe by any means, but it's not what I usually read, so...strike two.

However, this is also, at its heart, a revenge story, which I always love, and it's Ed Kurtz, which is enough for me to buy into the game.

And by God, I'm glad I did. This is, quite simply, the best thing Kurtz has written (at least, show more that I've read). Yes, the relationship between the two men is central to the plot, and it's talked about at various points through the story, but the thing that sold me on this story, the reason I call it Kurtz's best, is because the author shows some restraint.

Let me explain. I've read Kurtz's first Sam Truman story, [b:Catch My Killer|16037019|Catch My Killer (The First Sam Truman Mystery)|Ed Kurtz|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1351575297s/16037019.jpg|21810639], as well as [b:Bleed|10910796|Bleed|Ed Kurtz|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1348275795s/10910796.jpg|15817206] and [b:Control|17858572|Control|Ed Kurtz|https://d202m5krfqbpi5.cloudfront.net/books/1367185565s/17858572.jpg|25000538]. I enjoyed all three, but in each case, the blood flowed and the violence was always over the top. However, with this book, it's a much quieter story, and it's all the more powerful for it.

I don't want to go into this much more, because I don't want to spoil this story for anyone, but if you want to read a story of revenge, but one handled with grace and empathy, while still delivering the goods, you want to read this book.

Well done, Ed. show less

Holy shit, this is one mean book. But, before we get to that, full disclosure time: Yes, I know Ed Kurtz, yes, he's published one of my stories (Soft Kiss, Hard Death). With that out of the way, again, I'll state that, regardless of whether I know the author or not, I always want to be honest about the story.

So, the story. This isn't my usual horror fare. I don't tend to read a lot of the gory, violent stuff. Why? Because the majority of the time, it's gore for gore's sake and violence for show more violence's sake. But in Control, Kurtz does a great job of setting up the situation that you know is going to go so, so wrong. Just like he did in Bleed, Kurtz sets up a situation that has unlimited potential to spiral out of control and he takes full advantage of that in this novel.

I've gotta say, I found this one to be quite cinematic. Several times I stopped reading, imagining a particular scene as a movie. I would love to see this optioned, because it would make a fantastic horror flick.

But down to brass tacks here. If you're looking for great characters, look elsewhere. What Kurtz will give you is real characters. Harsh characters. Loser characters. Sociopathic characters. And that's a lot of the fun of this story. His descriptions of the office workers had me wondering if he'd snuck into my workplace and stolen some real life examples. So, he gets an A here.

Story? I've already touched on this, but I have to say, I always admire a writer who comes up with a scenario, then drags it off into a totally different direction than I expected. He completed confounded me with the direction he took for this novel, so again, two thumbs up.

Pacing? Oh hell yeah. There's just enough down time here for the reader to catch his or her breath, and then Kurtz comes out swinging--and swinging viciously--again and again.

Writing style? This is the third story I've read from Ed Kurtz and two things grab me. The first is, he writes in a fully unique style. No one else writes like Kurtz, and yet Kurtz can borrow from some of the best, yet still make it his own. Second is his versatility. He seems at ease no matter what the setting, no matter what the subject matter.

So overall, if you want a mean-spirited, vicious slice of horror, Kurtz is your man and Control is your book. Too bad this version was limited to 80 copies and is, as far as I know, sold out. But if you can find it, it's worth it. show less

Book source ~ Audible

Boonsri Angchuan and Edward Splettstoesser. That’s a mouthful of names. Boon saved Edward from a lynching and he’s been traveling with her ever since. Her mission? To find her father and kill him. Well, he didn’t have anything better to do, so why not?

It’s the Old West, the Civil War is over, and Boon is riding around the country searching for the father who sold her and her mom into slavery. While following a lead, she happens upon Edward and saves his life, so show more he just tags along. The story is told from his POV.

I picked this up back in 2020. I think it was on sale and sounded interesting. Otherwise I don’t know why I grabbed it. I had no idea what I was getting into. LOL It’s an entertaining and gory book about one woman’s revenge. Boon is ruthless. For the most part. And a crack shot. She doesn’t appear to be afraid of anything and she gives zero fucks about what people think of her. Considering her past, I can see why. Edward is a drunk, but a mostly decent fellow. If the Old West was half as bad as what they come across on her search, then yikes. Honestly? It was probably much worse.

This story is raw, violent, and gory. It’s also got heart. It’s a tale worth telling and I enjoyed it. Hmmm, I’m not sure enjoyed is the correct word. Let’s just say, I lived it and survived. show less

This review originally appeared on my blog: http://www.gimmethatbook.com/sawbones-by-ed-kurtz/
Thanks to NetGalley and Crossroad Press for this review copy!

SAWBONES is quite the unusual read. The author creates a sympathetic character in Septimus Whitehall as he travels from New York City to the Dakota Territory, seeking to murder those who are on his “list” of victims. Whitehall is avenging the death of his only love by taking the lives of those who were involved in her death, either show more directly or indirectly. There is wonderful detail in the author’s descriptions of Five Points in the 1800’s, as well as the Civil War, and the unsettled West. As I read, I felt as if I were there, seeing, hearing and smelling the same things Septimus was.

Another curious and fascinating thing about SAWBONES is the author’s use of language. I consider myself to be quite familiar with the English language; yet there were many words that I needed to look up. As I read the definitions I felt as if I had struck gold. I became familiar with words such as effigial, pantophagy, and raillery. As I’ve said before, any book that makes me look up definitions is always a winner.

Septimus is at times a complete gentleman and then a murderer. He stalks his prey yet remains courteous to others. He is clearly an intelligent man with deep emotions but with a singular goal; eliminate those on his macabre list. During his journey he encounters many roadblocks, skirting his own death all the while. He is a solitary man with one purpose in life, and it is easy to cheer him on as he searches for his victims.

This is definitely a violent and gory read, but the balance of gore and period detail are perfectly blended. As I kept reading, I wondered when the book would draw to a close – it is actually quite long. However, the author kept me interested by throwing in some action just as the book bordered on dull/too much description. That being said, I totally loved SAWBONES. It’s a quirky, intelligent read that will stay with you long after you are done reading. I would love to see a sequel to see what Septimus is up to now. show less