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Hell on Church Street
Geoffrey Webb—once a con man, always a con man—has talked himself into a cushy job as a youth minster in a small Baptist church in Arkansas. Unfortunately for him he shows the preacher's underage daughter a little too much attention, and when their relationship is discovered by the corrupt local sheriff, Webb's easy life begins to fall apart.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 16, 2011
8 people are currently reading
591 people want to read
About the author
Jake Hinkson
20 books120 followersJake Hinkson, a native of the Arkansas Ozarks, is the author of HELL ON CHURCH STREET, THE POSTHUMOUS MAN, SAINT HOMICIDE, and THE BIG UGLY. His first two books are being translated into French by èditions Gallmeister and will be released in Europe in new hardcover editions in 2015. He lives in Chicago and blogs at http://thenighteditor.blogspot.com/
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
July 29, 2017
*Re-Release day for Jake Hinkson's Hell on Church Street! 280 Steps is reprinting it in paperback and e-book and everyone should read this essential noir!*
A drifter decides to rob the wrong fat man late one night and ends up bearing witness to the fat man's terrible story about what happened years ago when he was skinny and moved to Church Street in Little Rock, Arkansas to work as a youth minister, where he began to have eyes for the head priest's underage daughter.
If there wasn't suffering, men would feel no need to believe in God. The sick part is, if there is a God, he must have planned it that way.I'd never heard of Jake Hinkson before but my Goodreads twin Steven recommended this book to me, showering it with praise. He has the same taste in noir as I do and so I knew I had to read it! And now, after staying up in the wee hours of the morning to finish it, I have to agree with everyone else that's had the pleasure of reading it. It's irreverent, violent, depraved, gritty, manipulative, filthy, potentially offensive, and irresistible...everything that a proper, self-respecting noir fan looks for in a novel!
A drifter decides to rob the wrong fat man late one night and ends up bearing witness to the fat man's terrible story about what happened years ago when he was skinny and moved to Church Street in Little Rock, Arkansas to work as a youth minister, where he began to have eyes for the head priest's underage daughter.
In that instant, her face seemed to absorb all my sins. It was like looking in a mirror for the first time and discovering you're a monster.What follows is noir of the pitch-black sort, which at times is just pulsing with suspense and keeps you riveted. It's really impressive for a debut novel. The extended scene in the hospital was so tense I felt drained after reading it! But the novel is so much more than just suspense. In less than 200 pages, amidst all the craziness, Hinkson also manages a scathing exposé on the hypocrisy of organized religion. So if you're offended by stuff like this, maybe you should stay away. But if you're a thriller fan, a noir fan, or simply curious about what good pulp fiction really is, check out this little monster! I'll be reading more by Jake Hinkson soon!
"I'm going to have to hurt you. And since I'm not a sadist, I'll be angry with you for making me hurt you. That's just more weight for the soul to carry. So I'll torture you with the cold fury of a man who's been forced into it. Do you understand me?"
August 23, 2021
★★★☆☆½
Hell on Church Street begins with a clever twist - in a similar vein to the classic Hitchcock movie Psycho. First-time viewers unaware of the plot twist would have naively followed along to the story of Janet Leigh and some stolen money, only to have the rug pulled out from under them with that classic shower scene. The twist here isn’t nearly as shocking, but it’s probably better left unsaid . . . so forget I mentioned it, and maybe it will sneak up on you as well.
“It hit me like divine inspiration. Religion is the greatest graft ever invented because no one ever loses money claiming to speak for the invisible man in the sky.”
Geoffrey Webb, a homely, socially awkward kid from a broken family lived a pretty miserable little life until the age of fifteen when he was first introduced to the youth group at his uncle’s church. Because, unlike those cruel and petty kids at school, the church was willing to accept him for who he was and take him into the fold. Even though he didn’t make any real friendships, per se, they at least treated him with a modicum of respect. Seeing his untapped potential, the youth minister eventually took him under his wing, and Geoffrey soon realized what a “sick joke” the guy’s job was. Working maybe three hours a week, but getting paid like a full-timer!
You see, Geoffrey was never in it for the friends or the faith.
He needn’t have looked any further than a sadistic father or awful childhood to realize that, even if that invisible man in the sky did exist, God didn’t give a rat’s ass about his pitiful existence—that had been made all too abundantly clear. So, like any good confidence man, little Geoffrey played the angles. He knew a good con when he saw one, so he got to work. He studied up, said all the right things, played it just right, and it wasn’t long before he was leading a youth group all his own.
Throughout the story, Geoffrey points out a few fundamental truths:
1. Most people just want you to tell them what they want to hear.
2. We only really trust people who share our prejudices.
3. To 99.9% of the world, you don’t even exist.
4. How much people “care” about you is directly proportional to how much they actually need you.
But, as with most tragedies, a girl comes onto the scene at the worst possible moment and everything goes pear-shaped. The story takes a nasty turn towards depravity and violence, with some darkly comedic undertones, until Geoffrey is ultimately cast down with the termites.
Although the initial setup may be a bit contrived, Hell on Church Street is nonetheless a compelling read with snappy dialogue in that classic hard-boiled, noir style of writing. However, the love interest is creepy and off-putting, in a Humbert Humbert-type way. The story is entertaining—I especially enjoyed it when Hinkson ratcheted up the violence—but it’s fairly short, and the ending was a tad disappointing.
3.5 stars, rounding up for a change.
“If there wasn’t suffering, men would feel no need to believe in God. The sick part is, if there is a God, he must have planned it that way.”
Hell on Church Street begins with a clever twist - in a similar vein to the classic Hitchcock movie Psycho. First-time viewers unaware of the plot twist would have naively followed along to the story of Janet Leigh and some stolen money, only to have the rug pulled out from under them with that classic shower scene. The twist here isn’t nearly as shocking, but it’s probably better left unsaid . . . so forget I mentioned it, and maybe it will sneak up on you as well.
“It hit me like divine inspiration. Religion is the greatest graft ever invented because no one ever loses money claiming to speak for the invisible man in the sky.”
Geoffrey Webb, a homely, socially awkward kid from a broken family lived a pretty miserable little life until the age of fifteen when he was first introduced to the youth group at his uncle’s church. Because, unlike those cruel and petty kids at school, the church was willing to accept him for who he was and take him into the fold. Even though he didn’t make any real friendships, per se, they at least treated him with a modicum of respect. Seeing his untapped potential, the youth minister eventually took him under his wing, and Geoffrey soon realized what a “sick joke” the guy’s job was. Working maybe three hours a week, but getting paid like a full-timer!
You see, Geoffrey was never in it for the friends or the faith.
He needn’t have looked any further than a sadistic father or awful childhood to realize that, even if that invisible man in the sky did exist, God didn’t give a rat’s ass about his pitiful existence—that had been made all too abundantly clear. So, like any good confidence man, little Geoffrey played the angles. He knew a good con when he saw one, so he got to work. He studied up, said all the right things, played it just right, and it wasn’t long before he was leading a youth group all his own.
Throughout the story, Geoffrey points out a few fundamental truths:
1. Most people just want you to tell them what they want to hear.
2. We only really trust people who share our prejudices.
3. To 99.9% of the world, you don’t even exist.
4. How much people “care” about you is directly proportional to how much they actually need you.
But, as with most tragedies, a girl comes onto the scene at the worst possible moment and everything goes pear-shaped. The story takes a nasty turn towards depravity and violence, with some darkly comedic undertones, until Geoffrey is ultimately cast down with the termites.
Although the initial setup may be a bit contrived, Hell on Church Street is nonetheless a compelling read with snappy dialogue in that classic hard-boiled, noir style of writing. However, the love interest is creepy and off-putting, in a Humbert Humbert-type way. The story is entertaining—I especially enjoyed it when Hinkson ratcheted up the violence—but it’s fairly short, and the ending was a tad disappointing.
3.5 stars, rounding up for a change.
“If there wasn’t suffering, men would feel no need to believe in God. The sick part is, if there is a God, he must have planned it that way.”
August 19, 2019
If you can't make money in the religion business, you need to give up.
Hinkson presents a blistering look at con man who becomes a killer.
My hands trembled. Something inevitable was moving beneath the surface of my life, moving inside of me. I knew it, and it scared me, but I couldn't stop it.
Geoffrey Webb is an Ozark cousin to the talented Mr. Tom Ripley, a highly functioning sociopath who'll let nothing stop him from achieving his dreams.
. . . way I see it, ambition is just a dream with a hard-on.
Though this is a dark, and extremely violent novel, it's also a hoot watching Webb stumble into mess after messier mess.
I've always had that kind of luck, the kind of luck that ensures that you're always healthy enough to fall deeper into trouble. I'll never die accidentally.
An excellent read, highly recommended, though good luck getting hold of a copy.
Hinkson presents a blistering look at con man who becomes a killer.
My hands trembled. Something inevitable was moving beneath the surface of my life, moving inside of me. I knew it, and it scared me, but I couldn't stop it.
Geoffrey Webb is an Ozark cousin to the talented Mr. Tom Ripley, a highly functioning sociopath who'll let nothing stop him from achieving his dreams.
. . . way I see it, ambition is just a dream with a hard-on.
Though this is a dark, and extremely violent novel, it's also a hoot watching Webb stumble into mess after messier mess.
I've always had that kind of luck, the kind of luck that ensures that you're always healthy enough to fall deeper into trouble. I'll never die accidentally.
An excellent read, highly recommended, though good luck getting hold of a copy.
July 21, 2016
Jake Hinkson delivers on the promise in the title: he demonstatres that having a church on your street is not guaranteed to provide you with shelter against the most unsavoury aspects of human nature. His lead character, and first-person narrator, is a Methodist (I think) youth minister named Geoffrey Webb. Webb has only honeyed, pious words for his parishioners, while a venomous internal monologue goes on inside his head.
The first fundamental truth of this life: most people just want you to tell them what they want to hear.
Deceitful, slimy, covetous, perverted : our man Geoffrey looks like he embodies the full set of mortal sins and he sees himself as a wolf in sheep clothing. He is ready to fleece his flock in Little Rock, Arkansas, starting with the underage daughter of his pastor. She's a little overweight, insecure and in love with the local school's quarterback star who doesn't even know she exists: an easy mark for the slippery Geoffrey.
The second fundamental truth of this life is this: we only really trust people who share our prejudices.
With his talent for mimicking religious fervor and his total lack of moral scruples, Geoffrey soon gets what he wants, but there may be bigger sharks than him swimming in the little pond that is Little Rock. The local sheriff gets wise to the ways of the young minister and comes up with a plan to blackmail Geoffrey into stealing some valuable papers from the father of the underage girl.
The third fundamental truth of life is this: to 99.9 % of the world you don't exist. I'm not being self-pitying when I say that because I'm talking to you. You do not exist to most of the rest of the world. How many people even know you're alive? Of those, how many care? Don't add it up if you're easily depressed. Me, I'm not easily depressed. Never was. This nasty little world has always kind of amused me.
Unfortunately, Geoffrey's ability with words is not mirrored in a similar ability in the breaking & entering business, and the initial fun & games on Church Street soon become a veritable bloodbath. The spineless Geoffrey manages somehow to fight back against the sheriff's demands, and soon the stakes are raised by the involvement of the sheriff's redneck family, an unsavoury lot dealing in illicit moonshine, methamphetamine and other popular Ozark pastimes. There's little choice for the reader's sympathy between the criminal activities of the fake pastor Webb and the hardscrabble redneck clan. Both sides claim to be the product of disfunctional families and rampant poverty, but all I see here is a bunch of psychos ready to blame everything on society and not on themselves.
There's truth number four for you in case you're keeping count: how much people "care" about you is directly proportional to how much they actually need you.
The novel fits into the category of hidden gems for me, discovered thanks to the exploratory work of fellow Goodreads members in the "Pulp Fiction" group. There isn't even a wikipedia entry for the author or for the novel, despite the work being published only four years back. Hinkson deserves much better, and I hope his books will be re-issued shortly to a wider audience, because his prose and his characters are very strong, very convinciong, in a disturbing, uncompromising manner. For the first couple of chapters (a very effective framing device involving a kidnapping that goes wrong, and a chilling start to a criminal confession) I was convinced this is an original story from the 1940's or 1950's, the time of the maximum popularity and exposure for this type of novel. Geoffrey Webb is cast from the same mold as the deranged individuals penned by Jim Thompson or James M Cain, the sort of regular guy who can make himself likable and popular while he has absolutely no scruples about destrying anybody who stands in his way. The smalltown interactions of the Little Rock parish and the troubles with the rednecks living out in the wild parts of Arkansas also appear timeless, passed over from generation to generation like a recessive genetic trait. Hinkson seems to have reserved most of his social commentary though for the religious fervor and intransigence that is even now spreading from the Southern States to the rest of the nation (I just read some of mr. Trump 'political platform').
For all its history and prestige, for all the buildings built to honor it and all the blood spilt to propagate it, religion is no different than reading palms or staring at tea leaves.
and,
If there wasn't suffering, men would feel no need to believe in God. The sick part is, if there is a God, he must have planned it that way.
There are a lot of things to like about this disturbing story, even if I feel like taking a dozen showers after spending so much time inside the dirty mind of Geoffrey Webb. There's little to complain about, especially from a reader who is engaged in a serious study of the 'noir' and 'pulp' sections of the bookstore. I didn't totally buy into the final scene , but I am ready to read another of Jake Hinkson novels, and I have no hesitation about recommending this relatively obscure author to all fans of the genre.
August 18, 2012
Hell on Church Street is a sick, nasty, depraved, shocking and disgusting novel. It is also probably the best book I've read in months.
The book's narrator, who we know only as Paul, thinks he's a pretty tough piece of work. He preys on weak unsuspecting people and robs them to make his living. One night at a truck stop in Oklahoma, he carefully sorts through his prospects. He scopes out a couple of women, but rejects them because "sticking up women is usually more trouble than it's worth." But then, "when I spotted the fat guy, I knew I'd found my mark."
The mark is Geoffrey Webb, and what Paul has found, actually, is more trouble than he could possibly could have imagined. Webb takes his would-be assailant for a ride that neither Paul nor the reader will ever forget.
To say any more would be to say too much. But this is a great debut novel--scary, darkly funny and violent, with a terriffic cast of characters headed by Geoffrey Webb. It's definitely not a book for everyone, but it should appeal to anyone who likes their crime fiction on the noirish, hard-boiled side. In particular, it is reminiscent of the best work by Jim Thompson and those who have enjoyed Thompson's books will want to drop everything, race to the nearest bookstore, grab a copy of Hell on Church Street, and put it right on top of your stack of books to read. Trust me, you will not regret it.
The book's narrator, who we know only as Paul, thinks he's a pretty tough piece of work. He preys on weak unsuspecting people and robs them to make his living. One night at a truck stop in Oklahoma, he carefully sorts through his prospects. He scopes out a couple of women, but rejects them because "sticking up women is usually more trouble than it's worth." But then, "when I spotted the fat guy, I knew I'd found my mark."
The mark is Geoffrey Webb, and what Paul has found, actually, is more trouble than he could possibly could have imagined. Webb takes his would-be assailant for a ride that neither Paul nor the reader will ever forget.
To say any more would be to say too much. But this is a great debut novel--scary, darkly funny and violent, with a terriffic cast of characters headed by Geoffrey Webb. It's definitely not a book for everyone, but it should appeal to anyone who likes their crime fiction on the noirish, hard-boiled side. In particular, it is reminiscent of the best work by Jim Thompson and those who have enjoyed Thompson's books will want to drop everything, race to the nearest bookstore, grab a copy of Hell on Church Street, and put it right on top of your stack of books to read. Trust me, you will not regret it.
August 5, 2013
"Then again, the third fundamental truth of life is this: to 99.9% of the world you don’t exist. I’m not being self-pitying when I say that because I’m talking about you. You do not exist to most of the rest of the world. How many people even know you’re alive? Of those, how many care? Don’t add it up if you’re the type that gets easily depressed."
While leaving a corner store and getting into his vehicle, Geoffrey Webb is shocked to see a man sitting in the passenger seat brandishing a hand gun. The would-be attacker demands Webb’s money but rather than going along with it, Webb decides to take the offensive. He doesn’t attack his assailant but rather chooses to go on a long drive and recount his days as a youth minister of a small Arkansas town. Threatening to crash the car if the crook doesn’t listen, Webb is finally able to clear the air surrounding his time in the cloth.
This is one hell of a debut novel, let me tell you. Jake Hinkson has unleashed a story that will stick with me for years to come. I was so engrossed in the story, that I lost sleep after I finished it. I couldn’t help thinking about the way Hinkson writes violence – it was just so damn raw. Hey, I can’t speak to the authenticity of a murder scene but I truly felt right there in the room when it was happening. You know that feeling when you’re watching a horror movie and the cheerleader is about to walk into a room and even though you can’t communicate with her, you just want to will her not to do it. Hinkson takes that feeling and dials it up to eleven.
I shouldn’t throw all the praise on the suspenseful or violent scenes as there’s lots in here to shed a spotlight on. Webb wasn’t exactly interested in being a youth minister, as at heart, he’s a con-man. He looked at a career in religion as being a job where you can get the most out of doing the least amount of work. Our narrator is a cynical man believing that people only want to talk to someone who shares their prejudices or someone who is going to tell them exactly what they want to hear, he thinks he has it all figured out and truthfully, he does, until everything goes awry.
"There's a level of trouble you can't talk your way out of," he said. "Some trouble is like a cancer. It just grows inside you. Nothing stops it. It just keeps growing and growing, eating everything it touches."
While he’s excellent at deceiving those around him, Webb soon learns how hard it is to perform damage control. Getting his roots into the community and becoming the mindless, suck-up that everyone loves happens quicker than walking up an escalator, the true talent comes in keeping up the act when something outside of his plan materializes. For this, all that is needed is one person to doubt his sincerity, to see him for who he truly is, to drive him mad in an attempt to keep everything together. There’s nothing a con-man can’t stand more than someone who is immune to his charm. Webb’s interactions with those who see through him are intense and add so much to his character.
Hell on Church Street is the second novel I’ve read from publisher New Pulp Press. If both this novel and Matthew McBride’s Frank Sinatra in a Blender are any sign of the quality of work this company is putting forth, I need to get some more of it.
Cross Posted @ Every Read Thing
I interviewed Jake!
August 23, 2021
A subversive tale, where a criminal hijacks a grossly overweight & seemingly weak target & his car, for what he thinks will be an easy score. The criminal gets his money, but at what cost?
The hijacker becomes the unwilling witness, as the fat man reveals his vile self, during an at times harrowing road trip, in the claustrophobic confessional of the fat mans car.
Throughout this novel, i kept waiting for the 'other shoe to drop'. It's that type of story.
Did it drop? Well, Hell, you'll just have to read it to find out.
This is my first experience of Hinkson's writing. And guess what? It won't be my last.
The hijacker becomes the unwilling witness, as the fat man reveals his vile self, during an at times harrowing road trip, in the claustrophobic confessional of the fat mans car.
Throughout this novel, i kept waiting for the 'other shoe to drop'. It's that type of story.
Did it drop? Well, Hell, you'll just have to read it to find out.
This is my first experience of Hinkson's writing. And guess what? It won't be my last.
October 13, 2024
A Hardboiled gem. Lives in Jim Thompson + Coen Bros country. The final chapter is inspired.
November 24, 2016
Second time around and just as goood as my last cold beer.
This a short tale of God's most miserable pissant... he's not some hard boiled bad ass with two fists of iron and a short fuse. He's just another pathetic loser working the religion racket in an Arkansas town full of hypocrites and snatching underage nookie by working a con on the innocent and the unloved.
This loser lives a life of utter fear of being discovered for being the pathetic loser that he is.
He fumbles his way into committing murder after murder - his motivation always guided by fear. A fear of being discovered for being a counterfeit man lacking the courage and the morals of a mongrel throw-back.
It's not a pleasant read but it is brilliantly written from the 1st page to the final paragraph.
I have owned this slim novel for a couple of years in Kindle format and was recently given a copy of the trade paperback as a birthday gift.
Sat right down and read it straight through from cover to cover.
Perfect!
This a short tale of God's most miserable pissant... he's not some hard boiled bad ass with two fists of iron and a short fuse. He's just another pathetic loser working the religion racket in an Arkansas town full of hypocrites and snatching underage nookie by working a con on the innocent and the unloved.
This loser lives a life of utter fear of being discovered for being the pathetic loser that he is.
He fumbles his way into committing murder after murder - his motivation always guided by fear. A fear of being discovered for being a counterfeit man lacking the courage and the morals of a mongrel throw-back.
It's not a pleasant read but it is brilliantly written from the 1st page to the final paragraph.
I have owned this slim novel for a couple of years in Kindle format and was recently given a copy of the trade paperback as a birthday gift.
Sat right down and read it straight through from cover to cover.
Perfect!
May 18, 2015
Wow. I was pleasantly surprised with this one. This has got the characteristics of a classic noir with an added dash of sick and twisted. You can't beat a book that has a corrupt sheriff as one of the main characters. There are also some really good lines and dialogue. The story flows well from twist to twist. I'd like to read more from this author and more titles from New Pulp Press.
July 10, 2022
very good noir. good writing. tough and even funny sometimes. a twist in the plot in the first few pages and suprising but quite expected ending.
June 22, 2012
'Hell on Church Street' is a small town noir comprising of a pulp-like linear plotting centred on a youth minister who succumbs to his desires for the pastor’s daughter. With a gripping opening, Hinkson holds the reader at gunpoint and forces you turn the page at breakneck pace. While morphing into something vastly different from its earlier impression, 'Hell on Church Street' is still an entertaining read with a complete cast all well defined and important to the plot.
Geoffrey Webb is a man with whom bad intentions come as naturally as the lies he preaches to the youth. Corrupt local sheriff, Doolittle Norris catches on to the Minsters late night activities with an underage church-goer and soon bodies start piling up in a scarily un-natural way which comes ever so natural to Webb.
I can see why comparisons are drawn between 'Hell on Church Street' and the great masters of noir - this one fits the bill in many ways, however it didnt quite reach the heights I'd hoped. Certainly worth a look. 3 stars
Geoffrey Webb is a man with whom bad intentions come as naturally as the lies he preaches to the youth. Corrupt local sheriff, Doolittle Norris catches on to the Minsters late night activities with an underage church-goer and soon bodies start piling up in a scarily un-natural way which comes ever so natural to Webb.
I can see why comparisons are drawn between 'Hell on Church Street' and the great masters of noir - this one fits the bill in many ways, however it didnt quite reach the heights I'd hoped. Certainly worth a look. 3 stars
January 17, 2019
L'enchaînement des événements est tel dans ce roman qu'il ne se lit pas, il se dévore ! C'est même pénible de devoir le laisser de côté tant l'histoire du narrateur est dingue, diabolique et surprenante ! L'auteur étant lui-même croyant, je ne m'attendais pas à une telle critique de la religion ou, plus précisément, de ses rouages et de ses mesquines guerres internes propres aux petites villes américaines. C'est merveilleusement grinçant, totalement immoral et on ne peut s'empêcher un vilain sourire sardonique devant la toute dernière phrase du roman. Un auteur que j'ai vraiment envie de mieux connaître !
March 31, 2013
(4.5) Yeah, I really liked it. It's always a treat to come across an author I'm not familiar with only to discover skillful talent upon reading their written material. Am looking forward to future works by Jake Hinkson. This book reminded me of a (younger) Michael Douglas movie (which I can't recall the name of at this time and don't care to research it right now either) in which he plays a character having a particularly bad day. Which only proceeds to get worse as a carjacker/thief jumps in his car at a stop light. The perpetrator soon realizes when he turns (with gun in hand) to his perceived victim, only to hear him say "Mr.; I'm having a bad day and you don't want to mess with me." Paraphrased, of course, but something like that. Anyway, you get the general idea. For Paul, "Hell on Church Street" truly begins when he gets in the wrong car with the wrong guy who is the direct result of a compilation of bad days. End result: Make your day a good day by reading this book; LOL.
June 22, 2015
Started this this morning and finished it tonight which proves that it's a hard one to put down ! Loved the first half where the main character posed as a church youth worker and was secretly up to all the sorts of things that you could think of that would be most inappropriate for such a role. Felt that it all got a bit too far fetched once he got found out and blackmailed but still a 5 star first half and 3 star second half makes 4 stars overall and I'll be seeking out other Jake Hinkson books.
P.S. Also loved the way that the main character was introduced to the story but you'll have to read the book to find that out !
P.P.S. WARNING - this book is extremely dark and not for the faint hearted.
P.S. Also loved the way that the main character was introduced to the story but you'll have to read the book to find that out !
P.P.S. WARNING - this book is extremely dark and not for the faint hearted.
September 13, 2019
Hell on Church Street by Jake Hinkson reads like a Jim Thompson pulp-noir novel from the fifties. Geoffrey Webb, slimy con-artist, lands in an Arkansas town and inserts himself into the local Baptist church culture and soon becomes enamored with the church preacher's underage daughter which leads to a further downward spiral of rip-snorting carnage.
Webb's behavior soon captures the attention of the local sheriff, who is as slimy as Webb, and the speed of his downfall increases and widens.
Hell on Church Street is recommended for those that enjoy fifties pulp noir and writers similar to Jim Thompson.
Webb's behavior soon captures the attention of the local sheriff, who is as slimy as Webb, and the speed of his downfall increases and widens.
Hell on Church Street is recommended for those that enjoy fifties pulp noir and writers similar to Jim Thompson.
October 3, 2018
Con la recensione di oggi, concludo in bellezza la mia serie di post dedicati alle letture scelte tra le tante interessanti proposte all’interno della collana La Metà Oscura de Le Edizioni del Capricorno. Il libro in questione è dell’americano Jake Hinkston, intitolato Inferno in Church Street: una mirabolante discesa nel buio della mente di Geoffrey Webb, un uomo capace di infrangere tutte i dettami del vivere civile senza il minimo scrupolo… La storia è davvero singolare, molto accattivante. Se cercate emozioni forti, allacciate le cinture e lanciatevi nella folle corsa della vita senza regole del protagonista di questo libro.
Geoffrey Webb, grassoccio e dall’aspetto apparentemente innocuo, subisce un tentativo di rapina da parte di un balordo mentre si trova in una sperduta stazione di servizio nell’Oklahoma. Webb si sta dirigendo verso l’Arkansas, parla come un truffatore fuori dal giro da un po’, ma si intuisce che è del mestiere. All’aggressore propone un ambiguo e strano affare: potrà intascare i tremila dollari che ha nel portafoglio, a patto di ascoltare la storia della sua originale quanto inquietante vita…
Inferno in Church Street si è rivelata una lettura davvero appassionante. La storia è di quelle che non lasciano indifferenti, caratterizzata dal ritmo febbrile e dal linguaggio essenziale, conciso. Sono rimasta affascinata dalla trama e dal protagonista, un personaggio totalmente fuori dagli schemi, un ragazzo imbranato e isolato che, grazie alla chiesa battista e al gruppo giovanile, vede cambiare la sua condizione. Anche il ministro della sua chiesa, un giovane battista, ex paria come lui, gli tende una mano e lo conforta rassicurandolo che Dio lo ama. In realtà Geoffrey non crede assolutamente in Dio, ma realizza che “la religione è il lavoro più geniale mai inventato, perché nessuno perde soldi fingendo di parlare all’uomo invisibile che sta lassù” e può diventare un business piuttosto redditizio. Nascosto dietro una rassicurante maschera di timidezza e inoffensività diviene in seguito il cappellano della chiesa battista di Little Rock, con devastanti e inimmaginabili conseguenze. Cruciale l’incontro con Angela, la figlia del pastore Card, una diciassettenne insignificante e senza particolari attrattive, della quale Webb s’invaghisce inspiegabilmente e in modo folgorante. Da qui in poi, una sconvolgente catena di orribili eventi risucchierà la vita di Geoffrey in un vortice di violenza inaudita, lasciando il lettore a bocca aperta. Quest’uomo non prova senso di colpa per le nefandezze che ha commesso e non sente l’esigenza di dover chiedere perdono a nessuno, nemmeno a Dio; considera il mondo un inferno. L’unica emozione che prova è la paura, ma quella di vivere. Jake Hinkson ci regala un personaggio impudente, controverso e dissoluto. Un protagonista diverso, scandaloso, che non si pente mai. Una lettura originale che ci guida nei recessi più bui e nascosti dell’animo umano e che non ha paura di smentire, in maniera cruda e diretta, la convinzione comune che in fondo all’anima di tutti, anche quella della persona più abietta e crudele, ci sia sempre almeno un briciolo di umanità. Lettura interessante.
www.ilviziodileggereblog.wordpress.com se vi va, seguitemi anche su instagram: @lettriceassorta
Geoffrey Webb, grassoccio e dall’aspetto apparentemente innocuo, subisce un tentativo di rapina da parte di un balordo mentre si trova in una sperduta stazione di servizio nell’Oklahoma. Webb si sta dirigendo verso l’Arkansas, parla come un truffatore fuori dal giro da un po’, ma si intuisce che è del mestiere. All’aggressore propone un ambiguo e strano affare: potrà intascare i tremila dollari che ha nel portafoglio, a patto di ascoltare la storia della sua originale quanto inquietante vita…
Inferno in Church Street si è rivelata una lettura davvero appassionante. La storia è di quelle che non lasciano indifferenti, caratterizzata dal ritmo febbrile e dal linguaggio essenziale, conciso. Sono rimasta affascinata dalla trama e dal protagonista, un personaggio totalmente fuori dagli schemi, un ragazzo imbranato e isolato che, grazie alla chiesa battista e al gruppo giovanile, vede cambiare la sua condizione. Anche il ministro della sua chiesa, un giovane battista, ex paria come lui, gli tende una mano e lo conforta rassicurandolo che Dio lo ama. In realtà Geoffrey non crede assolutamente in Dio, ma realizza che “la religione è il lavoro più geniale mai inventato, perché nessuno perde soldi fingendo di parlare all’uomo invisibile che sta lassù” e può diventare un business piuttosto redditizio. Nascosto dietro una rassicurante maschera di timidezza e inoffensività diviene in seguito il cappellano della chiesa battista di Little Rock, con devastanti e inimmaginabili conseguenze. Cruciale l’incontro con Angela, la figlia del pastore Card, una diciassettenne insignificante e senza particolari attrattive, della quale Webb s’invaghisce inspiegabilmente e in modo folgorante. Da qui in poi, una sconvolgente catena di orribili eventi risucchierà la vita di Geoffrey in un vortice di violenza inaudita, lasciando il lettore a bocca aperta. Quest’uomo non prova senso di colpa per le nefandezze che ha commesso e non sente l’esigenza di dover chiedere perdono a nessuno, nemmeno a Dio; considera il mondo un inferno. L’unica emozione che prova è la paura, ma quella di vivere. Jake Hinkson ci regala un personaggio impudente, controverso e dissoluto. Un protagonista diverso, scandaloso, che non si pente mai. Una lettura originale che ci guida nei recessi più bui e nascosti dell’animo umano e che non ha paura di smentire, in maniera cruda e diretta, la convinzione comune che in fondo all’anima di tutti, anche quella della persona più abietta e crudele, ci sia sempre almeno un briciolo di umanità. Lettura interessante.
www.ilviziodileggereblog.wordpress.com se vi va, seguitemi anche su instagram: @lettriceassorta
September 30, 2015
Ok, noir fans, I'm pounding the table. Read this book! Best ending of any book I've ever read. And the ride to get there? Don't want to spoil it by saying too much because the way it shifts after the beginning is a big part of the pleasure and you need to experience it as you read. Immediately re-read this after I finished it. Absolutely love this book. Dark, powerful, and transgressive. Warning, though, it is sure to offend religious conservatives. But to quote Mr. Kurtz: "The horror! The horror!" It's in us all, it's in this world, and it is in this book!
January 30, 2016
This noir crime novel is filled with sleazy unlikeable characters but it is well written and has a lot of suspense. Recommended for fans of violent hard boiled crime fiction.
March 2, 2018
C’est un roman court et intense dans lequel l’action est présente jusqu’à la fin, et puis j'adore la plume de Jake Hinkson, une belle découverte avec cet auteur sudiste !
Voila un extrait que je trouve très représentatif de l’ensemble du roman :
En même temps, la troisième vérité fondamentale de l’existence est la suivante: pour 99,9 pour cent du monde, vous n’existez pas. Je ne suis pas dans l’auto-apitoiement, là, puisque c’est de vous que je parle. Vous n’existez pas pour la plupart du reste du monde. Combien de personnes savent même que vous existez ? Et parmi ceux-là, combien s’en préoccupent ? Ne faites pas le compte si vous êtes facilement déprimé.
Voila un extrait que je trouve très représentatif de l’ensemble du roman :
En même temps, la troisième vérité fondamentale de l’existence est la suivante: pour 99,9 pour cent du monde, vous n’existez pas. Je ne suis pas dans l’auto-apitoiement, là, puisque c’est de vous que je parle. Vous n’existez pas pour la plupart du reste du monde. Combien de personnes savent même que vous existez ? Et parmi ceux-là, combien s’en préoccupent ? Ne faites pas le compte si vous êtes facilement déprimé.
November 17, 2016
Hell of a book. The comparisons to Jim Thompson are quite deserved, too. I've already added the rest of Hinkson's catalog to the old Amazon wish list. You should probably do the same.
July 27, 2024
Solid crime story with strong noir elements. This is my genre of choice. The characterizations are good, appropriate setting and the plot fits very well. Then why the 3 stars? I’m not sure. The story is told as a dispassionate narrative from the first person, which I found off putting. This is probably a choice by the author to show how the lead character thinks.
Maybe you will have a different experience, judging from other reviews I am an outlier.
Maybe you will have a different experience, judging from other reviews I am an outlier.
Read
March 16, 2017Not finished-put on hold at 45/50%
May 6, 2016
L'Enfer de Church Street est un roman assez court que j'ai dévoré en un après-midi. Le récit démarre sur les chapeaux de roue, avec le braquage de Geoffery Webb, gros monsieur adipeux en quête de rédemption. Ou pas.
Le personnage de Webb, qui devient rapidement le narrateur principal est étonnant, il nous retrace son enfance difficile, sa rencontre avec Dieu, alors adolescent malingre et insipide, presque invisible, jusqu'à ce qu'il trouve sa voie, censée lui permettre de satisfaire ses ambitions, a priori modestes. À la fois cynique, faussement innocent, victime des circonstances, jeune homme naïf, mais finalement pas très scrupuleux si l'on considère sa faculté d'adaptation, Webb est indéfinissable, son degré de sincérité reste le plus grand mystère et l'on se surprend à avoir tour à tour de la sympathie pour lui, de la compassion, du mépris, et de l'horreur. L'humour est très présent, mais à un degré très subtil, et la religion en prend pour son grade. L'hypocrisie de cette dernière est mise en évidence, ainsi que son lien étroit avec le crime et le péché, les uns n'allant pas sans les autres. La personnalité de Webb reflète bien ce fonctionnement de la justification de tout et n'importe quoi, jusqu'à l'absurde. Apparemment pur et sans tache, occasionnellement troublé par quelques émois masculins, victime des tentations mais décidé à y succomber sans trop culpabilité et avec une certaine méthode, il se dédouane avec beaucoup de facilité et justifie même le pire, s'auto-persuadant de sa sincérité. Les voies du Seigneur étant, comme on le sait, impénétrables. Webb est vraiment un personnage riche, à part, aussi pathétique que détestable, à la fois victime et bourreau, sans trop de conscience et très opportuniste. L'occasion fait le larron !
L'auteur étant lui-même issu d'une famille baptiste et d'un père diacre, il a largement de quoi alimenter son œuvre littéraire. Heureusement, il s'en est sorti ! Un auteur à suivre de très près et dont j'attends les nouvelles parutions chez Gallmeister.
Le personnage de Webb, qui devient rapidement le narrateur principal est étonnant, il nous retrace son enfance difficile, sa rencontre avec Dieu, alors adolescent malingre et insipide, presque invisible, jusqu'à ce qu'il trouve sa voie, censée lui permettre de satisfaire ses ambitions, a priori modestes. À la fois cynique, faussement innocent, victime des circonstances, jeune homme naïf, mais finalement pas très scrupuleux si l'on considère sa faculté d'adaptation, Webb est indéfinissable, son degré de sincérité reste le plus grand mystère et l'on se surprend à avoir tour à tour de la sympathie pour lui, de la compassion, du mépris, et de l'horreur. L'humour est très présent, mais à un degré très subtil, et la religion en prend pour son grade. L'hypocrisie de cette dernière est mise en évidence, ainsi que son lien étroit avec le crime et le péché, les uns n'allant pas sans les autres. La personnalité de Webb reflète bien ce fonctionnement de la justification de tout et n'importe quoi, jusqu'à l'absurde. Apparemment pur et sans tache, occasionnellement troublé par quelques émois masculins, victime des tentations mais décidé à y succomber sans trop culpabilité et avec une certaine méthode, il se dédouane avec beaucoup de facilité et justifie même le pire, s'auto-persuadant de sa sincérité. Les voies du Seigneur étant, comme on le sait, impénétrables. Webb est vraiment un personnage riche, à part, aussi pathétique que détestable, à la fois victime et bourreau, sans trop de conscience et très opportuniste. L'occasion fait le larron !
L'auteur étant lui-même issu d'une famille baptiste et d'un père diacre, il a largement de quoi alimenter son œuvre littéraire. Heureusement, il s'en est sorti ! Un auteur à suivre de très près et dont j'attends les nouvelles parutions chez Gallmeister.
August 1, 2013
I’m swimming against a big tide on this one. Not against the tide exactly, more across it. Hell On Church Street has a mass of excellent reviews and it may well be that they offer a more rounded opinion than I can.
I did enjoy the read and think the idea for the story is really strong. A tough man, down on his luck, returns to crime to support himself. He waits patiently for a soft target and finds him in a flabby slob with poor personal hygiene. He takes the slob to his car and they drive off, the slob with a gun to his head. Tables are turned when the driver put his foot to the floor and keeps it there.
It turns out that the soft target is only soft on the outside and we hear his very dark story as they drive along.
Geoffrey Webb’s the name of the driver. He was a non-descript student who saw an opportunity to use his intelligence to take up and exploit a position in the church. He becomes a youth minister, but falls in love with the minister’s daughter and a catalogue of disasters ensues. There’s no doubt about it, it’s dark, edgy and well written.
My overriding feeling is that it’s the relationship between the 2 men in the opening and closing scenes that held most of my interest.
Hinkson’s twist is really smart. For that reason, I’d have preferred it if the central piece (the bulk of the tale) had been trimmed and feel that this would have made an outstanding short story of decent length rather than a good novel the way things are. I see it like a sandwich where the meat’s on the outside and the bread’s in the middle, if you can imagine such a thing.
Yes, it’s pretty good and I liked it. I’d recommend it as a read and feel that the weight of opinion in its favour amplifies that thought tenfold.
Take a look. See if you know what I mean.
I did enjoy the read and think the idea for the story is really strong. A tough man, down on his luck, returns to crime to support himself. He waits patiently for a soft target and finds him in a flabby slob with poor personal hygiene. He takes the slob to his car and they drive off, the slob with a gun to his head. Tables are turned when the driver put his foot to the floor and keeps it there.
It turns out that the soft target is only soft on the outside and we hear his very dark story as they drive along.
Geoffrey Webb’s the name of the driver. He was a non-descript student who saw an opportunity to use his intelligence to take up and exploit a position in the church. He becomes a youth minister, but falls in love with the minister’s daughter and a catalogue of disasters ensues. There’s no doubt about it, it’s dark, edgy and well written.
My overriding feeling is that it’s the relationship between the 2 men in the opening and closing scenes that held most of my interest.
Hinkson’s twist is really smart. For that reason, I’d have preferred it if the central piece (the bulk of the tale) had been trimmed and feel that this would have made an outstanding short story of decent length rather than a good novel the way things are. I see it like a sandwich where the meat’s on the outside and the bread’s in the middle, if you can imagine such a thing.
Yes, it’s pretty good and I liked it. I’d recommend it as a read and feel that the weight of opinion in its favour amplifies that thought tenfold.
Take a look. See if you know what I mean.
January 22, 2014
"If God exists, then I think he only invented mankind so someone would know he exists. Well, that and he needed a show to watch."
I'm a sucker for noir, you add a dash of whatever you want to call this new style of Southern Grit Lit/Hillbilly Noir and I'm hooked from the start. Hinkson definitely is channeling Jim Thompson through a slightly more modern lens here. I say slightly because this story still oozes the atmosphere of the classic noirs of the 40's and 50's. It's dark, dirty, depraved, and there are no good guys. It's a book that is well served by being short, because I think spending much more time with Brother Webb would become depressing.
I will definitely be keeping my eye on Hinkson as this is a very solid debut book.
I'm a sucker for noir, you add a dash of whatever you want to call this new style of Southern Grit Lit/Hillbilly Noir and I'm hooked from the start. Hinkson definitely is channeling Jim Thompson through a slightly more modern lens here. I say slightly because this story still oozes the atmosphere of the classic noirs of the 40's and 50's. It's dark, dirty, depraved, and there are no good guys. It's a book that is well served by being short, because I think spending much more time with Brother Webb would become depressing.
I will definitely be keeping my eye on Hinkson as this is a very solid debut book.
September 4, 2012
It was Ok. A decent first novel from a solid writer. The first 100 pages were a good Jim Thompson knockoff (although I think crime writers should consider a moratorium on the psychopath's first-person narrative for about 30 years.) After page 100, the story takes a left turn and becomes an escape flick where our psychopathic narrator has to get away from a country clan led by a Ma Barkeresque character. From this point on, everything seemed to written to get to novel length.
September 8, 2020
4.4-star, my Labor Day of back-to-back Jake Hinkson novellas: Hell on Church Street and of The Posthumous Man. Both are dark noirs, rural set in Arkansas and with religious bent (or to be precise, someone adept at religious-speak who manipulates believers). For those who like Jim Thompson (The Killer Inside Me) and for those who should read Jada M. Davis (Midnight Road and One for Hell).
In flashback form, criminal and murderer Geoffrey Webb recounts his life of manipulation, centering on his ingratiation into the Higher Living Baptist Church in rural Little Rock on Church Street and the Hell he wrought....
from page 48, antagonist Brother Webb (in the first person):
I needed to ease into this. "Lot of new kids," I said. "You know, I think the best ministers for the Lord are our youth themselves. No one can reach a kid like another kid."
He propped his elbows up on the desk and rested his chin on his knuckles. "Absolutely. I've always thought that. I think the Lord is using you as a real motivator in that department, too."
And on and on. We always talked like that, Brother Card and I, giving each other imbecilic little lectures on what God was doing, constantly defining and redefining the Good Lord's "actions" and "will." If God exists, then I think he only invented mankind so someone would know he exists. Well, that and he needed a show to watch. If not for the stupid, petty little antics of humanity, what would he be doing with eternity?
In flashback form, criminal and murderer Geoffrey Webb recounts his life of manipulation, centering on his ingratiation into the Higher Living Baptist Church in rural Little Rock on Church Street and the Hell he wrought....
from page 48, antagonist Brother Webb (in the first person):
I needed to ease into this. "Lot of new kids," I said. "You know, I think the best ministers for the Lord are our youth themselves. No one can reach a kid like another kid."
He propped his elbows up on the desk and rested his chin on his knuckles. "Absolutely. I've always thought that. I think the Lord is using you as a real motivator in that department, too."
And on and on. We always talked like that, Brother Card and I, giving each other imbecilic little lectures on what God was doing, constantly defining and redefining the Good Lord's "actions" and "will." If God exists, then I think he only invented mankind so someone would know he exists. Well, that and he needed a show to watch. If not for the stupid, petty little antics of humanity, what would he be doing with eternity?
February 17, 2023
So I recently discovered that a long-time acquaintance/friend of mine is a bona fide sociopath. He lied to everyone around him about being a veteran, about having been married, about his name. Those things are all arguably harmless, but he also manipulated several women into having sex with him when they were in highly emotional and vulnerable states. When all of this started coming out and people started asking questions, he skipped town. I have no idea where he went, but wherever he is, he is probably victimizing more people and spinning another web of lies.
This book is about someone like that.
This book is about someone like that.
November 30, 2023
Some books, when you start them, you're not sure if you are going to like the book or not. Everything is up in the air. But I knew that I was going to really like this book from the first page. And I wasn't disappointed. It didn't go the way I had assumed it would (a good thing), but it was a really good read, one that you rush along to see what happens next. Even though nothing good is going to happen next.
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