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Blackburn
Jimmy Blackburn grows up in the Midwest believing the things that adults tell him. He questions his teachers and they lie to him. He questions his parents and his father beats him. He questions the world and it hurts him.
And so Jimmy Blackburn becomes a killer.
In this novel we meet many of Blackburn's twenty-one victims. They include law enforcers, writers, adulterers, auto mechanics, and other liars.
This is an exceptional novel, at once riotously funny and searingly a vision of America through the eyes of the central bogeyman of our culture.
And so Jimmy Blackburn becomes a killer.
In this novel we meet many of Blackburn's twenty-one victims. They include law enforcers, writers, adulterers, auto mechanics, and other liars.
This is an exceptional novel, at once riotously funny and searingly a vision of America through the eyes of the central bogeyman of our culture.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
19 people are currently reading
1869 people want to read
About the author
Bradley Denton
63 books64 followersBradley Clayton Denton (born 1958) is an American science fiction author. He has also written other types of fiction, such as the black comedy of his novel Blackburn, about a sympathetic serial killer.
He was born in Towanda, Kansas, and attended the University of Kansas at Lawrence and graduated with degrees in astronomy (B.A.) and English (M.A.). His first published work was the short story "The Music of the Spheres," published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in March 1984. His collection The Calvin Coolidge Home for Dead Comedians and A Conflagration Artist won the 1995 World Fantasy Award for Best Collection.
He was born in Towanda, Kansas, and attended the University of Kansas at Lawrence and graduated with degrees in astronomy (B.A.) and English (M.A.). His first published work was the short story "The Music of the Spheres," published in The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction in March 1984. His collection The Calvin Coolidge Home for Dead Comedians and A Conflagration Artist won the 1995 World Fantasy Award for Best Collection.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
June 25, 2010
3.0 to 3.5 stars. An at times funny and at times shocking novel about a serial killer who only kills those that "deserve it" at least in his mind. No women and no children. An excellent character study of a serial killer with a "code" that is not based on any of the social mores that most people have. Through Bradley Denton's excellent writing, he makes us care about a character that kills people. Not an easy thing to do. Recomended.
Nominee: Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel (1994)
Nominee: Locus Award for Best Horror/Dark Fantasy Novel (1994)
Nominee: Bram Stoker Award for Best Novel (1994)
Nominee: Locus Award for Best Horror/Dark Fantasy Novel (1994)
May 6, 2012
A wild vivid ride through the psychology and accounts from one man's abused upbringing into a world where his actions and experiences are grafted together to form a cause that leaves male victims "justifiably" executed. As opposed to loathing or fearing him, you immediately love and root for him...Jimmy Blackburn IS the ultimate vigilante...the "cleaner." "People can't punish themselves for their sins. Only the people they've sinned against can do that." That is where he steps in. You can almost imagine this as a graphic novel as you are reading it. Denton's poignant and shocking scenes are riveting...right up until the peaceful and beautiful ending.
June 18, 2007
An excellent character study; a funny, sympathetic portrait of a serial killer, as well as a semi-pastoral observation of American life and values.
May 22, 2015
Blackburn is my favorite, and the best, novel written from the perspective of a serial killer. One could argue that, since those are few and far between, there isn't enough basis for comparison to crown a "winner". However, the qualities of Blackburn that place it miles ahead of anything that might compare are distinctive and many in number.
Bradley Denton uses his sincere third-person narrator and straightforward, down-to-earth writing style to fully draw the reader into the mind of James Blackburn.
Unlike in a typical horror novel, where the narrator might take a sarcastic tone or a sensationalist one to convince the reader not to sympathize with its main focus, the narrator of Blackburn presents the reader with Blackburn's crimes and possible mitigating circumstances. Though we learn, in the beginning of the novel that James had a horrible childhood that primed his development into a refined psychopathic serial killer, the reiteration of certain elements by the narrator is never an attempt to draw sympathy but instead to remind the reader of Blackburn's personal justification for his actions. The reader is left to judge Blackburn's moral correctness on their own.
Despite this lack of tone on the part of the narrator, Denton instills the reader with the sense of the tale being told by a real person rather than rattled off by a bored witness or read from a teleprompter. Denton's writing style throughout the novel shows the reader exactly how Blackburn is feeling and thinking, occasionally making one feel as if they are Blackburn. James' voice rings clear despite the narrator's separation.
The novel packs a punch. No scene fails to inspire some thought in the reader through the development of Blackburn as a person and the advancement of his life. Never is the reader bored, and Denton's skillful word choice and sentence structure ensures that there is never confusion warranting rereading of a sentence or paragraph in an attempt to decipher its meaning. This is not to say that the novel lacks possibility of interpretation, merely to say that the writer does not hinder it.
Finally, the ending (though expected) is satisfying. We are given the sense that we knew all along what things would eventually come to and that there isn't a single way it could have went down that would've been more satisfying or more plausible. Though the reader may be disappointed, not by the ending itself (as in, the ending could have been better written) but at what it means in relation to the character and the world we've become attached to, somehow those final words signify that Blackburn
Bradley Denton uses his sincere third-person narrator and straightforward, down-to-earth writing style to fully draw the reader into the mind of James Blackburn.
Unlike in a typical horror novel, where the narrator might take a sarcastic tone or a sensationalist one to convince the reader not to sympathize with its main focus, the narrator of Blackburn presents the reader with Blackburn's crimes and possible mitigating circumstances. Though we learn, in the beginning of the novel that James had a horrible childhood that primed his development into a refined psychopathic serial killer, the reiteration of certain elements by the narrator is never an attempt to draw sympathy but instead to remind the reader of Blackburn's personal justification for his actions. The reader is left to judge Blackburn's moral correctness on their own.
Despite this lack of tone on the part of the narrator, Denton instills the reader with the sense of the tale being told by a real person rather than rattled off by a bored witness or read from a teleprompter. Denton's writing style throughout the novel shows the reader exactly how Blackburn is feeling and thinking, occasionally making one feel as if they are Blackburn. James' voice rings clear despite the narrator's separation.
The novel packs a punch. No scene fails to inspire some thought in the reader through the development of Blackburn as a person and the advancement of his life. Never is the reader bored, and Denton's skillful word choice and sentence structure ensures that there is never confusion warranting rereading of a sentence or paragraph in an attempt to decipher its meaning. This is not to say that the novel lacks possibility of interpretation, merely to say that the writer does not hinder it.
Finally, the ending (though expected) is satisfying. We are given the sense that we knew all along what things would eventually come to and that there isn't a single way it could have went down that would've been more satisfying or more plausible. Though the reader may be disappointed, not by the ending itself (as in, the ending could have been better written) but at what it means in relation to the character and the world we've become attached to, somehow those final words signify that Blackburn
January 28, 2018
BLACKBURN By Bradley Denton MY REVIEW 2 STARS**
I purchased this book on January 10th of this year and it has the dubious distinction of being the first novel I read in the year 2018. BLACKBURN was first published in 1993--- in the fall of this past year I had been perusing assorted lists of recommendations for "serial killer thrillers". Initially I had been working my way through SERIAL KILLER NOVELS: 10 OF THE BEST a somewhat dated posting on Britain's Crime Lover Fiction.com site. It listed Silence Of The Lambs by Thomas Harris, so I plucked a few selections out of the list that were completely unfamiliar to me. A few were outstanding but alas, the list turned out to be a "mixed bag". I later spent time on different sites, and ran into a reference that heaped boundless praise upon a novel penned 25 years ago entitled simply "BLACKBURN". The description of the book piqued my interest.
I located the novel on Amazon. There were a total of 25 Reviews for the book, and when one considers that this novel was first published a quarter of a century ago, that is NOT an unimpressive number. More surprising still was the Rating 4.4 Out of 5-Stars (with 88% 5-Stars and another 4% 4-Stars) --- quality reviews according to Fakespot.
I read many of the overwhelmingly positive reviews and a few facts quickly emerged: this novel has garnered a fanatical fan base, and I would not stop short at calling this book a cult classic.
I am writing much more than I planned to for this review. However, frankly BOTH the academic and visceral reaction to this novel are fascinating. The visceral reactions are manifested by a compulsive need to re-read or reacquaint one's mindset with the novel, i.e., reviews such as:
"want to re-read"..."I am getting ready to read it for the 3rd time"..."I have returned to it, and will continue to do so"..."I read this book about 5 years ago and scenes from it still crop up in my mind out of the blue..."
Gut-level reactions also appear to be empowering the book as a bible of sorts to guide us in our daily lives, such as the book
"will change you. Once you've read it, you will never see the world the same way again. This is one of those books you will never forget"... "Blackburn, the Novel, will change your life. Do yourself a favor. Buy it, read it. Today."... "a modern-day parable illustrating the shades of good and evil and the meanings of life"
Then somewhere between a visceral and an academic response we have a bestowing of the highest accolades, and even canonizing the character in the book and/or the author, as exemplified by such reviews as:
" a true American classic", " It has no parallel in fiction, in my opinion", "BLACKBURN is an American classic" "a modern classic that deserves a much wider audience", and "...a masterpiece" "One of my all time favorite books, Should be made into a film.."
And then the academics had their say, to include my personal favorites
"a striking depiction of middle-American despair, betrayed innocence, and transcendent hope".
[and] " This is an exceptional novel, at once riotously funny and searingly potent: a vision of America through the eyes of the central bogeyman of our culture."
Speaking of "riotously funny" this too, was a recurring theme in the readers who shared their experiences, as evidenced by such declarations as: "surprisingly funny"..."... this is a very, very funny book...", and ""You literally blurt out roaring, uncontrollable laughter..."
...one reviewer wrote (and I kid you not):
" I read Blackburn, the Novel, over a year ago but did not write a review then because I feared I could not do it justice."
I do not foresee any need to delay in putting my thoughts about BLACKBURN to paper and posting my review in well, lets say, considerably less time than "over a year..."
I read an interview with the author (Bradley Denton) at which time he was questioned about the novel BLACKBURN. He was questioned about the fact that after Jeff Lindsay’s DEXTER books came out a number of years later some commentators had opined that the character of Jimmy Blackburn was actually "the first fictional serial killer who only killed those who deserved it". It is significant (to me) that Denton denied that Jimmy WAS a "serial killer" and qualified his opinion by noting that Jimmy killed only because of his "hyper developed sense of right and wrong".
So (as Hannibal would say) "Okey-Dokey. Here we go". 1-The fictional character of Jimmy Blackburn is most assuredly a "serial killer". Throughout the book, he murders people with gay abandon. Perhaps the most memorable encounter in the novel is when a young impressionable Jimmy meets an evangelist at his school. The blind preacher is attempting to sway the youngsters by not only his words, but also by utilizing some clever theatrics. Jimmy accidentally discovers the holy man's duplicity and manages to grievously injure the man for his actions. Later as a young man Jimmy chains a married couple in the crawl space under their house because of their failure to pay him for a job he done for them. However, most of the men who violate his sense of "right" end up dead. His multiple victims range from a con man selling encyclopedias to dishonest mechanics ripping off their customers. Jimmy also draws a line in the sand for heartless men who take pleasure in killing innocent animals. Killing a cop in Texas who demonstrated a decidedly sadistic bent lands Jimmy in a whole heap of trouble. In all twenty (20) of his murders, only one (1) was legitimately warranted (the sexual predator/serial killer he accidentally encounters toward the end of the novel). Some may argue that the (more or less) assisted suicide of the escaped schizophrenic was appropriate, but no...it wasn't. 2-It is an insult to compare the fictional character of Jeff Lindsay's Dexter to Jimmy Blackburn. Dexter killed only murderers, and in many instances, men who were serial killers---those criminals who had escaped the jaws of the legal justice system.
I read BLACKBURN with admittedly some degree of interest. It was an "easy read" and not difficult to finish. It is difficult to say why the fictional character of Jimmy Blackburn gradually developed into a sociopath and a serial killer but "the abuse excuse" appears to jump right out atcha, doesn't it? I would add that if every boy who grew up in similar circumstances turned out to be a Jimmy, the population of serial killers would explode.
This isn't a "deep" book that only profound intellects can interpret, nor is the novel a book of prose that people should embrace as a guide to live by or a tome that depicts the meaning of life for cryin' out loud. Frankly, I have taken dishonest business people to court, and I freely admit that if it were left up to me, I would have EVERY animal abuser on this planet to change places with the poor creature they neglected or treated cruelly. There is a "special place in Hell for animal abusers...and for abusers of children and the elderly for that matter, but it is not my place to make sure their tickets are punched. It wasn't Jimmy Blackburn's either.
I saw nothing transcendent about this book whatsoever. I would love to get my money back. It just simply amazes me what kind of literature can carve out a piece of immortality for a chunk of humanity.
.
I purchased this book on January 10th of this year and it has the dubious distinction of being the first novel I read in the year 2018. BLACKBURN was first published in 1993--- in the fall of this past year I had been perusing assorted lists of recommendations for "serial killer thrillers". Initially I had been working my way through SERIAL KILLER NOVELS: 10 OF THE BEST a somewhat dated posting on Britain's Crime Lover Fiction.com site. It listed Silence Of The Lambs by Thomas Harris, so I plucked a few selections out of the list that were completely unfamiliar to me. A few were outstanding but alas, the list turned out to be a "mixed bag". I later spent time on different sites, and ran into a reference that heaped boundless praise upon a novel penned 25 years ago entitled simply "BLACKBURN". The description of the book piqued my interest.
I located the novel on Amazon. There were a total of 25 Reviews for the book, and when one considers that this novel was first published a quarter of a century ago, that is NOT an unimpressive number. More surprising still was the Rating 4.4 Out of 5-Stars (with 88% 5-Stars and another 4% 4-Stars) --- quality reviews according to Fakespot.
I read many of the overwhelmingly positive reviews and a few facts quickly emerged: this novel has garnered a fanatical fan base, and I would not stop short at calling this book a cult classic.
I am writing much more than I planned to for this review. However, frankly BOTH the academic and visceral reaction to this novel are fascinating. The visceral reactions are manifested by a compulsive need to re-read or reacquaint one's mindset with the novel, i.e., reviews such as:
"want to re-read"..."I am getting ready to read it for the 3rd time"..."I have returned to it, and will continue to do so"..."I read this book about 5 years ago and scenes from it still crop up in my mind out of the blue..."
Gut-level reactions also appear to be empowering the book as a bible of sorts to guide us in our daily lives, such as the book
"will change you. Once you've read it, you will never see the world the same way again. This is one of those books you will never forget"... "Blackburn, the Novel, will change your life. Do yourself a favor. Buy it, read it. Today."... "a modern-day parable illustrating the shades of good and evil and the meanings of life"
Then somewhere between a visceral and an academic response we have a bestowing of the highest accolades, and even canonizing the character in the book and/or the author, as exemplified by such reviews as:
" a true American classic", " It has no parallel in fiction, in my opinion", "BLACKBURN is an American classic" "a modern classic that deserves a much wider audience", and "...a masterpiece" "One of my all time favorite books, Should be made into a film.."
And then the academics had their say, to include my personal favorites
"a striking depiction of middle-American despair, betrayed innocence, and transcendent hope".
[and] " This is an exceptional novel, at once riotously funny and searingly potent: a vision of America through the eyes of the central bogeyman of our culture."
Speaking of "riotously funny" this too, was a recurring theme in the readers who shared their experiences, as evidenced by such declarations as: "surprisingly funny"..."... this is a very, very funny book...", and ""You literally blurt out roaring, uncontrollable laughter..."
...one reviewer wrote (and I kid you not):
" I read Blackburn, the Novel, over a year ago but did not write a review then because I feared I could not do it justice."
I do not foresee any need to delay in putting my thoughts about BLACKBURN to paper and posting my review in well, lets say, considerably less time than "over a year..."
I read an interview with the author (Bradley Denton) at which time he was questioned about the novel BLACKBURN. He was questioned about the fact that after Jeff Lindsay’s DEXTER books came out a number of years later some commentators had opined that the character of Jimmy Blackburn was actually "the first fictional serial killer who only killed those who deserved it". It is significant (to me) that Denton denied that Jimmy WAS a "serial killer" and qualified his opinion by noting that Jimmy killed only because of his "hyper developed sense of right and wrong".
So (as Hannibal would say) "Okey-Dokey. Here we go". 1-The fictional character of Jimmy Blackburn is most assuredly a "serial killer". Throughout the book, he murders people with gay abandon. Perhaps the most memorable encounter in the novel is when a young impressionable Jimmy meets an evangelist at his school. The blind preacher is attempting to sway the youngsters by not only his words, but also by utilizing some clever theatrics. Jimmy accidentally discovers the holy man's duplicity and manages to grievously injure the man for his actions. Later as a young man Jimmy chains a married couple in the crawl space under their house because of their failure to pay him for a job he done for them. However, most of the men who violate his sense of "right" end up dead. His multiple victims range from a con man selling encyclopedias to dishonest mechanics ripping off their customers. Jimmy also draws a line in the sand for heartless men who take pleasure in killing innocent animals. Killing a cop in Texas who demonstrated a decidedly sadistic bent lands Jimmy in a whole heap of trouble. In all twenty (20) of his murders, only one (1) was legitimately warranted (the sexual predator/serial killer he accidentally encounters toward the end of the novel). Some may argue that the (more or less) assisted suicide of the escaped schizophrenic was appropriate, but no...it wasn't. 2-It is an insult to compare the fictional character of Jeff Lindsay's Dexter to Jimmy Blackburn. Dexter killed only murderers, and in many instances, men who were serial killers---those criminals who had escaped the jaws of the legal justice system.
I read BLACKBURN with admittedly some degree of interest. It was an "easy read" and not difficult to finish. It is difficult to say why the fictional character of Jimmy Blackburn gradually developed into a sociopath and a serial killer but "the abuse excuse" appears to jump right out atcha, doesn't it? I would add that if every boy who grew up in similar circumstances turned out to be a Jimmy, the population of serial killers would explode.
This isn't a "deep" book that only profound intellects can interpret, nor is the novel a book of prose that people should embrace as a guide to live by or a tome that depicts the meaning of life for cryin' out loud. Frankly, I have taken dishonest business people to court, and I freely admit that if it were left up to me, I would have EVERY animal abuser on this planet to change places with the poor creature they neglected or treated cruelly. There is a "special place in Hell for animal abusers...and for abusers of children and the elderly for that matter, but it is not my place to make sure their tickets are punched. It wasn't Jimmy Blackburn's either.
I saw nothing transcendent about this book whatsoever. I would love to get my money back. It just simply amazes me what kind of literature can carve out a piece of immortality for a chunk of humanity.
.
August 22, 2020
In cold blood vibes in this interesting portrait of a bad man.
March 9, 2022
Divided into several periods, epochs, and ages of existence, the Roman Empire spanned more than a thousand years with its expansionary rule, often using brutal warfare and ruthless tactics to subjugate societies and territory. Coined by William L. Marcy, 19th century US Senator as well as SecWar and SecState under Presidents Polk and Pierce, "to the victor belong the spoils of the enemy" was certainly a mantra seen in Roman times and way beyond, influencing everything from architecture, language, art, religion, and philosophy. This wide swath of impact also swayed many societies, allowing the Roman Empire's republican organizations and code of law to shape many modern democracies and legal systems. In various forms, 'an eye for an eye' enjoys about ten mentions in the good book, about half the number BLACKBURN takes off the board in his travails. None, however, amended with a more crucial sentence than the one in Romans 12:17--Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”
The legend of James Blackburn, as it were, starts in Wantoda, Kansas, a town as small as it sounds, and even smaller for a boy with big dreams. Interspersed among the killing chapters are those of the formative years of Jimmy in a broken home in dirt poor Kansas. There, in the heat, he learned about God, life, and revenge. The years that shaped the man are painted by a broken kite, a broken home and harsh physical punishment for the slightest infraction. This is not to taint his motivations with psychobabble excuses. BLACKBURN only kills people who deserve it. Not because they are killers, murderers, or some other lofty DEXTER reason or code. He rights societal wrongs where people are getting away with taking advantage of others. Stopping short of CEOs, Wall Street, and politicians of any stripe, this is an interesting motivational precept that could get readers interested in the character and story. There is, however, the contrary, where folks would insist that America is a "country of laws" where the rule of law protects the innocent and makes sure that injustices do not happen at all and when they do, they are adjudicated easily, quickly, and satisfactorily.
Unlike many real or romanticized serial killers in works of fiction, James BLACKBURN does not kill for sport or pleasure, or gratification or need. He is a victim of circumstance and the human condition, forcing him to move on, thus engaged in a cross country living- and killing spree while working in fast food joints. BLACKBURN is a man of the people, a man of independence and conviction, making him and the novel all about freedom and justice. In the course of his plight, BLACKBURN manages to raise interesting questions of morality and responsibility, but short of being able to express them to the public at large, BLACKBURN's like one part of THELMA & LOUISE; he shoulda stayed out of Texas. Like it or dislike it, BLACKBURN is a hard, fast look at the twenty odd kills of a man who rubs out injustice wherever he finds it--police, authors, mechanics, animal abusers but never women or children. Written in the 1990s, BLACKBURN espouses a feel of the 70s and 80s, making it one dastardly trip back in time into the mind of a serial killer. Just be sure to close the books before the long arm of justice reads the play.
June 27, 2008
Because I am apparently a sap for marketing and other shiny objects, I gravitate towards new books. I am well aware of all the older books I have yet to read, but I still focus my attention on the new sections of the library and the bookstore. I really appreciate it when publishers reissue classic works that missed my attention the first time. So a hearty thanks to Picador for re-issuing the stellar Blackburn by Bradley Denton.
The story is a tragic tale of a creation of a monster, Blackburn, with whom the reader will find both sympathetic and repellent. Imagine a combination of Darkly Dreaming Dexter and Anton Chigurgh and you have Jimmy Blackburn. He starts life as a kind hearted boy in a small Kansas town who justs wants time to play with his family. His abusive father abuses him and schools him in the tools of violence. Unfortunately the other authority figures, including school and the law, destroy any chance that Blackburn will walk a legal line. Blackburn takes these lessons on the road where he identifies other liars, cheats and abusers and then kills them.
While the story is ultimately sad it also produces quite a few guffaws. Half of the chapters are titled with a victim number. In these stories, some terribly (or sometimes mildly) wicked person crosses Blackburn's path and Blackburn, generally reluctantly, decides they have to die. It his skewed views and often poetic means of dispatch that lead to the black humor.
The other chapters tell the story of Blackburn's life and how he came to be who he is. You witness the kindness morphing into a kind of vengeance that a real life Batman might employ. Blackburn's code is fairly simple (hurting the weak= death) is sometimes tested by complications. At one point he asks the unknowing victim of one criminal what would be the result of a hypothetical crime and the victim hyperbolically answers "He should be shot." You should avoid hyperbole with Blackburn as demonstrated by his near immediate execution of the offender.
Denton plays with the reader a bit. At one point, Blackburn meets the author of a book about a killer with a moral code. The author is a misanthropic drunk who hates that people idolize his creation. This is a bit of a tweak on the nose for readers cheering on Blackburn, but Denton is not a cruel didact (like Michael Haneke can be) seeking to shame or convert the reader. This is a story about a youth crushed by authority figures.
The story of his life is a story of the decay of the American dream. In that it reminded me of Jack London's story of a wrecked youth, the Apostate. In both stories, circumstances difficult to address crush a boy and it has terrible effects on the family. This is the finest crime novel I have read in years.
The story is a tragic tale of a creation of a monster, Blackburn, with whom the reader will find both sympathetic and repellent. Imagine a combination of Darkly Dreaming Dexter and Anton Chigurgh and you have Jimmy Blackburn. He starts life as a kind hearted boy in a small Kansas town who justs wants time to play with his family. His abusive father abuses him and schools him in the tools of violence. Unfortunately the other authority figures, including school and the law, destroy any chance that Blackburn will walk a legal line. Blackburn takes these lessons on the road where he identifies other liars, cheats and abusers and then kills them.
While the story is ultimately sad it also produces quite a few guffaws. Half of the chapters are titled with a victim number. In these stories, some terribly (or sometimes mildly) wicked person crosses Blackburn's path and Blackburn, generally reluctantly, decides they have to die. It his skewed views and often poetic means of dispatch that lead to the black humor.
The other chapters tell the story of Blackburn's life and how he came to be who he is. You witness the kindness morphing into a kind of vengeance that a real life Batman might employ. Blackburn's code is fairly simple (hurting the weak= death) is sometimes tested by complications. At one point he asks the unknowing victim of one criminal what would be the result of a hypothetical crime and the victim hyperbolically answers "He should be shot." You should avoid hyperbole with Blackburn as demonstrated by his near immediate execution of the offender.
Denton plays with the reader a bit. At one point, Blackburn meets the author of a book about a killer with a moral code. The author is a misanthropic drunk who hates that people idolize his creation. This is a bit of a tweak on the nose for readers cheering on Blackburn, but Denton is not a cruel didact (like Michael Haneke can be) seeking to shame or convert the reader. This is a story about a youth crushed by authority figures.
The story of his life is a story of the decay of the American dream. In that it reminded me of Jack London's story of a wrecked youth, the Apostate. In both stories, circumstances difficult to address crush a boy and it has terrible effects on the family. This is the finest crime novel I have read in years.
February 9, 2017
This book started out so good. The first handful of chapters were amazing, especially Blackburn's childhood. Seeing how others saw him as a freak while also having access to his motivations provided the emotional base needed to feel for him and his troubles through the rest of the book. But I just seemed to have really bad timing with this one.
The first time I stopped, where the book picked up next was his first real relationship. It started with a lot of sex and then things moved very fast, and ended exactly how I didn't want them to--predictably awful. So many novels do this [], and TV shows, and I'm just getting sick of it. That knocked the book down to 4 stars.
Then when I picked it up again later, all of the sudden he was on a completely different track in life [] and I felt like I had missed a big chunk of something important. The tone was different, the situation was different, the mood was different, and I felt like there really wasn't any sufficient motivation for Blackburn to be there. Hence 3 stars.
The very end of the ending was, predictably, mushy and redeeming, but I still cared enough for Blackburn for it to effect me a little. But it wasn't enough to redeem how I felt about earlier parts of the book. I had such high hopes from what the synopsis said and how things started, and I knew of course that things couldn't end all happy and rainbows; most things don't when you're a serial killer. But even keeping that in mind, it still felt like it fell flat of what it could have been and lost so much of my interest and enthusiasm along the way.
The first time I stopped, where the book picked up next was his first real relationship. It started with a lot of sex and then things moved very fast, and ended exactly how I didn't want them to--predictably awful. So many novels do this [], and TV shows, and I'm just getting sick of it. That knocked the book down to 4 stars.
Then when I picked it up again later, all of the sudden he was on a completely different track in life [] and I felt like I had missed a big chunk of something important. The tone was different, the situation was different, the mood was different, and I felt like there really wasn't any sufficient motivation for Blackburn to be there. Hence 3 stars.
The very end of the ending was, predictably, mushy and redeeming, but I still cared enough for Blackburn for it to effect me a little. But it wasn't enough to redeem how I felt about earlier parts of the book. I had such high hopes from what the synopsis said and how things started, and I knew of course that things couldn't end all happy and rainbows; most things don't when you're a serial killer. But even keeping that in mind, it still felt like it fell flat of what it could have been and lost so much of my interest and enthusiasm along the way.
November 25, 2012
Blackburn by Bradley Denton
Have you ever wished or hoped to be able to teach others a lesson?
Have you ever witnessed an injustice only to later wish there was something you could do? Have you ever just wanted to help others being taken advantage of? If yes , have any of the outcomes you invisioned resulted in the murder of others. For Jimmy Blackburn he has done just that.
Bradley Denton's protaganist Jimmy Blackburn was raised in a broken home with a drunk abusive father who both physicaly and mentaly abused jimmy's mother. The father also takes out all his frustrations on Jimmy buy beating him bare bottomed with fishing poles. The book is the eventual outcome of a young boy raised by a less then desirable family and in a confussing and unforgiving world.
Denton's novel covers the 21 victims of Jimmy Blackburn incompassing liars, cops, writers, womanizers, adulterers, mechanics and others. The book is far short of a gore fest, but a very well written character study of that makes you sympathize with a killer.
An easy ready, straight forward, good flow, and well written. A book that will stay with you longer then the time it takes you to read it and more.
Have you ever wished or hoped to be able to teach others a lesson?
Have you ever witnessed an injustice only to later wish there was something you could do? Have you ever just wanted to help others being taken advantage of? If yes , have any of the outcomes you invisioned resulted in the murder of others. For Jimmy Blackburn he has done just that.
Bradley Denton's protaganist Jimmy Blackburn was raised in a broken home with a drunk abusive father who both physicaly and mentaly abused jimmy's mother. The father also takes out all his frustrations on Jimmy buy beating him bare bottomed with fishing poles. The book is the eventual outcome of a young boy raised by a less then desirable family and in a confussing and unforgiving world.
Denton's novel covers the 21 victims of Jimmy Blackburn incompassing liars, cops, writers, womanizers, adulterers, mechanics and others. The book is far short of a gore fest, but a very well written character study of that makes you sympathize with a killer.
An easy ready, straight forward, good flow, and well written. A book that will stay with you longer then the time it takes you to read it and more.
August 31, 2019
The best serial-killer novel you've never read- simply astounding and unputdownable. It was first published in 1993, so there's a very 20th century feel to both the writing and the setting, which is the '70's and '80's, first in the Midwest, and then all over. We follow our killer from a young boy. Of course, he doesn't start out that way; at least, our guy doesn't. But what leads to the becoming and the eventual rest is a marvel of both storytelling and nerve; the inverse of the beatnik road trip, searching for salvation, for God, but in the maw of the most personal violence. But that doesn't do it justice. It just has to be read to be believed, because there's something deep and profound at work here, which is what, I think, confounds (rightly or wrongly) some who have read it.
Highly recommended for those that miss the good ol' days of capital F Fiction. If you're firmly ensconced in the 21st, and your sensibilities are as such, then this one is probably not for you.
Highly recommended for those that miss the good ol' days of capital F Fiction. If you're firmly ensconced in the 21st, and your sensibilities are as such, then this one is probably not for you.
August 29, 2020
All of us have thought about killing other people. It might be the mechanic who cheated you, the professor who unfairly gave you a bad grade, etc. That being said, Blackburn is a book in which the main character actually acts upon these urges.
Jimmy Blackburn has been put down all his life. His parents abuse him, and he's looked at as a failure in life. So, when a cruel police officer harasses him outside a church, Blackburn, having had enough, kills him. This begins a crusade against unfairness and immorality in society. Blackburn begins a crusade against those who wrong others and him.
The story is horrifying and thought provoking at the same time. Blackburn rises against society's ills. However, as the book winds down, he is seen not as a public crusader, but as a serial killer. Are his actions wrong because society doesn't condone murder or is he providing a public service by disposing of some of the scum out there? I found myself asking this question after finishing this book.
Read this now. It is not an easy read, but you will be the better for it once you finish.
Jimmy Blackburn has been put down all his life. His parents abuse him, and he's looked at as a failure in life. So, when a cruel police officer harasses him outside a church, Blackburn, having had enough, kills him. This begins a crusade against unfairness and immorality in society. Blackburn begins a crusade against those who wrong others and him.
The story is horrifying and thought provoking at the same time. Blackburn rises against society's ills. However, as the book winds down, he is seen not as a public crusader, but as a serial killer. Are his actions wrong because society doesn't condone murder or is he providing a public service by disposing of some of the scum out there? I found myself asking this question after finishing this book.
Read this now. It is not an easy read, but you will be the better for it once you finish.
February 4, 2021
Read this short, concise character study of a serial killer in two and a half days, it kept my attention and is written simply enough to absorb quickly..no overdrawn, overdescriptive sentences here just a straight up and down story of the hardships and actions of a disturbed boy done wrong by the world basically or everyone in his world from his parents, his community and even his wife. You end up feeling sorry for him especially when he kills over the mistreatment of a dog, potentially his only friend/companion. He is mean but still fair, creepy but only because he seems like a regular guy you see everyday at any fast food restaurant, funny in a morbid way and essentially obsessed with morality and what the "right" thing is either in a religious context or in his own conscience. Good quick disturbing read--I liked it I guess because I didnt dislike it--read it for what it was-- would recommend to people who like to know WHY people do crazy, random acts of violence..and how.
May 2, 2013
I'm not sure what to say about this book. It's both repulsive and compelling, just like the character of Blackburn. A serial murderer with his own set of rules about when it's ok, or maybe necessary, to kill. The ending is brilliant in it's stark, unflinching realism, and the fact that it doesn't resort to a happy ending. I didn't find the book funny, as some reviewers did, so I'm not sure how it gets tagged as a dark comedy, but perhaps that speaks to how intense the characterizations are.
March 7, 2019
Getting into the mind of a serial killer can be an interesting and frightening journey. Blackburn does that but in a softer way, to where you understand why he does what he does. We start when he is a young boy as he discovers his resentment towards God and eventually his reasoning for doing what he does. The book reads more like a series of smaller novellas rather than one larger story but it works. Blackburn is worth a read for sure, but it’s not the page-turner I was wanting it to be.
October 13, 2011
A sympathetic killer? Perhaps at times. Slightly disturbing in places, but otherwise a quick fun read. It almost started to fall apart for me at the end but the final pages brought it all back together for a satisfying finale.
June 11, 2024
Long before there was Dexter, there was Blackburn.
Published in 1993, this story about a serial killer with a quirky but consistent moral code is repellant, endearing, macabre, funny – everything you want in a book about a guy who can't help but kill people who are vicious, cruel, violent, manipulative or just plain rude.
If Jimmy Blackburn has a predecessor, it would be Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley. Like Tom, Jimmy had a rough start in life and is struggling to survive in a world where he is chronically short of money, on the move continually, and has no compunction about killing people who he feels deserve it. Ripley killed more to benefit himself while Blackburn has a bizarre sense of doing it for the greater good. Imagine if Batman decided to kill everyone who was not an honest and polite member of society. Blackburn has a talent, of sorts.
Also like 'The Talented Mr. Ripley', 'Blackburn' is told in the third person omniscient with the interior POV on the protagonist, so we can understand his thinking. We may be puzzled or appalled by it, but we can see how he comes to the conclusions he does.
This is a strange book that didn't really get a lot of attention. Denton is known as a science fiction writer, and this is a serial killer book with no SF content. I suppose it could be classified as horror – there's a lot of blood and some pretty gross brutality in places. But it wasn't packaged that way and apparently did not catch on with the mystery/crime readers, who would have been unfamiliar with Denton.
So, for fans of Dexter, and especially Highsmith's Tom Ripley – check out this book.
Published in 1993, this story about a serial killer with a quirky but consistent moral code is repellant, endearing, macabre, funny – everything you want in a book about a guy who can't help but kill people who are vicious, cruel, violent, manipulative or just plain rude.
If Jimmy Blackburn has a predecessor, it would be Patricia Highsmith's Tom Ripley. Like Tom, Jimmy had a rough start in life and is struggling to survive in a world where he is chronically short of money, on the move continually, and has no compunction about killing people who he feels deserve it. Ripley killed more to benefit himself while Blackburn has a bizarre sense of doing it for the greater good. Imagine if Batman decided to kill everyone who was not an honest and polite member of society. Blackburn has a talent, of sorts.
Also like 'The Talented Mr. Ripley', 'Blackburn' is told in the third person omniscient with the interior POV on the protagonist, so we can understand his thinking. We may be puzzled or appalled by it, but we can see how he comes to the conclusions he does.
This is a strange book that didn't really get a lot of attention. Denton is known as a science fiction writer, and this is a serial killer book with no SF content. I suppose it could be classified as horror – there's a lot of blood and some pretty gross brutality in places. But it wasn't packaged that way and apparently did not catch on with the mystery/crime readers, who would have been unfamiliar with Denton.
So, for fans of Dexter, and especially Highsmith's Tom Ripley – check out this book.
September 1, 2019
"Blackburn is a serial killer." He's not your average serial killer though, he has a conscious and he only kills people that deserve it. This book skips between young Jimmy Blackburn and his older self. It should be pointed out that Blackburn is trying to make it through life, just like all of us. The main difference is that Blackburn believes in harsh punishment, and he can't stand to see someone get away with something. We learn what makes Blackburn tick and what makes him choose the people he does. Personally, I think if you're going to be a serial killer you should take a page from Blackburn. I would say there is a little bit of a trigger warning for this book. There were a couple times that issues arose and I had to take a break from reading, but that could just be me personally. **note - I don't mean sexual assault/rape**
June 18, 2017
I Know it wouldn't be healthy if we all liked similar things but i truly don't understand this novels aggregate rating. Quite simply one of the best written,smart,horrible and in parts downright hil
larius books i've ever read and i have read an awful lot of books in 55 years. Never will i forget Morton son of Stan!
larius books i've ever read and i have read an awful lot of books in 55 years. Never will i forget Morton son of Stan!
February 3, 2021
This was riveting until about the last quarter. Then too many coincidences and characters that didn’t seem real. But it’s a great read with a lot to show the reader about violence, despair, and generally “getting even.” The book jacket says it is “riotously funny,” but that’s hyperbolic.
October 25, 2018
Well written and horrifying.
August 22, 2019
Interesting novel
A peak into some of the life and thoughts of a very twisted mind. I enjoyed the book it reads like a true crime
A peak into some of the life and thoughts of a very twisted mind. I enjoyed the book it reads like a true crime
March 25, 2021
Fascinating look at the motivation of a serial killer. Bram Stoker Award Nominee for Best Novel (1993).
May 6, 2022
A must read , for fans of Natural Born Killers
August 17, 2024
3 rats
2 chickens
3 dogs
2 squirrels
2 baby squirrels
22 people
1 mole
2 chickens
3 dogs
2 squirrels
2 baby squirrels
22 people
1 mole
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2026
pretty good but felt too repetitive for a good stretch
January 17, 2025
This book was just a fine read. Nothing amazing, but far from bad. I was really intrigued by the premise of following a serial killer completely from his perspective, but a lot of the novel actually deals with familial trauma and the various strange situations that Blackburn gets himself into, rather than focusing on the mind of a disturbed man with a blood lust. Blackburn actually comes across as just a normal dude who happens to kill crooks and people that annoy him. He feels much more like a petty criminal than anything else, and I didn’t find that to be too interesting. The story also kinda goes all over the place, and doesn’t seem to make much of a point by the end.
Long story short, it just wasn’t the book I was anticipating it to be, so I wasn’t very engaged. You may like it, going in already knowing this, but I was let down, having to discover this in real time.
Long story short, it just wasn’t the book I was anticipating it to be, so I wasn’t very engaged. You may like it, going in already knowing this, but I was let down, having to discover this in real time.
July 5, 2015
If you are a sociopath, do not read this book. If someone you know is a sociopath, do not recommend this book to them. If your child is a sociopath, do not let them read this book. I think the scariest thing about this book is that I can just see some person roughly the same age as Jimmy Blackburn in this book and really identifying with him and saying, "Yes! This is the answer!" and then going on a killing rampage. Having said that, it is not the job of authors or any other artist to make sure that the art they create is "safe for consumption". It is the job of parents, families, and teachers to educate and ensure that people understand what is acceptable behavior in society. We have definitely seen our fair share of sociopathic behavior in America and we need to address the causes, whatever those may be.
I think this book is somewhere between a 3 and 4 star rating. It's hard to get too attached to Jimmy, given that he is a sociopath and doesn't relate to the people around him in the way that most of us relate to each other. The concept of the book is definitely interesting and I wonder if the creators of Boondock Saints were aware of this book before they made their movie. Either way, I think I will be picking up at least one more of Mr. Denton's books, given his quirky style.
I think this book is somewhere between a 3 and 4 star rating. It's hard to get too attached to Jimmy, given that he is a sociopath and doesn't relate to the people around him in the way that most of us relate to each other. The concept of the book is definitely interesting and I wonder if the creators of Boondock Saints were aware of this book before they made their movie. Either way, I think I will be picking up at least one more of Mr. Denton's books, given his quirky style.
June 1, 2018
We follow the character Jimmy Blackburn, a serial killer who only kills people that he thinks deserves to die. Some of his victims include an auto mechanic who rips people off, and a jerk of a boss, among many others. You go back and forth between the present, and Jimmy’s past. Growing up with a father that terrified him and a mother much to afraid to stand up to him, the reader learns that Jimmy has only grown up to be a product of his surroundings. Leaving home at 17 after killing a cop, Jimmy sets out to find a place in the world.
We watch as Jimmy falls in love, only to be betrayed and how he struggles with who he has become and what he has done. Constantly adrift through the country, never staying in one place too long, Jimmy never really finds his place.
I found this book intriguing because of the insight that Denton attempts to give us into the mind of a serial killer. You find yourself sympathizing with this man who takes people lives. I enjoyed this book.
Another quick read. Overall, I would give this a 3 out of 5.
We watch as Jimmy falls in love, only to be betrayed and how he struggles with who he has become and what he has done. Constantly adrift through the country, never staying in one place too long, Jimmy never really finds his place.
I found this book intriguing because of the insight that Denton attempts to give us into the mind of a serial killer. You find yourself sympathizing with this man who takes people lives. I enjoyed this book.
Another quick read. Overall, I would give this a 3 out of 5.
September 7, 2025
Is evil something you are—or something you do?
Meet Jimmy Blackburn: a so called serial killer with a wayward sense of justice. He’s not killing at random……. Hes’ punishing. An abusive husband.
An animal torturer.
A corrupt recruiter.
A scammer.
A rapist.
Each of his victims feels like someone you might secretly think deserves it….
But here’s the haunting part: as you follow Blackburn, the line between justice and evil begins to blur.
Would you make the same choices in his shoes?
Could you?
And if you grew up with his past……. would you be him?
This isn’t just a story about a killer. It’s a mirror held up to our own morality, asking:
What would push us past the point of no return?
Dark, thought-provoking, and hard to put down -
this book doesn’t just get under your skin, it dares you to look at the part of yourself you don’t want to see.
Read it.
Then ask yourself: are you Blackburn?
Meet Jimmy Blackburn: a so called serial killer with a wayward sense of justice. He’s not killing at random……. Hes’ punishing. An abusive husband.
An animal torturer.
A corrupt recruiter.
A scammer.
A rapist.
Each of his victims feels like someone you might secretly think deserves it….
But here’s the haunting part: as you follow Blackburn, the line between justice and evil begins to blur.
Would you make the same choices in his shoes?
Could you?
And if you grew up with his past……. would you be him?
This isn’t just a story about a killer. It’s a mirror held up to our own morality, asking:
What would push us past the point of no return?
Dark, thought-provoking, and hard to put down -
this book doesn’t just get under your skin, it dares you to look at the part of yourself you don’t want to see.
Read it.
Then ask yourself: are you Blackburn?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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