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The Drought
Welcome to Junction, Texas Population: 626 and steadily declining Odd things have been happening around town. Hugh McManus went out to one of his grazing pastures and shot the better part of a fine herd before shooting himself. Luke Casteel crawled into a drainage pipe and never came back. A herd of wild javelina attacked and killed Rod Sawyer. And the thing is, the dying isn't nearly done. Jared Riley knows there's something sinister about the heat. It's got people acting crazy and it's got him hearing things. A voice keeps whispering, "It's gonna get mighty hot. Yes sir we like our meatloaf and taters well done, served up pipin' hot." Convinced the heat is tracking them, picking them off one by one, he sets off to find help. Trouble is, the people who have the answers are more dangerous than the heat. Driven by strong characters and a twisting plot, THE DROUGHT delves into the supernatural world where ghosts roam the landscape and a voodoo curse floats on the wind.
400 pages, Paperback
First published December 18, 2011
2 people are currently reading
486 people want to read
About the author
Patricia Fulton
2 books10 followersPatricia Fulton is a west coast girl with an uncomfortable Midwest sensibility. Surviving southern Los Angeles as a child gave her a tenacity and unique perspective on “normal human behavior” sparking her lifelong fascination with gruesome details and serial killers. After waitressing in a Greek restaurant in Chicago to put herself through University, she emerged with a Bachelor Degree in Communication Design, found a tall dark stranger and moved to Texas where the harrowing temperatures inspired her first novel, The DROUGHT. She also holds a Masters Degree in Professional Writing from Kennesaw State University.
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Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews
October 19, 2014
Like Stephen King, Patricia Fulton creates not merely a story, she creates a world in her book. King uses Maine as the blueprint to his stories, while Fulton uses the rain-starved South. She bounces from townfolks to townsfolk to capture the full impact of the horror that this drought and the mysterious happenings that have plagued these two towns.
Yes, two towns. I typically skip reading Chapter titles and subtext, so it wasn’t until seven or eight chapters in that I realized that half the characters are located on Junction, Texas and half in Reserve, Louisiana. The story made much more sense when I figured that out. My bad.
This is an author who knows how to gain from head-hopping. For example, one of the major characters is Jared, a young boy whose father has been missing since he was little and a mother who is losing her marbles. Jared rides his bike down the street carrying a week’s worth of laundry. He sees the temperature sign on the bank tease him by dropping a degree and then immediately went back up to 109. So he flicks off the sign. At that moment, the focus switches to Frank. He’s inside the bank watching Jared flick off the sign and start yelling and he starts laughing at the kid’s rediculous behavior. He reminds himself to tell his wife, Marcy, about this when he gets home. The focus switches again to Marcy, who is running naked through the streets, the latest example of an odd behavior performed by a local, and then Marcy gets hit by an automobile, the driver a woman only in town to research the drought.
Before the scene comes to a close, the author brings us back to Frank who thinks that it would of be a hysterically funny sight to see his wife and her floppy breasts running down Main Street. And then it hits him that she’s now dead, and he starts sobbing. This kind of head-hopping made me feel like I was part of the town, rather than attached to only one or two characters. And when the town unravels completely, it felt like my hometown that was being destroyed.
And it’s probably for the best that we’re not dependent on only one or two characters to weave this story, because there are multiple deaths and disappearances. No character is safe and that’s how I like my horror novels.
There’s magic and Voodoo, but its set as realistic as possible. We find out that the drought is caused by a curse last unleashed fifty years ago and only ended after the deaths of several children. Gypsies were blamed and punished. This time around a new scapegoat is chosen, and it is a very unlikely choice.
I have few complaints about this book. I nearly gave it full stars. One problem was that in two chapters near the end the quotations aren’t properly used during Narried’s monologues. There are open quotations and no end quotations, leaving me a little confused to how much of certain sections were narration or dialogue. It’s a minor issue that I’m sure will be fixed in later editions. Most of the novel is polished grammatically speaking, so do NOT pass on the novel just for that.
The other issue I had is the ending. Granted, I’m typically disappointed in endings in horror novels. And horror movies for that matter. The ending felt “cheesy” to me. Looking back, it makes sense how it ended. All elements of the novel led up to that particular ending. I just wish that it was…well, I can’t figure out how to explain without spoilers, so I’ll end it there.
Overall, this is a great horror novel. The atmosphere and setup is amazingly crafted. Like I said, this nearly hit 5 stars. Patricia Fulton is definitely a horror novelist to watch. I’ll definitely check out her next book.
Yes, two towns. I typically skip reading Chapter titles and subtext, so it wasn’t until seven or eight chapters in that I realized that half the characters are located on Junction, Texas and half in Reserve, Louisiana. The story made much more sense when I figured that out. My bad.
This is an author who knows how to gain from head-hopping. For example, one of the major characters is Jared, a young boy whose father has been missing since he was little and a mother who is losing her marbles. Jared rides his bike down the street carrying a week’s worth of laundry. He sees the temperature sign on the bank tease him by dropping a degree and then immediately went back up to 109. So he flicks off the sign. At that moment, the focus switches to Frank. He’s inside the bank watching Jared flick off the sign and start yelling and he starts laughing at the kid’s rediculous behavior. He reminds himself to tell his wife, Marcy, about this when he gets home. The focus switches again to Marcy, who is running naked through the streets, the latest example of an odd behavior performed by a local, and then Marcy gets hit by an automobile, the driver a woman only in town to research the drought.
Before the scene comes to a close, the author brings us back to Frank who thinks that it would of be a hysterically funny sight to see his wife and her floppy breasts running down Main Street. And then it hits him that she’s now dead, and he starts sobbing. This kind of head-hopping made me feel like I was part of the town, rather than attached to only one or two characters. And when the town unravels completely, it felt like my hometown that was being destroyed.
And it’s probably for the best that we’re not dependent on only one or two characters to weave this story, because there are multiple deaths and disappearances. No character is safe and that’s how I like my horror novels.
There’s magic and Voodoo, but its set as realistic as possible. We find out that the drought is caused by a curse last unleashed fifty years ago and only ended after the deaths of several children. Gypsies were blamed and punished. This time around a new scapegoat is chosen, and it is a very unlikely choice.
I have few complaints about this book. I nearly gave it full stars. One problem was that in two chapters near the end the quotations aren’t properly used during Narried’s monologues. There are open quotations and no end quotations, leaving me a little confused to how much of certain sections were narration or dialogue. It’s a minor issue that I’m sure will be fixed in later editions. Most of the novel is polished grammatically speaking, so do NOT pass on the novel just for that.
The other issue I had is the ending. Granted, I’m typically disappointed in endings in horror novels. And horror movies for that matter. The ending felt “cheesy” to me. Looking back, it makes sense how it ended. All elements of the novel led up to that particular ending. I just wish that it was…well, I can’t figure out how to explain without spoilers, so I’ll end it there.
Overall, this is a great horror novel. The atmosphere and setup is amazingly crafted. Like I said, this nearly hit 5 stars. Patricia Fulton is definitely a horror novelist to watch. I’ll definitely check out her next book.
July 7, 2012
I won a copy on Goodreads Firstreads.
It all starts with the heatwave and massive drought.As the temperature climbs, bizarre events start to occur in the towns of Junction,Texas and Reserve,Louisana.Animals go missing,people start acting crazy and people start to go missing and dying.People from both towns try to uncover what is really happening only to drawn deeper into the mystery that links the two towns.
Horror has a couple of hurdles to overcome.First, the author has to contibue growing suspense without overloading the reader with horrific events.The second problem is that the characters have to be as interesting as the villian.The final problem is that the ending needs to be satisfying.It shouldn't be too easy or impossible for the heroes to win. Patricia Fulton manages to overcome all of these problems with ease.She manages to have the suspense build from the very beginning until the final confrontation.While there are some gory events along the way, you never feel like she is just throwing buckets of blood at you.Think more like a Hitchcock movie instead of A hightmare on Elm Street movie.Her characters are strong while remaining human.That even includes Agador.Her ending is very satisfying.
I would say Patricia Fulton hit a home run with her first novel.She will be one to watch.This is one of the best horror novels I have read recently.
It all starts with the heatwave and massive drought.As the temperature climbs, bizarre events start to occur in the towns of Junction,Texas and Reserve,Louisana.Animals go missing,people start acting crazy and people start to go missing and dying.People from both towns try to uncover what is really happening only to drawn deeper into the mystery that links the two towns.
Horror has a couple of hurdles to overcome.First, the author has to contibue growing suspense without overloading the reader with horrific events.The second problem is that the characters have to be as interesting as the villian.The final problem is that the ending needs to be satisfying.It shouldn't be too easy or impossible for the heroes to win. Patricia Fulton manages to overcome all of these problems with ease.She manages to have the suspense build from the very beginning until the final confrontation.While there are some gory events along the way, you never feel like she is just throwing buckets of blood at you.Think more like a Hitchcock movie instead of A hightmare on Elm Street movie.Her characters are strong while remaining human.That even includes Agador.Her ending is very satisfying.
I would say Patricia Fulton hit a home run with her first novel.She will be one to watch.This is one of the best horror novels I have read recently.
April 15, 2021
Why ? WHY did I read this? :-/ It was SO lame... My advice: stay clear of that one!
September 17, 2012
An engrossing, thrilling and immensely satisfying debut novel that strongly reminded me of the best of Stephen King. If you get this book, and I highly recommend you do, expect to be pulled deeply into the deep and twisting story about good and evil from the first paragraph.
The temperatures are hot and getting hotter, and there's no sign of rain in Junction, Texas. Many of the old-timers have experienced conditions like this before, and they know what's coming. A rancher kills his best livestock before turning the gun on himself, just the first of a series of disturbing events in the small town.
Meanwhile on the other end of the drought, the heat is also rising as a small-town sheriff in Louisiana makes a gruesome and surprising discovery. The drought has been here before, too, and some people are worried about what the return of the hot, dry weather may mean.
These two threads, and many more, are woven together in The Drought by Patricia Fulton (@pfulton2), a finalist in The Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Books of 2012 contest and most deservedly so.
Scanning the list of semi-finalists for the contest (my book was one as well), the premise of The Drought caught my eye; I couldn't wait to see how the author would deliver on the cover tagline: "Killer heat is only the beginning." The short answer is: Ms. Fulton delivered a great read that surprised and thrilled me in equal measure.
Ms. Fulton lived through a drought in Texas, and that experience informs her wonderfully gritty description of what happens to the landscape and people during extended and relentless sun and heat. The characters are varied and believable — not an easy feat considering the wide range of ages and backgrounds in her cast — the plot moves relentlessly forward and there are more than a few truly creepy moments.
No spoilers, but the author spends about the first half of The Drought setting the stage, laying out the pieces of the puzzle as it were, and then the pay off starts as the various plotlines begin to come together and the story behind the story comes into focus. The ending is, well, pretty neat.
I don't know about you, but I really enjoy stories like that.
I haven't read much of Stephen King's recent work — The Dark Tower series was the latest for me — but I greatly enjoyed earlier novels like Salem's Lot, The Shining and especially The Stand. One chapter into The Drought and I was checking Ms. Fulton's bio on Goodreads to see, sure enough, she considered King an influence. It shows, because reading her debut novel was for me like taking a trip back in time to when I devoured The Stand, reading late into the night because I had to find out what would happen next in that great good vs. evil epic.
I'm not a big fan of comparison ("If you like this, you'll like that"), but for Indie authors I absolutely understand how making a connection helps potential readers make the decision to try an unknown name. If you enjoy Stephen King or Dean Koontz, I'm confident you will love Patricia Fulton's The Drought.
But don't think for a moment you'll be getting a less-expensive imitation like a Times Square "Rolex." The Drought stands on its own merits as a great read with thrills and chills — yep, even in all that burning heat, you'll shiver.
The temperatures are hot and getting hotter, and there's no sign of rain in Junction, Texas. Many of the old-timers have experienced conditions like this before, and they know what's coming. A rancher kills his best livestock before turning the gun on himself, just the first of a series of disturbing events in the small town.
Meanwhile on the other end of the drought, the heat is also rising as a small-town sheriff in Louisiana makes a gruesome and surprising discovery. The drought has been here before, too, and some people are worried about what the return of the hot, dry weather may mean.
These two threads, and many more, are woven together in The Drought by Patricia Fulton (@pfulton2), a finalist in The Kindle Book Review's Best Indie Books of 2012 contest and most deservedly so.
Scanning the list of semi-finalists for the contest (my book was one as well), the premise of The Drought caught my eye; I couldn't wait to see how the author would deliver on the cover tagline: "Killer heat is only the beginning." The short answer is: Ms. Fulton delivered a great read that surprised and thrilled me in equal measure.
Ms. Fulton lived through a drought in Texas, and that experience informs her wonderfully gritty description of what happens to the landscape and people during extended and relentless sun and heat. The characters are varied and believable — not an easy feat considering the wide range of ages and backgrounds in her cast — the plot moves relentlessly forward and there are more than a few truly creepy moments.
No spoilers, but the author spends about the first half of The Drought setting the stage, laying out the pieces of the puzzle as it were, and then the pay off starts as the various plotlines begin to come together and the story behind the story comes into focus. The ending is, well, pretty neat.
I don't know about you, but I really enjoy stories like that.
I haven't read much of Stephen King's recent work — The Dark Tower series was the latest for me — but I greatly enjoyed earlier novels like Salem's Lot, The Shining and especially The Stand. One chapter into The Drought and I was checking Ms. Fulton's bio on Goodreads to see, sure enough, she considered King an influence. It shows, because reading her debut novel was for me like taking a trip back in time to when I devoured The Stand, reading late into the night because I had to find out what would happen next in that great good vs. evil epic.
I'm not a big fan of comparison ("If you like this, you'll like that"), but for Indie authors I absolutely understand how making a connection helps potential readers make the decision to try an unknown name. If you enjoy Stephen King or Dean Koontz, I'm confident you will love Patricia Fulton's The Drought.
But don't think for a moment you'll be getting a less-expensive imitation like a Times Square "Rolex." The Drought stands on its own merits as a great read with thrills and chills — yep, even in all that burning heat, you'll shiver.
March 6, 2017
In 'The Drought', it is literally hot as hell in two unlucky towns - Junction, Texas and Reserve, Louisiana. Every second is pure torture for the poor residents who simply can't cool down no matter what they do. Soon some of them begin losing their minds while others turn into killers. Young Jared can't explain it but he knows that the heat is stirring up a whole lot of trouble. Can he get to the bottom of this mess before he winds up dead too?
Initially, the set up of this story was brilliant. The hot spell was described so intricately and effectively that I could almost feel myself sweating as I read. It was easy to feel sorry for the characters - from the kids to the adults. The sinister voices urging them to hurt others were creepy and mysterious. They brought up numerous questions such as whose voices were those? What was their purpose? Were the voices real or were the characters imagining them due to the oppressive heat? At this point it was suspenseful and exciting.
However, somewhere along the way I lost interest mainly because there were constant switches between myriad characters. It didn't help that none of them were particularly likeable. Some parts were confusing as the author would suddenly delve into a character's past without writing it in such a way that clearly indicated it was something that had already happened. Most of the time the switch would happen just when things were getting really interesting. That was simply too annoying for words.
The supernatural aspect was certainly well-thought-out complete with an aptly disturbing background story but the last third of the book was too drawn out for my liking. The level of gore was ramped up without serving any purpose except perhaps to disgust the reader. Prior to that, violent and bloody moments were written without going into too much detail. In contrast, the last third was chock-full of too much of everything - blood, guts and action to the point where none of those packed any punch.
Overall, 'The Drought' started off well only to take a quick nosedive mostly caused by having too many characters who were terribly one-dimensional and lacking focus.
Initially, the set up of this story was brilliant. The hot spell was described so intricately and effectively that I could almost feel myself sweating as I read. It was easy to feel sorry for the characters - from the kids to the adults. The sinister voices urging them to hurt others were creepy and mysterious. They brought up numerous questions such as whose voices were those? What was their purpose? Were the voices real or were the characters imagining them due to the oppressive heat? At this point it was suspenseful and exciting.
However, somewhere along the way I lost interest mainly because there were constant switches between myriad characters. It didn't help that none of them were particularly likeable. Some parts were confusing as the author would suddenly delve into a character's past without writing it in such a way that clearly indicated it was something that had already happened. Most of the time the switch would happen just when things were getting really interesting. That was simply too annoying for words.
The supernatural aspect was certainly well-thought-out complete with an aptly disturbing background story but the last third of the book was too drawn out for my liking. The level of gore was ramped up without serving any purpose except perhaps to disgust the reader. Prior to that, violent and bloody moments were written without going into too much detail. In contrast, the last third was chock-full of too much of everything - blood, guts and action to the point where none of those packed any punch.
Overall, 'The Drought' started off well only to take a quick nosedive mostly caused by having too many characters who were terribly one-dimensional and lacking focus.
June 29, 2012
This is a book that is written to keep you turning the pages. You keep wondering what can happen to Jar, next, but he always manages to come out on top. When he goes from Junction, TX to Reserve, LA. It looks like that is the end of the road, especially with all the VooDoo that is going on out in the swamp.
June 22, 2012
I won this book through goodreads, firstreads. I read this book very quickly. Almost every chapter left you with a cliffhanger as the author went back and forth to the different characters, finally bringing it all together in the end. I would highly recommend this book!
July 30, 2012
This is sitting on my TBR shelf and I think it might be perfect for the July 4th week!
Finished -- Once I started I couldn't put it down and then I couldn't sleep.
Finished -- Once I started I couldn't put it down and then I couldn't sleep.
November 12, 2014
Jared Riley knows something is wrong in his hometown of Junction, Texas. His mother's headaches are getting worse, one of his good friends disappeared down a drainpipe, and the temperature seems to have taken on a mind of its own, bent on destroying the town and everyone in it. People are losing their minds, and strange things are happening. It's up to a small group of concerned citizens to figure out what's happening and try to stop it before it's too late.
I liked this book a lot. The characters all felt reasonably realistic, and I was interested in their stories and anxious to find out what would happen to them (though in some cases the answer would be "nothing good.") The plot moved along, though I felt there was a little drag in the middle while the characters were trying to put all the pieces together. I really wanted them to hurry up and combine forces.
On the whole, this was a good read that utilized atmosphere, description, and suspense really effectively, while letting the personalities of the characters shine through and do the heavy lifting of the story. I'll definitely check out any further works from this author!
I liked this book a lot. The characters all felt reasonably realistic, and I was interested in their stories and anxious to find out what would happen to them (though in some cases the answer would be "nothing good.") The plot moved along, though I felt there was a little drag in the middle while the characters were trying to put all the pieces together. I really wanted them to hurry up and combine forces.
On the whole, this was a good read that utilized atmosphere, description, and suspense really effectively, while letting the personalities of the characters shine through and do the heavy lifting of the story. I'll definitely check out any further works from this author!
March 18, 2013
In the ghost story The Draught by Patricia Faulton, an oppressive heat builds up around the town of Junction, Texas. The draught stretches on and on, and slowly, people start to go crazy. A farmer kills all his cattle and then himself. And finally, a boy crawls into a drainage shaft and is not found anymore. The heat seems intent on leaving only after everyone in the down is dead.
I’m usually not a big fan of ghost stories, but this one is really, really well written. The supernatural in the book only slowly appears, allowing for plenty of naturalistic explanations for the events for most of the book. Something I really like in such books. And the author also has no compunction of killing off major characters when it fits the story.
An excellent book, one I can only recommend to everyone.
I’m usually not a big fan of ghost stories, but this one is really, really well written. The supernatural in the book only slowly appears, allowing for plenty of naturalistic explanations for the events for most of the book. Something I really like in such books. And the author also has no compunction of killing off major characters when it fits the story.
An excellent book, one I can only recommend to everyone.
August 3, 2012
this book is a page turner! it keeps you on your toes, forever wanting to read, "just one more page", into the wee hours of the night! (although you may want to read this book in the daylight hours!)
it has a great story line that is suspenseful, scary and riveting.
the book has a great cast of characters that the reader cares about and wants to follow. the author describes the characters beautifully and realistically, and some are definitely more likeable than others! i felt i really knew the characters.
I'll NEVER think about a drought in the same way again!
it has a great story line that is suspenseful, scary and riveting.
the book has a great cast of characters that the reader cares about and wants to follow. the author describes the characters beautifully and realistically, and some are definitely more likeable than others! i felt i really knew the characters.
I'll NEVER think about a drought in the same way again!
December 4, 2012
Really amazing writing that keeps you wanting more and more. When I thought the book was reaching a climax, I realized I was only halfway through. The author just kept building and building the action, dropping secrets and upping the stakes each and every chapter.
The descriptions are very vivid, so much that you can almost feel the heat and taste the sand. I thought most of the characters were well-written, too.
If you are looking for an intense, gripping, exciting book that will surprise you and occasionally freak you out, this is the book for you.
The descriptions are very vivid, so much that you can almost feel the heat and taste the sand. I thought most of the characters were well-written, too.
If you are looking for an intense, gripping, exciting book that will surprise you and occasionally freak you out, this is the book for you.
September 29, 2012
Is it a gypsy curse? Is it Voodoo? The road to finding out what is going on is very entertaining. The two juxaposed small towns, and their residents are exquisitely drawn; the reader knows who even the most minor characters are. I especially liked how there were multiple story threads slowly being drawn together to converge at the end. I felt very sad when the book ended; I could have kept on reading more.
May 30, 2016
This book wasn't quite what I was expecting but it was still a pretty cool read. The last 4o or so pages were quite an adventure really. I really enjoyed how the two towns became so tied into each other and how the baseball--as seemingly small thing--was so crucial. There were a lot of very interesting and unique characters in this novel. Overall I enjoyed the book.
March 30, 2016
wasn't sure what to think when I first opened the book and began reading. but the characters Patricia Fulton created in telling her story are captivating and interesting. Beginning with the troubles that Barry had with his father through to the introduction of Voodoo the story was compelling.
February 5, 2013
Clearly inspired by Stephen King, specially "It", including an echo of that part everyone hates/loves.
In fact, if Stephen King was dead, I would suspect this was written during a séance. Not bad though!
In fact, if Stephen King was dead, I would suspect this was written during a séance. Not bad though!
April 4, 2013
A very interesting story with a bit of voodoo, black magic, and a lot of heat. Great character development for the main characters. The ending was a bit strange, but it closed out the full story line and sometimes you can't ask for more :)
October 29, 2015
Engrossing. I couldn't put it away! Nice change with a different concept for a story. Looking forward to more from this author!
August 20, 2012
This is a good book with an interesting story line. I love the tie between the two towns and ancient dark arts. However, my one hang-up was the typos scattered throughout.
July 25, 2012
It was OK. Voodoo parts were scary enough.
August 23, 2012
Steven King-ish, creepy and good character development.
October 26, 2012
I'm wavering between 2 & .3 stars on this one. It was a good story up until the end when it came down to a friggin' baseball game.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 16, 2013
Sadly wanting an editor. I just got hung up on a living person having a "crumbled body." I may not be able to go back and finish this one.
April 12, 2013
Very much like early Stephen King though I was not a big fan of the ending.
March 4, 2014
Good thriller, Voodoo theme
Displaying 1 - 25 of 25 reviews