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The Long Way #1
The Road Cain Walks
When psychologist Joe Richards came home to Pine Haven, he expected to find the same tranquil town he left ten years ago. One that hadn’t seen a murder in decades. One without Grady Perlson or the vicious thing inside him. But when the bodies start turning up and the local sheriff’s department has trouble finding answers, his newest client’s past might explain it all and warn of worse to come. Dark and introspective, The Road Cain Walks explores the consequences of regret as it builds constant tension towards its staggering conclusion.
744 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2003
About the author
Matt Kilby
2 books26 followersMatt Kilby lives in North Carolina, where he continues to write. His first novel, The Road Cain Walks, is the first book in a series that will span multiple genres and themes. You can find him on Twitter @Gradyperlson and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/mattkilbybooks.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
October 1, 2016
The small town of Pine Haven is visited by Joe Richards, a psychologist who grew up in the town. Joe’s visit is partly to assess a violent prisoner and partly to try and come to terms with his own inner demons. While Pine Haven has remained an idyllic place to live, the secrets, the worries and the resentments scurrying beneath the surface of the town’s fabric are placing a strain on all that live there. And when Pine Haven is torn apart by a murder, Joe starts wondering if there are more than just psychological demons at play…
Kilby has created an epic psychological thriller that pulls the reader into a world of intriguing characters struggling against their concerns and regrets. And, while this book is undoubtedly a thriller, Kilby’s deft characterisations are of a far higher quality than a standard thriller. Indeed, there are no heroes that are not flawed and no villains that are beyond redemption.
There are plenty of threads in the plot of this book, each meticulously woven into the rich tapestry of what is a wonderful novel and a splendid read. The subtlety of the plot development withstands the punches delivered by the occasional violence or the casual wickedness that leave the reader gasping.
The superb prose and wonderful characters make this a book to be savoured and enjoyed – but the darkness that emanates from it makes it a book not to be read too late at night…
Kilby has created an epic psychological thriller that pulls the reader into a world of intriguing characters struggling against their concerns and regrets. And, while this book is undoubtedly a thriller, Kilby’s deft characterisations are of a far higher quality than a standard thriller. Indeed, there are no heroes that are not flawed and no villains that are beyond redemption.
There are plenty of threads in the plot of this book, each meticulously woven into the rich tapestry of what is a wonderful novel and a splendid read. The subtlety of the plot development withstands the punches delivered by the occasional violence or the casual wickedness that leave the reader gasping.
The superb prose and wonderful characters make this a book to be savoured and enjoyed – but the darkness that emanates from it makes it a book not to be read too late at night…
Read
July 7, 2016such imagery that could never be recreated for the screen. This is precisely why I don't tend to read them all too often (The Honorable Stephen King being the obvious exception). I'm glad, however, I decided to read Matt Kilby's "The Road Cain Walks".
Tensely written, the novel is set in the picturesque, quiet and quaint town of Pine Haven, North Carolina. Seemingly out of nowhere and atypical of town behaviour, a horrendous murder occurs, giving instant infamy to Grady Perlson, convicted murdered and a complicated major character.
Perlson is serving his time at Starks County Prison, a place that certainly matches its namesake in terms of ambience and void of human empathy. Here, alone, Perlson suffers in reliving the awful tragedies of his past. But things around the world are starting to converge with Perlson's despair. This is where the true horror of the novel comes into play.
The author cleverly denounces the typical horror trope formula wherein there is a focus on one character, his or her horrific past, and either the continuance of horror or a redemption. Instead, the merging of inexplicable global events being documented by one ambitious psychologist who is trying to find an explanation to tie these apparently random events together. It is Joe Richard, the psychologist, who embarks the walk referenced in the book's title. It's both an allusion on the path of evil, and the quest for being understood.
If you like this review, read more like it www.readingotherpeople.com
Tensely written, the novel is set in the picturesque, quiet and quaint town of Pine Haven, North Carolina. Seemingly out of nowhere and atypical of town behaviour, a horrendous murder occurs, giving instant infamy to Grady Perlson, convicted murdered and a complicated major character.
Perlson is serving his time at Starks County Prison, a place that certainly matches its namesake in terms of ambience and void of human empathy. Here, alone, Perlson suffers in reliving the awful tragedies of his past. But things around the world are starting to converge with Perlson's despair. This is where the true horror of the novel comes into play.
The author cleverly denounces the typical horror trope formula wherein there is a focus on one character, his or her horrific past, and either the continuance of horror or a redemption. Instead, the merging of inexplicable global events being documented by one ambitious psychologist who is trying to find an explanation to tie these apparently random events together. It is Joe Richard, the psychologist, who embarks the walk referenced in the book's title. It's both an allusion on the path of evil, and the quest for being understood.
If you like this review, read more like it www.readingotherpeople.com
March 25, 2016
I was fortunate to receive an advanced copy of this book that transported me to a small North Carolina town whose heart thrums with richly written characters harboring their own inner secrets. All of the characters are drawn into the orbit of Grady Perlson, a prisoner with moods swinging from sweet and bashful to murderous and diabolical. Who is the real Grady? Why are people dropping dead by the most violent means? "The Road Cain Walks" will draw you in and keep you guessing until its pulse-pounding conclusion. My only question as I await the second in this series is; Where can we possibly go next?!
October 13, 2018
3.5 stars. This is a looooong book, it covers a lot of territory time-wise so in some ways it was necessary but I still feel like it could have been tightened up a bit. Even with the end kind of dragging the good/bad fight I'm not sure I understand what the point of it all was. I did enjoy the characters and found them to be well developed and sympathetic, but someone needs to buy the author a thesaurus - every chapter includes at least 3 different people smirking. Everyone smirks, it's pretty much the only expression they have. The town should have been named Smirksville. I know, maybe that's a nit-picky thing but once I noticed it it was impossible to ignore.
September 29, 2018
This is one of those books you read with bated breath, hoping against hope that a favorite character doesn't bite the dust.
Asthmatics, beware!
No spoilers. Just well rounded characters, unbelieveable situations made perfectly plausible, and a lot of surprises.
I recommend this to anyone who wants to be kept guessing--usually wrong--all the way to the end.
(Or, in this case, the end of the beginning. On to the next.)
Asthmatics, beware!
No spoilers. Just well rounded characters, unbelieveable situations made perfectly plausible, and a lot of surprises.
I recommend this to anyone who wants to be kept guessing--usually wrong--all the way to the end.
(Or, in this case, the end of the beginning. On to the next.)
March 18, 2018
The Long Way is an apt subtitle for “The Road Cain Walks,” because it’s not a short read. It doesn’t, however, meander without purpose.
In a laid back tone and with colorful, down-home phrasing, a lot of time is spent building the lives of the many characters, so you know them, like them, understand their motivations. The kindly and wise deputy who cares about his town. His troubled son who longs to redeem his past mistakes and continuing screw-ups. The psychologist, returning to a home of bad memories to help a troubled man, despite the fact that the doctor could use his own treatment. The giant prisoner who may be a devious killer, an innocent psychotic, or something a rational man of science would never believe possible.
Kilby gets you to empathize with everyone through detailed back stories so that the peril, like the storm they all nervously watch approach over the horizon, is an equal threat hanging over all. The lightning doesn’t care who it strikes, but you do. He’s got a talent for building dread and tension, and then paying it off. In the final quarter of the novel, I had to concentrate on not letting my eyes skip anxiously ahead to see what was coming around the curve.
To belabor the road metaphor, there’s a rut that runs throughout, a consequence of the laid back, colloquial style Kilby uses. People do often talk with twisted syntax and too many impersonal pronouns, but the cadence of speech usually clarifies meaning. I wanted to read every word of this story, but it was very often difficult to decipher. With intensive editing, this book would be a page turner that I could tear through in a few days. I’d definitely read an updated version, and I will read the sequel that the subtitle promises.
In a laid back tone and with colorful, down-home phrasing, a lot of time is spent building the lives of the many characters, so you know them, like them, understand their motivations. The kindly and wise deputy who cares about his town. His troubled son who longs to redeem his past mistakes and continuing screw-ups. The psychologist, returning to a home of bad memories to help a troubled man, despite the fact that the doctor could use his own treatment. The giant prisoner who may be a devious killer, an innocent psychotic, or something a rational man of science would never believe possible.
Kilby gets you to empathize with everyone through detailed back stories so that the peril, like the storm they all nervously watch approach over the horizon, is an equal threat hanging over all. The lightning doesn’t care who it strikes, but you do. He’s got a talent for building dread and tension, and then paying it off. In the final quarter of the novel, I had to concentrate on not letting my eyes skip anxiously ahead to see what was coming around the curve.
To belabor the road metaphor, there’s a rut that runs throughout, a consequence of the laid back, colloquial style Kilby uses. People do often talk with twisted syntax and too many impersonal pronouns, but the cadence of speech usually clarifies meaning. I wanted to read every word of this story, but it was very often difficult to decipher. With intensive editing, this book would be a page turner that I could tear through in a few days. I’d definitely read an updated version, and I will read the sequel that the subtitle promises.
February 27, 2016
The town of Pine Haven, North Carolina is a laid-back small town where everybody knows everybody else. Nothing big ever happens. Author Matt Kilby takes this quaint town and flips it upside down as a harrowing turn of events turns the place into a site of multiple murders… grisly murders with even more grisly implications.
Kilby’s world contains a cast of deep and believable characters driven by motives that speak to every one of us. As the murders continue to escalate, we learn more about the dark backstory of a prison inmate that is somehow tied to these twisted crimes. All the while, we are left wondering whether one psychiatrist can crack the secret before more people are pulled into this terrible web.
The action is intense. Every scene is memorable and fresh, and will leave you thirsty for more. As the mysteries start to come clear, you’ll get a sickening feeling you’ll know where it’s going, and the author will surprise you once again, taking you to places you just know you should have seen coming.
I look forward to re-reading this book and seeing how many items I missed that could have pointed to the gripping conclusion as Kilby kicks off this stunning series.
Kilby’s world contains a cast of deep and believable characters driven by motives that speak to every one of us. As the murders continue to escalate, we learn more about the dark backstory of a prison inmate that is somehow tied to these twisted crimes. All the while, we are left wondering whether one psychiatrist can crack the secret before more people are pulled into this terrible web.
The action is intense. Every scene is memorable and fresh, and will leave you thirsty for more. As the mysteries start to come clear, you’ll get a sickening feeling you’ll know where it’s going, and the author will surprise you once again, taking you to places you just know you should have seen coming.
I look forward to re-reading this book and seeing how many items I missed that could have pointed to the gripping conclusion as Kilby kicks off this stunning series.
August 28, 2017
Matt Kilby is a talented writer and an amazing story teller. The opening line of The Road Cain Walks – “Pine Haven was a town people passed through on their way somewhere better.” – let me know I was in for a treat.
Kilby’s debut novel is a tale of mystery and suspense, fantasy, and horror with an intricate plot and, at times, an overwhelming cast of characters. I have to admit that I sometimes got lost in the maze, but in spite of the occasional lag, the author’s engaging style kept me turning the pages, all 744 of them. Ultimately, though, my persistence was rewarded, and every question was answered. Well, almost every question. There was just enough ambiguity to leave room for a sequel.
Before I commit to another marathon read, I would like to see the author use a strong editorial hand – either his or someone else’s – to tighten up his story, use fewer pronouns to ensure that the reader knows who is doing what, and correct a few repetitive grammatical quirks that detract from the story. If the second novel incorporates these changes while maintaining the same level of storytelling, I would have no trouble giving Matt Kilby a five-star review.
Kilby’s debut novel is a tale of mystery and suspense, fantasy, and horror with an intricate plot and, at times, an overwhelming cast of characters. I have to admit that I sometimes got lost in the maze, but in spite of the occasional lag, the author’s engaging style kept me turning the pages, all 744 of them. Ultimately, though, my persistence was rewarded, and every question was answered. Well, almost every question. There was just enough ambiguity to leave room for a sequel.
Before I commit to another marathon read, I would like to see the author use a strong editorial hand – either his or someone else’s – to tighten up his story, use fewer pronouns to ensure that the reader knows who is doing what, and correct a few repetitive grammatical quirks that detract from the story. If the second novel incorporates these changes while maintaining the same level of storytelling, I would have no trouble giving Matt Kilby a five-star review.
July 5, 2017
Suspenseful & Dark
Darkness is not always easy to convey and this story is dark and suspenseful. Writing a horror story is not as easy as showing one, but this story does both. It tells and shows a dark story of terror. I liked the story, though it was filled with maybe one too many characters, and there were some writing quirks, like some words were overused. The action of the story is intense and there are some grisly details, but it brings these murders to life, so-to-speak. I enjoyed the story and if there is to be a book 2, I will check that one out as well.
Darkness is not always easy to convey and this story is dark and suspenseful. Writing a horror story is not as easy as showing one, but this story does both. It tells and shows a dark story of terror. I liked the story, though it was filled with maybe one too many characters, and there were some writing quirks, like some words were overused. The action of the story is intense and there are some grisly details, but it brings these murders to life, so-to-speak. I enjoyed the story and if there is to be a book 2, I will check that one out as well.
March 14, 2016
What a great book! It has a little bit of everything in it and let's your imagination wonder as you are reading. By the last quarter of the book I was biting my nails trying to figure it all out and couldn't stop reading. Can't wait for more to come!!
February 28, 2016
Wow...just wow! I really enjoy books that aren't predictable, and The Road Cain Walks did not disappoint! What I thought was going to be an investigation into a surprising murder in a sleepy southern small town turned into so much more...an entire town in danger from a mysterious force no one seems to understand...or do they?
There are a lot of characters to keep up with, but as the book unfolds, you see the integral role they each play into the mysterious circumstances as they blur the lines between good and evil.
Be prepared for a new twist every few chapters as the residents of Pine Haven both enable and fight against the evil that seeks to destroy them. Great first in series that sucks you in and resolves enough of the initial story while setting up what is sure to be another fantastic page turner follow up!
There are a lot of characters to keep up with, but as the book unfolds, you see the integral role they each play into the mysterious circumstances as they blur the lines between good and evil.
Be prepared for a new twist every few chapters as the residents of Pine Haven both enable and fight against the evil that seeks to destroy them. Great first in series that sucks you in and resolves enough of the initial story while setting up what is sure to be another fantastic page turner follow up!
May 10, 2016
A must read! I was immediately drawn into this dark twisted story and had a hard time putting it down every night. Nothing about this book is predictable.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews