What do you think?
Rate this book
Thorn Mystery #14
The Big Finish
A year ago Thorn’s son, Flynn Moss, disappeared into the eco-underground, his only contact with Thorn a series of postcards chronicling his exploits. But a postcard arrives unlike the others, a call for help, Thorn jumps into action, setting off for North Carolina. But before Thorn arrives, he’s intercepted by a federal agent who informs him he’s too late—Flynn had been acting as an informant for the FBI, and when his traitorous acts were discovered, he was summarily executed.
The agent proposes a scheme to catch Flynn’s killer using Thorn as bait. Thorn, full of rage, accepts the job if only to get his hands on his son’s killer. The mission takes him to a small town where the gang is holed up, planning an attack on a hog farming operation that has been polluting local rivers and spreading illness through the area.
Little by little Thorn discovers that nothing he’s been told is true, and the trap they’re setting isn’t for Flynn’s killer, but for his partner, a woman who proves more daring and dangerous than any Thorn’s ever met. She’s on her own crusade of vengeance, and she and Thorn make an uneasy alliance. With her help Thorn uncovers a conspiracy that stretches far beyond this small Carolina town.
The agent proposes a scheme to catch Flynn’s killer using Thorn as bait. Thorn, full of rage, accepts the job if only to get his hands on his son’s killer. The mission takes him to a small town where the gang is holed up, planning an attack on a hog farming operation that has been polluting local rivers and spreading illness through the area.
Little by little Thorn discovers that nothing he’s been told is true, and the trap they’re setting isn’t for Flynn’s killer, but for his partner, a woman who proves more daring and dangerous than any Thorn’s ever met. She’s on her own crusade of vengeance, and she and Thorn make an uneasy alliance. With her help Thorn uncovers a conspiracy that stretches far beyond this small Carolina town.
295 pages, Hardcover
First published December 2, 2014
47 people are currently reading
574 people want to read
About the author
James W. Hall
89 books488 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name. See this thread for more information.
James W. Hall is an Edgar and Shamus Award-winning author whose books have been translated into a dozen languages. He has written twenty-one novels, four books of poetry, two collections of short stories, and two works of non-fiction. He also won a John D. MacDonald Award for Excellence in Florida Fiction, presented by the JDM Bibliophile.
He has a master’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate in literature from the University of Utah. He was a professor of literature and creative writing at Florida International University for 40 years where he taught such writers as Vicky Hendricks, Christine Kling, Barbara Parker and Dennis Lehane.
James W. Hall is an Edgar and Shamus Award-winning author whose books have been translated into a dozen languages. He has written twenty-one novels, four books of poetry, two collections of short stories, and two works of non-fiction. He also won a John D. MacDonald Award for Excellence in Florida Fiction, presented by the JDM Bibliophile.
He has a master’s degree in creative writing from Johns Hopkins University and a doctorate in literature from the University of Utah. He was a professor of literature and creative writing at Florida International University for 40 years where he taught such writers as Vicky Hendricks, Christine Kling, Barbara Parker and Dennis Lehane.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews
November 17, 2014
Satisfying entertainment in a sub-genre that could be tagged “eco-thriller”. Our hero, Thorn (no last name), is sort of an aging hippie with some undisclosed ex-Special Forces background. He is said to resemble John McDonald’s Travis McGee, but without the social graces. He likes to live a simple life off the grid in Key West, making a living creating fishing flies. Inevitably, trouble among friends or family calls him out to apply his skills in battle with corrupt and greedy forces, typically conflicts that highlight environmental issues. Here the bad guys are linked to high-intensity hog farming in rural North Carolina.
The family member in trouble this time is an adult son, Flynn, whom he has only recently come to know. In a prior book, he introduced him to the beauty of the Florida environment, which leads Flynn down a path to eco-activism. The group he now works with, the Earth Liberation Front, has stepped up their scale of actions to the point they are wanted by the FBI for various actions identified as eco-terrorism. In the first scenes of the book, their spying on a hog farm’s operations has turned up an affiliated drug business, and in defense their camp is subject to a brutal armed attack. A postcard from his son about impending dangers leads Thorn to head north to look for Flynn, but as he doesn’t have a driver’s license, his buddy Sugarman agrees to drive him. I love this charming and funny buddy of his, a black private detective who serves as a set of brakes when Thorn’s rage gets out of hand (the opposite of the more typical scenario of bad-boy sidekicks you might recognize under the names of Hawk, Clete, Joe Pike, or Mouse).
The tale has lots of twists and turns as good guys turn into bad, and some betrayals occur among the bad guys. The sardonic coverage over the excesses of cruelties of the hog farm and its pollution impact feels a bit of like Sinclair Lewis crossed with Hiassen. The disgust button is pushed too often for my comfort. One twisted killer who developed a fascistic approach to veganism in prison balances the equation favoring envronmentalists. More caper than mystery, but a bit more Ellroy than Ellmore. The dark humor in Hall’s vision is definitely worth checking out, regardless of series order. Tis is my 12th, so you can say I am a fan. Hall's writing skills reflect his origins as a poet and three decades leading the creative writing program of Florida International University.
This book was provided as an advance e-book copy by the Netgalley program.
The family member in trouble this time is an adult son, Flynn, whom he has only recently come to know. In a prior book, he introduced him to the beauty of the Florida environment, which leads Flynn down a path to eco-activism. The group he now works with, the Earth Liberation Front, has stepped up their scale of actions to the point they are wanted by the FBI for various actions identified as eco-terrorism. In the first scenes of the book, their spying on a hog farm’s operations has turned up an affiliated drug business, and in defense their camp is subject to a brutal armed attack. A postcard from his son about impending dangers leads Thorn to head north to look for Flynn, but as he doesn’t have a driver’s license, his buddy Sugarman agrees to drive him. I love this charming and funny buddy of his, a black private detective who serves as a set of brakes when Thorn’s rage gets out of hand (the opposite of the more typical scenario of bad-boy sidekicks you might recognize under the names of Hawk, Clete, Joe Pike, or Mouse).
The tale has lots of twists and turns as good guys turn into bad, and some betrayals occur among the bad guys. The sardonic coverage over the excesses of cruelties of the hog farm and its pollution impact feels a bit of like Sinclair Lewis crossed with Hiassen. The disgust button is pushed too often for my comfort. One twisted killer who developed a fascistic approach to veganism in prison balances the equation favoring envronmentalists. More caper than mystery, but a bit more Ellroy than Ellmore. The dark humor in Hall’s vision is definitely worth checking out, regardless of series order. Tis is my 12th, so you can say I am a fan. Hall's writing skills reflect his origins as a poet and three decades leading the creative writing program of Florida International University.
This book was provided as an advance e-book copy by the Netgalley program.
May 18, 2021
Big Hall/Thorne fan but this was disappointing.
February 15, 2021
Thorn is a Key-West-based loner (except for his friend, Sugarman) who makes fancy fishing lures and lives off the grid. His son, maybe inspired by his dad is involved with a group of eco-warriors who have staked out a truly environmentally ugly hog operation in North Carolina. Unknown to the eco-activists, the hog operation is a front for a drug production enterprise run by some truly bad people (bad enough in terms of either the hog or drug operations) who are willing to kill to keep things quiet. When Thorn stops hearing from his son (who he's known but for a short time), or think he hears a cry for help. he and Sugarman go north to find him. Their journey gets interrupted by a FBI agent named Cruz (maybe she is, maybe she isn't) who is connected to a couple of the Florida freaks that Hal loves to write about.
Cruz tells Thorn at one point that he only seems to be a laid back guy, and that he is really a violent, headstrong guy behind the front. She's pretty mch right, especially about the headstrong part. Having encountered two murder victims along the way, and cut himself off from his sane pal, Sugarman, Thorn's idea of a plan is to go to the heart of the company town that is Pineville, NC, and to make himself open and obvious to whoever might have hurt his son and his comrades. The approach is typical for Thorn, and the novel works pretty much as most of the others in the series have with one exception. Thorn really is driven to save his son the product of a one-night stand twenty-some years earlier, who first popped up in the Thorn books about three titles ago. That drive is what sets this book apart from some of the others.
Cruz tells Thorn at one point that he only seems to be a laid back guy, and that he is really a violent, headstrong guy behind the front. She's pretty mch right, especially about the headstrong part. Having encountered two murder victims along the way, and cut himself off from his sane pal, Sugarman, Thorn's idea of a plan is to go to the heart of the company town that is Pineville, NC, and to make himself open and obvious to whoever might have hurt his son and his comrades. The approach is typical for Thorn, and the novel works pretty much as most of the others in the series have with one exception. Thorn really is driven to save his son the product of a one-night stand twenty-some years earlier, who first popped up in the Thorn books about three titles ago. That drive is what sets this book apart from some of the others.
November 25, 2014
This was the first Thorn novel I have read, so I had no background knowledge or character expectations going in. This was easily readable as a stand alone novel. Just enough material is provided to bring the reader up to speed.
I enjoyed many elements in this book. The settings and plot lines where well laid out and structured. There are also some excellent characters in this story. These characters have their own, sometimes extraordinary, features that really set them apart.
While I mentioned the plot was well structured, it also wasn't especially complicated and that made for a fairly direct while at times uninteresting read.
The larger issue I had with this story lies with the characters themselves. They are very well fleshed out, but at times they react in odd or unpredictable ways. Mostly this is found in a certain character X-88. At times, this character is portrayed as thuggish and slow, and at others he is spouting latin names for flowers and body parts. Other characters physical abilities seem to wax and wane in this same fashion.
For me, this made the story someone slapdash and thrown together.
I enjoyed many elements in this book. The settings and plot lines where well laid out and structured. There are also some excellent characters in this story. These characters have their own, sometimes extraordinary, features that really set them apart.
While I mentioned the plot was well structured, it also wasn't especially complicated and that made for a fairly direct while at times uninteresting read.
The larger issue I had with this story lies with the characters themselves. They are very well fleshed out, but at times they react in odd or unpredictable ways. Mostly this is found in a certain character X-88. At times, this character is portrayed as thuggish and slow, and at others he is spouting latin names for flowers and body parts. Other characters physical abilities seem to wax and wane in this same fashion.
For me, this made the story someone slapdash and thrown together.
May 16, 2015
It pains me a bit to give Jim less than 5 stars since he is a great writer, a wonderful human being and I have followed the Thorn character since inception. Often, a series (TV or book) loses momentum with the introduction of an additional character, usually a child or with a change in circumstance or location and that appears to have happened here. Injection of his son as the core plot and shifting Thorn out of Key Largo shifts the entire thrust of the series in a direction I find wanting even though it is told by one of the most descriptive and talented writers in the business. Rumor has it that with the finish of the Thorn series, Jim will move to a female protagonist so I am looking forward to it.
May 12, 2016
Until the halfway mark of this one, I was afraid I was going to have to stretch to give it as high as three stars. But about halfway through, it improved. Part of my problem at first was that I didn't believe anybody would do what the people were doing in this novel; irrational decisions on every single character's part had me shaking my head. But I kept reading, and the last half was actiony enough that I forget the first half.
February 21, 2015
Enjoyable entry in the Thorn series, worth a 3.5 rating. Not all that memorable and not as good as more recent entries in the series but it's still quality entertainment. If you're a Thorn fan like myself, you'll like the story and Sugarman plays a bigger role than he has in a while, which is a good thing. Recommended.
December 28, 2014
I'm bummed that Thorn was given such a mediocre finale.
August 15, 2017
The last of the Hall books that I've been reading and now brings me up-to-date on his work. I have to say this Thorn novel was a disappointment. In one later work, Thorn learns he has twin sons, from a one time encounter with a young girl. During the course of the book, one twin dies, a sociopathic killer. The other runs away into a life of environmental terrorism. In this book, spoiler alert, THAT son dies. WHY bother creating these characters only to kill them off in five, four, three, two....??? I can't tell if this mysterious super environmentalist, "Cassandra" is supposed to be a heroine and sympathetic, but I loathe her. She escapes...again. Thorn continues to fall into trouble, like he always does. Flynn is now "former" FBI but uses his past to help Thorn, Sugarman is in and out of the plot. There's a noble little girl with no legs and her waitress Mom. The blue collared Madonna. I couldn't wait to be finished with this. If Hall's next release kills off Thorn, I would not be singing the Florida Blues.
November 7, 2017
I enjoy this author but in this book the crime scene was too rough for me so I skipped over it. But I enjoyed the characters esp. Thorn & Sugarman. The basic plot involves Thorn looking for his son and environmental 'terrorist, but non-violent' who may have been killed or injured by an unethical hog farmer.
May 23, 2020
One can good book
Thorn is the superman of thunderous keeps himself plodding forward to the end his son no longer alive his goals as an elf were ended too soon sad ending to the son he never really got a chance to know ...... Stay safe here in costs Rica time goes by just one more sunrise getting back to the new normal ciao...
Thorn is the superman of thunderous keeps himself plodding forward to the end his son no longer alive his goals as an elf were ended too soon sad ending to the son he never really got a chance to know ...... Stay safe here in costs Rica time goes by just one more sunrise getting back to the new normal ciao...
June 6, 2021
Grabbed my attention immediately and did not let go. It has been a number of years since I read a Thorn book and we are both getting older.
The ending was not all-satisfying as the destruction of North Carolina by corporate greed continues with the aid and assistance of the NC General Assembly
So all in all, another good book by James W Hall. Just ordered a couple I missed.
The ending was not all-satisfying as the destruction of North Carolina by corporate greed continues with the aid and assistance of the NC General Assembly
So all in all, another good book by James W Hall. Just ordered a couple I missed.
June 24, 2020
I love this series!
Full of excitement, intrigue, twists and turns - a real rocket ride! Read it pretty quickly. Lots of other adjectives and adverbs I could use but I think, “You should read it” is plenty. Oh, and think about vegetarianism.
Full of excitement, intrigue, twists and turns - a real rocket ride! Read it pretty quickly. Lots of other adjectives and adverbs I could use but I think, “You should read it” is plenty. Oh, and think about vegetarianism.
October 1, 2025
First "Thorn" book I have read, and although it is #14, I didn't have to read the prior ones in order to enjoy this one and find it good! It kept my interest, was page-turning, and I didn't mind the gross parts. It took me 2 days to read. I can see enjoying other THORN books.
October 29, 2025
Thorn tries to save his son who is on a crusade in protect the environment & is in trouble. Interesting characters travel from the FL Keys to the pig farms of No Carolina and the lawlessness of a small town. Very engrossng with a good ending
July 8, 2017
Possibly the best of the series
The book can be tough and emotionally wrenching. Exciting read. I read it in a day. I highly recommend it. Good read
The book can be tough and emotionally wrenching. Exciting read. I read it in a day. I highly recommend it. Good read
September 25, 2017
Yes
Yes.
A great read. Sadness for the ending but Thorn goes on. So does Sugarman. Next........There has to be eventual peace. Right?
Yes.
A great read. Sadness for the ending but Thorn goes on. So does Sugarman. Next........There has to be eventual peace. Right?
October 9, 2017
Greed and violence. Drugs and conspiracy.
July 4, 2018
Great series. Enjoy!
July 4, 2018
Disappointing end to the Thorn series.
July 29, 2018
So Sad
October 11, 2018
very good book
September 1, 2020
The usual mysterious tale unfolds bit by bit. The ending was disappointing; it seemed rushed and the story discarded abruptly. Enjoyed the characters as usual.
November 5, 2020
Seven word review = Thorn never finds the giant from Helsinki.
January 28, 2021
Hall has provided the reader with an action-filled book with some familiar characters & some new ones. A great addition to the Thorne saga!
February 15, 2021
Scary! Good action book
July 21, 2023
I thought this was the last of the series but I see there are two more at least? I'm curious there's no mention of the Flynn's baby daughter? Did he know he had a child?
March 14, 2017
fun read
March 3, 2017
Mr. Hall never disappoints! Nasty crew and managed to turn me off bacon... for a little while.
March 15, 2018
This is among the best books in this series! It's probably his darkest book since Silencer (2009), and his most thoroughly entertaining book since Hell's Bay (2008). Picking up where Going Dark led off, it picks up a disaster in the making for Thorn's son, Flynn, in eastern North Carolina, leaving his fate unknown. Thorn is in Key Largo before he is drawn by a postcard and a friend of Sugarman's into making the trip northward to find out what happened to his son.
Hall's range of characters is splendid on both the protagonist and antagonist side of things. His main villain is a hardcore vegetarian, super strong with an almost fantasy-level sense of smell (which Hall explains well scientifically), and has a method of killing that is a first for me in fiction. Hall's previous excursion into North Carolina as the primary location of his story was 2004's Forests of the Night , which is easily my least favorite work of his. However, this time was wonderful. His location descriptions at Key Largo, at St Augustine, and along the Neuse River in North Carolina are vivid. The series of double crosses and revelations of various characters is always intriguing. The level of danger that Thorn faces, including a great finale, kept me constantly on edge. I'm always a fan of any book in this series that features a lot of Sugarman, and the balance of his and the other multiple narratives was very satisfying.
Finally, there are so many great moments of inner reflection through the characters. I love this moment in chapter 9, where Thorn is walking outside his motel room in St. Augustine.
"All the years, all his passions, all the loves that had come and gone had led to this empty stretch of asphalt. At that moment he could think of nothing he'd done with the heft or significance to match all that he had not done or done poorly."
I think if Cormac McCarthy were a fan of genre fiction, he would love this series and especially this entry.
Hall's range of characters is splendid on both the protagonist and antagonist side of things. His main villain is a hardcore vegetarian, super strong with an almost fantasy-level sense of smell (which Hall explains well scientifically), and has a method of killing that is a first for me in fiction. Hall's previous excursion into North Carolina as the primary location of his story was 2004's Forests of the Night , which is easily my least favorite work of his. However, this time was wonderful. His location descriptions at Key Largo, at St Augustine, and along the Neuse River in North Carolina are vivid. The series of double crosses and revelations of various characters is always intriguing. The level of danger that Thorn faces, including a great finale, kept me constantly on edge. I'm always a fan of any book in this series that features a lot of Sugarman, and the balance of his and the other multiple narratives was very satisfying.
Finally, there are so many great moments of inner reflection through the characters. I love this moment in chapter 9, where Thorn is walking outside his motel room in St. Augustine.
"All the years, all his passions, all the loves that had come and gone had led to this empty stretch of asphalt. At that moment he could think of nothing he'd done with the heft or significance to match all that he had not done or done poorly."
I think if Cormac McCarthy were a fan of genre fiction, he would love this series and especially this entry.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 84 reviews