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3.5 

Hell at the Breech

By Tom Franklin
Hell at the Breech by Tom Franklin digital book - Fable

Publisher Description

In 1897, an aspiring politician is mysteriously murdered in the rural area of Alabama known as Mitcham Beat. His outraged friends -- —mostly poor cotton farmers -- form a secret society, Hell-at-the-Breech, to punish the townspeople they believe responsible. The hooded members wage a bloody year-long campaign of terror that culminates in a massacre where the innocent suffer alongside the guilty. Caught in the maelstrom of the Mitcham war are four people: the aging sheriff sympathetic to both sides; the widowed midwife who delivered nearly every member of Hell-at-the-Breech; a ruthless detective who wages his own war against the gang; and a young store clerk who harbors a terrible secret.

Based on incidents that occurred a few miles from the author's childhood home, Hell at the Breech chronicles the events of dark days that led the people involved to discover their capacity for good, evil, or for both.

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Hell at the Breech Reviews

3.5
“"Judge, the reason you hired me is to keep clear of the muck. Mitcham Beat’s got as much muck as any place I ever set foot in." Mitcham Beat, comprising mostly of poor cotton farmers, is arguably one of the roughest rural hamlets in Alabama even by 1898 standards. A secret group of Whitecaps named “Hell at the Breech” keep their own version of law and justice by burning houses, threatening people, poisoning wells, destroying fences, and lynching. Inspired by true events, I often wondered what really happened and what Tom Franklin created. Did the character of Ardy Grant really exist? I thought Ardy was much more evil than Toosh. And what about the old midwife? I liked her best. In the author’s note at the beginning Franklin explains that he took great liberty with the characters and events so I would assume it is all fiction except for the general concept of the story. Oh, and I Googled these historical events and found that there is a movie in the works for 2015 titled “Mitcham Beat”. Interesting to see if they can pull off the ultra violence. Can anyone explain to me the peddler with the loose bowels and the corn cobs? Did he really use them as a cork device or did he just clean himself? I hate to imagine... The ending completely took me by surprise. I was not expecting the plot twists at all. Don’t want to go further without spoiler tags. Rating: 4 Stars (“Really Liked It”). Another fine monthly selection from On the Southern Literary Trail group – March 2014.”

About Tom Franklin

Tom Franklin is the New York Times bestselling author of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter, which won the Los Angeles Times Book Prize and the Crime Writers' Association's Gold Dagger Award. His previous works include Poachers, Hell at the Breech, and Smonk. He teaches in the University of Mississippi's MFA program.

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