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Georgia Bound: A Novel
Pine Hill had always been a sleepy town in the foothills of the Appalachians until mill owner Jed Norton dies in his mistress' bed. At first it looks like a heart attack, but an autopsy reveals something far more shocking. Georgia Bound is a heart-stopping tale of murder and mayhem with an ending that's sheer surprise.
Jack Monahan, a hard-boiled reporter who doesn’t believe in the supernatural, finds himself entangled in the eeriest murder mystery of his career, one that nearly gets him killed and challenges all his beliefs in science and rational behavior.
As the bodies begin dropping like flies in a cold snap, Monahan’s quest to find out what’s going on takes him on a wild odyssey from North Georgia to West Africa, South America, Italy and the South Carolina lowcountry. The suspects include a Gullah witch doctor with magical powers, the dead man’s long-abused wife, a rival mill owner who breeds race horses and man-eating piranhas, the dead man’s vengeful mistress, the corrupt sheriff, the local drug dealer and a famous televangelist who’s involved with the dead mill owner’s wife.
Jack Monahan, a hard-boiled reporter who doesn’t believe in the supernatural, finds himself entangled in the eeriest murder mystery of his career, one that nearly gets him killed and challenges all his beliefs in science and rational behavior.
As the bodies begin dropping like flies in a cold snap, Monahan’s quest to find out what’s going on takes him on a wild odyssey from North Georgia to West Africa, South America, Italy and the South Carolina lowcountry. The suspects include a Gullah witch doctor with magical powers, the dead man’s long-abused wife, a rival mill owner who breeds race horses and man-eating piranhas, the dead man’s vengeful mistress, the corrupt sheriff, the local drug dealer and a famous televangelist who’s involved with the dead mill owner’s wife.
265 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 30, 2012
12 people want to read
About the author
Frank O'Neill
1 book29 followersI grew up in Hillside, New Jersey and began writing in my teens. At 20, I hitchhiked to California and eventually landed a job as West Coast music writer for GQ Scene, an Esquire magazine for teenage boys. Later, I traveled in Mexico and Central and South America, writing for stateside magazines, teaching English as a second language and trying to stay out of the way of drug dealers, revolutionaries and rogue governments. A lot of my fiction is drawn from those days.
In 1992 I started my own business magazine, which I sold after 15 highly successful years so I could get back to my first love — writing fiction. Georgia Bound was the first effort in my journey.
My latest novel, To Kill A Dictator, is a fictional account of the last days of Anastasio Somoza, the former dictator of Nicaragua. It's inspired by my experiences in Nicaragua, when I spent a short time in prison.
In 1992 I started my own business magazine, which I sold after 15 highly successful years so I could get back to my first love — writing fiction. Georgia Bound was the first effort in my journey.
My latest novel, To Kill A Dictator, is a fictional account of the last days of Anastasio Somoza, the former dictator of Nicaragua. It's inspired by my experiences in Nicaragua, when I spent a short time in prison.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
March 21, 2015
I'm a book manuscript editor, thus I'm very particular about the books I read. I must say this was the best book I've read in a long time. If you love the Longmire series or even Sons of Anarchy, you will love this book. It's set in rural Georgia and author Frank O'Neill expertly takes the reader on journeys to the Lowcountry and even to Italy and Africa. Evocative descriptions set this author apart from the amateurs. He expertly transitions from scene to scene with eloquent and unique details. For example, he writes: "The sun was just a champagne smudge on the eastern horizon, the humid air sitting like pearls on the dandelion leaves."
The plot is well developed with many twists and turns, much like the characters themselves. The editing job, imho, is well done, so the book flows seamlessly. Overall, a highly impressive and recommended read. I hope O'Neill writes another book about Monahan, thus making this the Jack Monahan series. Also, I believe this book would translate naturally into a teleplay and would have an instant audience like the Longmire television series.
The plot is well developed with many twists and turns, much like the characters themselves. The editing job, imho, is well done, so the book flows seamlessly. Overall, a highly impressive and recommended read. I hope O'Neill writes another book about Monahan, thus making this the Jack Monahan series. Also, I believe this book would translate naturally into a teleplay and would have an instant audience like the Longmire television series.
September 13, 2014
I hadn't read more than twenty pages of GEORGIA BOUND, when I said to myself, "Man, this guy can write!" And this reaction held fast throughout the remainder of the book. Frank O'Neill is an artist with words; his descriptions of the settings and characters of the novel are as excellent as any I've read. Still, he tops this with the story he has to tell.
The novel takes place principally in Pine Hill, a once backwoods town in northern Georgia that becomes a thriving community with the arrival of the carpet industry. But prosperity has its dark side, giving credence to the adage about money being the root of all evil. The evil erupts almost simultaneously as Jack Monahan, a top-flight investigative reporter from New York, hoping to overcome a personal tragedy and get away from the crime and violence of the Big Apple, takes a job with the Pine Hill Chronicle. However, instead of tranquility, he is in for a roller-coaster ride of thrills and harrowing adventures, marked by murders, drugs, and even the supernatural.
O'Neill enriches his story with a variety of places and an assortment of characters that showcase his amazing breadth of knowledge and extensive travels. Like the warp and woof of the carpets being woven in the mills of Pine Hill, the threads are all brought together to produce an elaborate whole. You'll admire how he pulls it off. I thoroughly enjoyed GEORGIA BOUND; it is beautifully written and wonderfully told.
The novel takes place principally in Pine Hill, a once backwoods town in northern Georgia that becomes a thriving community with the arrival of the carpet industry. But prosperity has its dark side, giving credence to the adage about money being the root of all evil. The evil erupts almost simultaneously as Jack Monahan, a top-flight investigative reporter from New York, hoping to overcome a personal tragedy and get away from the crime and violence of the Big Apple, takes a job with the Pine Hill Chronicle. However, instead of tranquility, he is in for a roller-coaster ride of thrills and harrowing adventures, marked by murders, drugs, and even the supernatural.
O'Neill enriches his story with a variety of places and an assortment of characters that showcase his amazing breadth of knowledge and extensive travels. Like the warp and woof of the carpets being woven in the mills of Pine Hill, the threads are all brought together to produce an elaborate whole. You'll admire how he pulls it off. I thoroughly enjoyed GEORGIA BOUND; it is beautifully written and wonderfully told.
January 12, 2013
Georgia Bound is a beautifully written, fun read. The book combines the twists, turns and suspense of a contemporary murder mystery with the humor and sensuality of Carson McCullers, along with the eerie magic realism of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
April 24, 2014
I haven't read many mysteries, but I gave this one a try and wasn't disappointed. It might have been the length of the book that got me to take the plunge - being rather short it wasn't intimidating. Right out the blocks Frank O'Neill's prose progresses at a brisk pace. Because of this, at no point were there any low lulls, or arduous ascents in getting through it. Scattered throughout is perhaps just the right amount of topnotch metaphors and descriptions, a lot of it quite original.
Maybe the book's biggest strength is the interesting cast of characters. They are depicted in a way that makes them feel familiar. There are no cardboard cutouts here. These people have back-stories and depth, but it's all presented in a way so as to not to disrupt from the forward flow of the story. What I liked most about the characters was their dialogue, where sarcasm abounds, providing a good steady dose of humor.
Overall, there is more than meets the eye. There's a tenuous dimension of the supernatural waiting for you in this story that is quite unexpected and difficult to define. It works however, because it makes you less sure of what might be coming next. And of course, in time with the increasing suspense, there is a fair amount of action, including a couple of mean car chases. One detractor, which might be owed to my own cognitive shortcomings, is that I found the plot a mite confusing. There's quite a bit going on, quite a few characters. The good thing is it keeps you guessing. I was definitely surprised by the ending.
When it's all said and done, the greatest sign this book was a success, was the way it left me feeling after I turned the last page. I've read a few books that I just wanted to get out of the way and toss - good riddance. When I closed Georgia Bound however, I felt I missed the characters and the places. I'd gotten used to Pine Hill, and wanted to be able to sit down at one of those small town diners and order a beefsteak and some coffee.
You'd never be able to guess this is O'Neill's first novel. I was very impressed in that regard. I wouldn't bet against him on eventually publishing traditionally if that his intention. With his next book soon to be completed, his skill set will only have been further honed. I'm looking forward to reading what is to come
July 4, 2013
I received a copy of "Georgia Bound" from the author Frank O'Neill in exchange for an honest review. I was not disappointed. This is the story of three murders that happened in one week in a small town of Pine Hill, Georgia. This is a small town where everybody knows everybody's business and affairs of the heart run rampant.
Jack Monahan, a journalist and reporter moved from New York to Georgia, in order to start a new life, after the brutal murder of his wife, eleven years ago. He is now working for The Chronicle, under the direction of Gardner Lacey, Editor-in -Chief. In the past Monahan had covered stories about organized crime...but the past couldn't shield his wife.
Vern Hanson, manager at the yarn mill, "Ruby Rugs", was told by the owner, Jed Norton to fire, Billy Raiford, one of his best workers at the mill, and when he refused, Vern was let go. On his way home Vern was involved in a fatal crash with a semi.
Sheriff Truett Hall was first on the scene along with Jack covering the story. Hall ruled the death an accident.But Jack wasn't so sure this was an accident, and the sheriff was hiding something.
Then Jed Norton dies in his mistress' bed, Velma Simpson...a supposed heart attack? Velma tells Jack that his wife, Lenora Norton, found out about them a few days ago.
The autopsy report of Jed Norton reveals that he was poisoned.
Jack finds himself in the middle of the most terrifying murder plot in his career. He is determined to find out the truth. He is being stalked and he is getting too close to the truth. It is a puzzle and he needs to put all the pieces together.His investigation takes him from Georgia to Africa, and the drug cartels in Colombia. The suspects include a Gullah witch doctor, the long-abused wife, a rival mill owner who breeds race horses and man-eating piranhas, the dead man's mistress, the corrupt sheriff and the local drug dealer.
Georgia Bound is a gripping tale of murder, with a long list of believable characters and surprise ending. A very enjoyable read.
Jack Monahan, a journalist and reporter moved from New York to Georgia, in order to start a new life, after the brutal murder of his wife, eleven years ago. He is now working for The Chronicle, under the direction of Gardner Lacey, Editor-in -Chief. In the past Monahan had covered stories about organized crime...but the past couldn't shield his wife.
Vern Hanson, manager at the yarn mill, "Ruby Rugs", was told by the owner, Jed Norton to fire, Billy Raiford, one of his best workers at the mill, and when he refused, Vern was let go. On his way home Vern was involved in a fatal crash with a semi.
Sheriff Truett Hall was first on the scene along with Jack covering the story. Hall ruled the death an accident.But Jack wasn't so sure this was an accident, and the sheriff was hiding something.
Then Jed Norton dies in his mistress' bed, Velma Simpson...a supposed heart attack? Velma tells Jack that his wife, Lenora Norton, found out about them a few days ago.
The autopsy report of Jed Norton reveals that he was poisoned.
Jack finds himself in the middle of the most terrifying murder plot in his career. He is determined to find out the truth. He is being stalked and he is getting too close to the truth. It is a puzzle and he needs to put all the pieces together.His investigation takes him from Georgia to Africa, and the drug cartels in Colombia. The suspects include a Gullah witch doctor, the long-abused wife, a rival mill owner who breeds race horses and man-eating piranhas, the dead man's mistress, the corrupt sheriff and the local drug dealer.
Georgia Bound is a gripping tale of murder, with a long list of believable characters and surprise ending. A very enjoyable read.
January 29, 2013
Georgia Bound was really riveting ! Im so glad that when i sat down to start it i had enough time to just let myself keep reading. You get this tremendous interest in not only the story but the people. I totally admit as a carpet brat i had more than an insiders view on some of these topics but i know someone who worked on a small town paper so i connected & found that side fascinating as well. Im always saying that murder/mystery/ gothic intrigue get short shifted because of some of the mass market saturation of some authors. However I'm starting my own category called Literary Mystery/ Crime . Georgia Bound belongs in that group & you will be hooked the minute you start it ! So don't say i didn't warn you!
I do hope this will be the start of a new series so we can see some of these characters again!
I do hope this will be the start of a new series so we can see some of these characters again!
March 19, 2020
Great read
We had the good fortune to meet the author Frank O'Neill on a recent trip. He and his wife are very interesting people so I was intrigued to hear he had published a novel. I do enjoy a good story and Frank's book did not disappoint. It's a good murder mystery and the characters drew me in right away. I highly recommend this book.
We had the good fortune to meet the author Frank O'Neill on a recent trip. He and his wife are very interesting people so I was intrigued to hear he had published a novel. I do enjoy a good story and Frank's book did not disappoint. It's a good murder mystery and the characters drew me in right away. I highly recommend this book.
March 29, 2024
Pine Hill had always been a sleepy town in the foothills of the Appalachians until mill owner Jed Norton dies in his mistress' bed. At first it looks like a heart attack, but an autopsy reveals something far more shocking. Georgia Bound is a heart-stopping tale of murder and magic with an ending that's sheer surprise.
Jack Monahan, a tough reporter who doesn’t believe in the supernatural, finds himself entangled in the eeriest murder mystery of his career, one that nearly gets him killed and challenges all his beliefs in science and rational behavior.
As the bodies begin dropping like flies in a cold snap, Monahan’s quest to find out what’s going on takes him on a wild odyssey from North Georgia to West Africa, South America, Italy and the South Carolina lowcountry. The suspects include a Gullah witch doctor with magical powers, the dead man’s long-abused wife, a rival mill owner who breeds race horses and man-eating piranhas, the dead man’s vengeful mistress, the corrupt sheriff, the local drug dealer and a famous televangelist who’s involved with the dead mill owner’s wife.
Jack Monahan, a tough reporter who doesn’t believe in the supernatural, finds himself entangled in the eeriest murder mystery of his career, one that nearly gets him killed and challenges all his beliefs in science and rational behavior.
As the bodies begin dropping like flies in a cold snap, Monahan’s quest to find out what’s going on takes him on a wild odyssey from North Georgia to West Africa, South America, Italy and the South Carolina lowcountry. The suspects include a Gullah witch doctor with magical powers, the dead man’s long-abused wife, a rival mill owner who breeds race horses and man-eating piranhas, the dead man’s vengeful mistress, the corrupt sheriff, the local drug dealer and a famous televangelist who’s involved with the dead mill owner’s wife.
July 22, 2015
3.5 stars.. feels like a story I've read so many times before. the writing is very good, just wish it had a better plot.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews