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The Hunting Season
Manhattanites seek relief from the city on Mad River Mountain--inhabited by an incestuous community--in upstate New York, and coexist peacefully until the city women begin turning up dead
Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
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About the author
John Coyne
62 books34 followersJohn Coyne (born 1937) is an American writer. He is the author of more than twenty-five nonfiction and fiction books, including a number of horror novels, while his short stories have been collected in "best of" anthologies such as Modern Masters of Horror and The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror. A former Peace Corps Volunteer and a life-long lover of golf, Coyne has edited and written a number of books dealing with both subjects, the most recent two novels areThe Caddie Who Knew Ben Hogan and "The Caddie Who Played With Hickory".
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
January 13, 2020
Both King and Straub gave this 80's paperback from hell glowing blurbs so I thought I would give it a go. The Hunting Season is obscure, and deserves to stay that way. While there are some twists, the plot revolves around a family of 'city folk' who move to an old farmhouse deep in the Catskill mountains; the wife an anthropologist who is hoping to do some research on the 'hill folk' in the area, and the rich hubby who tags along for the ride. The 'hill folk' are seriously inbred with lots of deformities, brain damage, etc., and they do not take aliken to the new folk. Bad things happen. While the plot might make for a bad B movie (and I mean bad), murderous inbred hicks is pretty trite and furthermore, others have done it much better, like Off Season. If it were longer, it would be DNF.
January 7, 2016
"Originally released in 1987, The Hunting Season is a horror novel by blog favorite John Coyne which focuses on what I believe to be one of the more fertile horror sub-genres - inbred backwoods maniacs (see Deliverance, The Hills Have Eyes, Jack Ketchum's Offseason, its sequels, and more). It centers on a young woman named April Benard; widowed at the opening of the novel, now remarried and looking to turn a house in the Catskills into a base of operations for a career-defining anthropological study.
After losing her husband in a horrific car accident, and with a newborn son depending on her, April needs to find a way to take charge of her life. Four years later, it looks like all of her ducks are finally in a row: she is newly married to a powerful lawyer, her career as an anthropology teacher is thriving, and best of all, she has her sights set on a career-advancing opportunity.
In her anthropological studies, April has learned of an insular society located in Upstate New York's Catskills Mountains; a community of inbreds that have been, for lack of a better term, "recycling" their genetic stock via consanguineous breeding for a term dating back to the late 1700's, when Dutch settlers first began mixing with the indigenous Indians of the area. Little to no extensive research has been done on this group, colloquially referred to as "Pumpkinheads" due to their bizarre appearances; deformities spurred by debilitating cacogenic reproductive practices. Her desire is to research, interview, and study these people; and eventually get her findings published.
As luck would have it, near this pocket of freakish folk is a region popular with NYC residents for buying summer homes, antiquing, and enjoying the country life outside of the concrete jungle. When an attractive property appears on the market, April persuades her husband Marshall to buy it, and she prepares a summer of intensive research.
Of course, soon after they move in, things do not go as smoothly as possible. Part of the plan included family bonding time, but Marshall finds himself pulled away and tied up in court cases, leaving April alone in an unfamiliar area, and contending not only with her own son, but with Marshall's teen daughter, who has thus far been resistant to accepting her new stepmother.
Then there is also the issue of the on-premises caretaker, Luke Grange. A by-product of the local incestuous stock who has evaded the myriad deformities of his peers, he possesses model looks, an insightful mind, and a moral obligation to his "people". His intentions seem good, but straightforward, honest answers are not always forthcoming from him. He is also filling April's son Timmy's head with frightening legends and local lore, making him believe that he is seeing monsters scampering around on the property at night.
Or, are those actually really there?"
You can read my full review here:
http://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/20...
After losing her husband in a horrific car accident, and with a newborn son depending on her, April needs to find a way to take charge of her life. Four years later, it looks like all of her ducks are finally in a row: she is newly married to a powerful lawyer, her career as an anthropology teacher is thriving, and best of all, she has her sights set on a career-advancing opportunity.
In her anthropological studies, April has learned of an insular society located in Upstate New York's Catskills Mountains; a community of inbreds that have been, for lack of a better term, "recycling" their genetic stock via consanguineous breeding for a term dating back to the late 1700's, when Dutch settlers first began mixing with the indigenous Indians of the area. Little to no extensive research has been done on this group, colloquially referred to as "Pumpkinheads" due to their bizarre appearances; deformities spurred by debilitating cacogenic reproductive practices. Her desire is to research, interview, and study these people; and eventually get her findings published.
As luck would have it, near this pocket of freakish folk is a region popular with NYC residents for buying summer homes, antiquing, and enjoying the country life outside of the concrete jungle. When an attractive property appears on the market, April persuades her husband Marshall to buy it, and she prepares a summer of intensive research.
Of course, soon after they move in, things do not go as smoothly as possible. Part of the plan included family bonding time, but Marshall finds himself pulled away and tied up in court cases, leaving April alone in an unfamiliar area, and contending not only with her own son, but with Marshall's teen daughter, who has thus far been resistant to accepting her new stepmother.
Then there is also the issue of the on-premises caretaker, Luke Grange. A by-product of the local incestuous stock who has evaded the myriad deformities of his peers, he possesses model looks, an insightful mind, and a moral obligation to his "people". His intentions seem good, but straightforward, honest answers are not always forthcoming from him. He is also filling April's son Timmy's head with frightening legends and local lore, making him believe that he is seeing monsters scampering around on the property at night.
Or, are those actually really there?"
You can read my full review here:
http://hachisnaxreads.blogspot.com/20...
August 17, 2021
A decent set-up regarding mutant inbred Hill People loses its way into romance-style writing and personal dramas, suddenly pulling an inexplicable twist and dropping every interesting concept it had introduced regarding the anthropology of its "monsters".
August 14, 2017
Rather than the expected frisson of horror fiction, Coyne gives fans a novel with artificial crises and characters about whom he seems ambivalent, judging by their inconsistent behavior. The locale is a remote place in the Catskills where the natives are monstrously deformed after centuries of incestuous mating. They are the objects of research by anthropologist April Benard, who arrives from Manhattan with her husband Marshall and their offspring from earlier marriages. Supposedly the husband and wife are deeply in love but Marshall goes after women among the other estivating New Yorkers. As for April, she competes with her adolescent stepdaughter for attention from the Benards' handyman, lusty Luke. Switching among scenes of attempted rape, mutilation and murder, the story limps to a finale where April fights attacking "inbreds," led by their newly discovered kinsman.
I was looking for a horror story to read because I haven't read one for awhile and decided to read this one. I must say that it is pretty scary but the proper thing to say about this book is that it is a pretty sick story. The writing is good and the characters are interesting but the strange pumpkin-head people living in the Catskill mountains are very scary. Don't know if I'll read another book by John Coyne, maybe at Halloween. If you like scary stories, then I suggest you try this one. But, just remember, I told you it was strange.
I was looking for a horror story to read because I haven't read one for awhile and decided to read this one. I must say that it is pretty scary but the proper thing to say about this book is that it is a pretty sick story. The writing is good and the characters are interesting but the strange pumpkin-head people living in the Catskill mountains are very scary. Don't know if I'll read another book by John Coyne, maybe at Halloween. If you like scary stories, then I suggest you try this one. But, just remember, I told you it was strange.
October 30, 2016
The review by Stephen King - on the back cover - was all the motivation I needed to dive right into this book, especially since it is Halloween weekend.
"Readers are going to scream out loud ... Not to be read at night ... "
So read these dire warnings from the King of Horror.
Methinks he must not read much!
Yes, I did enjoy the book and had a hard time putting it down but the impulse to scream never once struck me nor did I suddenly develop an overwhelming fear of the dark.
Just an average thriller but perfect reading for these cool Autumn nights.
"Readers are going to scream out loud ... Not to be read at night ... "
So read these dire warnings from the King of Horror.
Methinks he must not read much!
Yes, I did enjoy the book and had a hard time putting it down but the impulse to scream never once struck me nor did I suddenly develop an overwhelming fear of the dark.
Just an average thriller but perfect reading for these cool Autumn nights.
August 17, 2011
I liked this novel, but it was a little bit predictable ... I WAS surprised, however, to learn some of the "kin"folks' secrets! I did expect somewhat of a different ending, but ... my ending would've fit more comfortably into the story's "predictable" range. I was surprised that the book was such a quick read -- after I'd had it resting on my "to be read" table for over a year!
June 1, 2012
When a generation of "hill people" inbreds, turn into maniac, blood thirsty little creatures....things go bad for April and her kids.
With some insight/background on an inbred clan, and the cycle that could happen....preidcatble, but enough twisted horror action. 3.5 stars.
With some insight/background on an inbred clan, and the cycle that could happen....preidcatble, but enough twisted horror action. 3.5 stars.
July 31, 2011
Freaky...scary and freaky. You will flip lights on in the house at night when you walk to get a glass of water. Parts of this book still make me shudder. Equal parts freaky and frightening.
June 9, 2024
Amazing and so difficult to put down.
June 30, 2021
3.5/5
I feel like this book had a lot of promise. The story, although not very original (back wood’s inbreds thirsting for blood) is still something that gives me the creeps. There are some scenes that generated a faster heart rate and kept me flipping through the pages, but there is simply too much inconsistency with the narration for me to rate it any higher. I read it all in one sitting, and I find I’m more prone to “inconsistencies” when I do so... but a lot of them I found to be completely obvious and overlooked by the author and/or editor, and the changes in character narration made this book hard to continue... at no point did I feel like I knew the characters well enough to understand their actions, which for me, is a lot of what I love about storytelling.
I feel like this book had a lot of promise. The story, although not very original (back wood’s inbreds thirsting for blood) is still something that gives me the creeps. There are some scenes that generated a faster heart rate and kept me flipping through the pages, but there is simply too much inconsistency with the narration for me to rate it any higher. I read it all in one sitting, and I find I’m more prone to “inconsistencies” when I do so... but a lot of them I found to be completely obvious and overlooked by the author and/or editor, and the changes in character narration made this book hard to continue... at no point did I feel like I knew the characters well enough to understand their actions, which for me, is a lot of what I love about storytelling.
March 26, 2010
The good part? It was short. The bad (weird) part? The plot revolves around families of incest living in the Catskill mountains. If that wasn't enough...we get a murder spree complete with blood and violence. Strange to say the least, but at least it was entertaining in some bizarre, 'other-world' way.
July 1, 2014
A good story, suspenseful.
September 26, 2019
this was a great horror story that read like a Stephen King novel
November 21, 2020
Read in 1989. A nightmarish secret is revealed in a secluded mountain community.
Read
December 24, 2025Made the mistake of thinking this pile of stinking excrement excreted by one John Coyne would be anything other than hot putrid garbage. I am not surprised Stephen King gave this some glowing blurbs and I doubt he even read the book! There are reviews on this site that say how scary this book is and how messed up it is. Nothing horror related happens til the last 50 pages. It's more of a romance drama about a bored rich beautiful housewife. And Coyne really writes women as highly emotional children who can't do anything or think for themselves. In 2 words, John COyne; HE SUCKS!
March 11, 2024
Should be called The R*ping Season instead. Seriously, if you’re sensitive at all to S/A or R*pe don��t read this.
Story started off with a bang, but then was just a slog to get through until about the 200 page mark. After that it seemed like it went by so fast that it felt rushed and I was left with questions.
Only reason why I gave it 2 stars is because the kills were so enjoyably brutal.
Story started off with a bang, but then was just a slog to get through until about the 200 page mark. After that it seemed like it went by so fast that it felt rushed and I was left with questions.
Only reason why I gave it 2 stars is because the kills were so enjoyably brutal.
April 4, 2024
This is more of a 3 1/2 stars book but I’ll bump it up to 4 for the WTF factor. Coyne doesn’t just cross the line, he catapults over it. The end felt a bit rushed but if you’re a fan of Ketchum’s OFF SEASON, then this will totally be up your sick and depraved alley.
March 15, 2020
Incredible read
Best book all year! Dont missout it will keep you up reading all night !could not put it down !
Best book all year! Dont missout it will keep you up reading all night !could not put it down !
Read
July 6, 2024I mean, if you intentionally go looking for incestuous hill people, you can't really be surprised when they actually show up.
July 1, 2016
Consanguineous breeding in the Catskills - continuously since the 1700s - OH MY !!!
This book really caught my fancy - and oh, the second husband...there's a trip.
This book really caught my fancy - and oh, the second husband...there's a trip.
November 11, 2019
Not terrible, but not good enough to be worth the time. Mediocre, in other words.
March 27, 2017
I remember John Coyne's name from several stories in the thick, year's best fantasy/horror anthologies that Datlow & Winding used to edit and I read cover-to-cover every summer. His short stories made me want to read more by him. The Hunting Season starts out very well (it began to look like a 5-star book), but after about the first third (which contains some frightening, startling bits that would play great on a movie screen), it becomes a bit boring and by the end, devolves into a blood-splattered gorefest. I like my horror to be more cerebral and suspenseful than just bloody and gory. And there's a big "twist" toward the end (it has to do with the revelation of who the "bad" guy is) that is simply way too coincidental to be even remotely believable. The writing style is good, and the book flows quickly, but there's just not enough substance here.
Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews