Staff Picks: Mary Recommends…

Mary is a Circulation Assistant and often works at the Check Out Desk. She checks items in and out, issues library cards, and helps with account issues.

Mary recommends The Thicket by Joe Lansdale. It is available as a print book, an e-book or a downloadable audiobook.

Summary

After Jack's parents die of smallpox, his grandfather is determined to deliver Jack and his 14-year-old sister, Lula, to an aunt who lives across the Sabine River. While waiting for a ferry, they're attacked by a band of men who kill the grandfather and kidnap Lula. He sets out after them, and on the road, he encounters a bounty hunter and the grave-digging son of an ex-slave, who both agree to help him rescue his sister for a price.

She recommends it because...

The Thicket is a very grisly suspense novel set in turn-of-the-century Texas. It was made into a movie starring Peter Dinklage.

Who might enjoy it?

Fans of Cormac McCarthy or Jesmyn Ward may enjoy Lansdale's tension-filled narrative and its touches of humor. The novel features strong characters, high stakes and a distinct sense of its setting.