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The Traveler and The Chicken Man
Death. Chaos. Feathers.“DEATH, CHAOS AND DESTRUCTION VISIT THE MOUNTAIN-RESORT TOWN OF INDIAN HEAD, WYOMING.”
—above-the-fold headline shouting from the Caspar Star-Tribune Monday, July 9 Special Two-Part Edition
It’s the beginning of the long Fourth of July holiday week, and Indian Head is crawling with tourists from Nebraska.
That’s good, because ex-con Jack Ross is counting on those Cornhusker dollars to keep his roadside burger-and-shake joint, Crazy’s, going. And then the screaming and the dying start, and a demented killer is caught on grainy cell-phone video fleeing the latest slaughter; he’s carrying a bloody ax.
He’s also wearing a giant, gore-spattered rooster costume.
Indian Head is immediately swamped by reporters from across the globe. The FBI also arrives to “assist” overwhelmed local and state authorities. All that doesn’t matter much to Jack, though, because he’s busy watching the tourists flee the mountains, taking their dollars and his dream of keeping Crazy’s open for another season with them…and then Jack realizes he’s got bigger problems. Evidence left at the murder scenes points straight to him as the costumed killer.
Small-town skeletons and Jack’s past soon come out to dance a death-tango as a brilliant maniac secretly hunted by the FBI for decades weaves his ultimate plan for revenge.
—above-the-fold headline shouting from the Caspar Star-Tribune Monday, July 9 Special Two-Part Edition
It’s the beginning of the long Fourth of July holiday week, and Indian Head is crawling with tourists from Nebraska.
That’s good, because ex-con Jack Ross is counting on those Cornhusker dollars to keep his roadside burger-and-shake joint, Crazy’s, going. And then the screaming and the dying start, and a demented killer is caught on grainy cell-phone video fleeing the latest slaughter; he’s carrying a bloody ax.
He’s also wearing a giant, gore-spattered rooster costume.
Indian Head is immediately swamped by reporters from across the globe. The FBI also arrives to “assist” overwhelmed local and state authorities. All that doesn’t matter much to Jack, though, because he’s busy watching the tourists flee the mountains, taking their dollars and his dream of keeping Crazy’s open for another season with them…and then Jack realizes he’s got bigger problems. Evidence left at the murder scenes points straight to him as the costumed killer.
Small-town skeletons and Jack’s past soon come out to dance a death-tango as a brilliant maniac secretly hunted by the FBI for decades weaves his ultimate plan for revenge.
616 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 30, 2024
87 people are currently reading
61 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
June 3, 2024
ARC received via NetGalley.
Quality read if at times a little long in the tooth, The Traveler And The Chicken Man is a story of a small holiday town in the grips of a terrible event, along with all the old ghosts and new revelations that stir up in its wake. Front and center of the haunting is reformed convict Jack Ross, proprietor of a road/lakeside burger shack preparing for the summer rush amid a deteriorating situation with his parents, some conflicting love interests, and a cadre of a powerful family who just aren't willing to forgive and move on from what happened in the past. When several murders begin happening in town, it seems that Jack may be responsible, or may be a target, depending on just who you ask. At times, it is funny, especially when dealing with Jack's luck, or lack thereof, in dealing with his love life, a real comedy of errors, especially facing these situations in front of his over exuberant teenage employee, or the endless jockeying between law enforcement agencies. At others, it is rather dark, while not being overly grisly, the fate of some of the victims is disturbing to read, especially as it is told from their perspective.
Some of it is predictable, though that isn't really a sin or something to hold against the book, and some of it is an odd choice, a personal opinion regarding a plot development in the last fifth of the book or so, but regardless, the author does an outstanding job of setting up the pins and knocking them down. Ultimately it was an enjoyable book, and more than that, when I was stepping away I still found myself thinking about what I had read in it; chapters, decisions, possibilities. I think that makes it better than any perceived flaws it might have, I'll remember reading this and specific parts of it for a long time. I'd recommend it!
Quality read if at times a little long in the tooth, The Traveler And The Chicken Man is a story of a small holiday town in the grips of a terrible event, along with all the old ghosts and new revelations that stir up in its wake. Front and center of the haunting is reformed convict Jack Ross, proprietor of a road/lakeside burger shack preparing for the summer rush amid a deteriorating situation with his parents, some conflicting love interests, and a cadre of a powerful family who just aren't willing to forgive and move on from what happened in the past. When several murders begin happening in town, it seems that Jack may be responsible, or may be a target, depending on just who you ask. At times, it is funny, especially when dealing with Jack's luck, or lack thereof, in dealing with his love life, a real comedy of errors, especially facing these situations in front of his over exuberant teenage employee, or the endless jockeying between law enforcement agencies. At others, it is rather dark, while not being overly grisly, the fate of some of the victims is disturbing to read, especially as it is told from their perspective.
Some of it is predictable, though that isn't really a sin or something to hold against the book, and some of it is an odd choice, a personal opinion regarding a plot development in the last fifth of the book or so, but regardless, the author does an outstanding job of setting up the pins and knocking them down. Ultimately it was an enjoyable book, and more than that, when I was stepping away I still found myself thinking about what I had read in it; chapters, decisions, possibilities. I think that makes it better than any perceived flaws it might have, I'll remember reading this and specific parts of it for a long time. I'd recommend it!
March 21, 2025
Crazy good!
Rand is your man if you are drawn to well crafted story lines, graphically illustrated characters and twisted plots. This story gives the reader crazy, lust, crazy lust, fear, heroics, honor and a strong dose of a good man having a really bad day. Guaranteed good read!
Rand is your man if you are drawn to well crafted story lines, graphically illustrated characters and twisted plots. This story gives the reader crazy, lust, crazy lust, fear, heroics, honor and a strong dose of a good man having a really bad day. Guaranteed good read!
May 25, 2025
stopped reading
I stopped reading the book when the main character, 29 years old, went into detail about how hot he found a 16-year-old girl.
I stopped reading the book when the main character, 29 years old, went into detail about how hot he found a 16-year-old girl.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews