What do you think?
Rate this book
Keeping to Himself
"A gripping, character-driven thriller with alluring landscapes."
-Kirkus Reviews
Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Whit Coombs seeks peace, quiet, and healing. Scarred spiritually by the death of his wife, who died cursing him for not euthanizing her, and physically from an IED in Iraq, he just wants a simple life in his cabin by a lake, miles from a hard road. Then, on a nighttime hike, he witnesses a grisly murder and finds himself with a report the crime and lose his privacy-and maybe his life-or let the killers get away with it. As the killers and the attractive female county sheriff get closer to discovering what he saw, he realizes that maybe Keeping to Himself won't give him the peace he needs.
-Kirkus Reviews
Deep in the Blue Ridge Mountains of western North Carolina, Whit Coombs seeks peace, quiet, and healing. Scarred spiritually by the death of his wife, who died cursing him for not euthanizing her, and physically from an IED in Iraq, he just wants a simple life in his cabin by a lake, miles from a hard road. Then, on a nighttime hike, he witnesses a grisly murder and finds himself with a report the crime and lose his privacy-and maybe his life-or let the killers get away with it. As the killers and the attractive female county sheriff get closer to discovering what he saw, he realizes that maybe Keeping to Himself won't give him the peace he needs.
- GenresFiction
149 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 22, 2021
4 people are currently reading
10 people want to read
About the author
John Carenen
5 books45 followersAn Iowa native, I was born and raised in Clinton, home town of the American movies’ first sex symbol, Lillian Russell. I graduated from Clinton High School with no distinction, direction, or enthusiasm. I attended several colleges, graduating from the University of Iowa with a B.A. in English, then an M.F.A. in Fiction Writing from the Iowa Writers Workshop. These accomplish-ments stunned my high school guidance counselors. Later, I earned an M.A. from Appalachian State University in Boone, North Carolina, in Special Education.
I have had two careers. One has been as an English professor in various colleges; the other, working with emotionally-disturbed adolescents in programs in North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina. I am a four-year veteran of the USAF. I am happily married to my long-suffering wife, Elisabeth, who taught English to 9th graders. At the end of the day I would say to her, “Here, have some wine. And she does. And so do I.” She is happily retired.
We have two grown daughters. The elder is a tenured, published professor at Eastern Connecticut State University. The younger daughter is a published poet, living in the Greenville area and working for The Governor’s School for Fine Arts Foundation. I am unreasonably proud of my wife and daughters. We have a pitbull mix rescue dog (Lily) and a cat (Beeker) who refuses to follow instructions.
I was an English professor for ten years at Newberry College, located in the South Carolina town by the same name. I have published a variety of articles in various commercial magazines, poetry and short stories in literary venues, and a novel (Son-up, Son-down) sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health.
My mainstream commercial novel, Signs of Struggle was published by Neverland Press in September, 2012. The sequel (2nd in a series), A Far Gone Night, was published October 2014. The third, The Face on the Other Side, was published in March, this year. I am hard at work on #4, plus another, stand-alone novel about a lonely man living in the mountains of North Carolina, who sees a murder but does not report it.
For fun, I think about working out, go on a hike every now and then, read everything from Robert B. Parker to Dorothy Ayers, and play with my dog, Lily. I also take frequent naps.
Enough about me. I'll be adding books as I come across ones I think you'd like, including some classics from the past. Thanks for stopping in.
I have had two careers. One has been as an English professor in various colleges; the other, working with emotionally-disturbed adolescents in programs in North Carolina, Georgia, and South Carolina. I am a four-year veteran of the USAF. I am happily married to my long-suffering wife, Elisabeth, who taught English to 9th graders. At the end of the day I would say to her, “Here, have some wine. And she does. And so do I.” She is happily retired.
We have two grown daughters. The elder is a tenured, published professor at Eastern Connecticut State University. The younger daughter is a published poet, living in the Greenville area and working for The Governor’s School for Fine Arts Foundation. I am unreasonably proud of my wife and daughters. We have a pitbull mix rescue dog (Lily) and a cat (Beeker) who refuses to follow instructions.
I was an English professor for ten years at Newberry College, located in the South Carolina town by the same name. I have published a variety of articles in various commercial magazines, poetry and short stories in literary venues, and a novel (Son-up, Son-down) sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health.
My mainstream commercial novel, Signs of Struggle was published by Neverland Press in September, 2012. The sequel (2nd in a series), A Far Gone Night, was published October 2014. The third, The Face on the Other Side, was published in March, this year. I am hard at work on #4, plus another, stand-alone novel about a lonely man living in the mountains of North Carolina, who sees a murder but does not report it.
For fun, I think about working out, go on a hike every now and then, read everything from Robert B. Parker to Dorothy Ayers, and play with my dog, Lily. I also take frequent naps.
Enough about me. I'll be adding books as I come across ones I think you'd like, including some classics from the past. Thanks for stopping in.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
November 16, 2022
A spare, straightforward story that reminded me of Kimi Cunningham Grant's "These Silent Woods."
He liked the thought of leaves dying and sacrificing all that living color on their way to barrenness, giving deeper value to their beauty.
Set in the Blue Ridge mountains, this story explores the inner workings - and outer gentleness and toughness - of Whit Coombs, who is living off the grid with his dog, Barney. Two local "good ole boys" with a penchant for stupidity, hatred and violence are Whit's enemies from page 1, and everything in the reader will want to see these two brought to justice - or brought face to face with their Maker.
Whit looked behind him. It was J. D. "Hacker" Merrone, local tough guy, a big man always getting on Whit's case, wanting a fight. Hacker's shadow and partner in ennui, Buford Butz, half the size of Hacker, nodded and grinned, his meth-decimated teeth dominating his pockmarked, skeletal face.
I wished the book was a bit longer. I would have loved to know more about Hacker's dangerous-sounding mother, and what that $2,000 was all about. I would have liked to see more of Beverly and have her find justice. Those loose ends made the story fall a bit short for me, simply because I wanted more of their stories.
September crept through the back door unannounced Blueberries were tapering off, figs were nearly gone, and his other plants hunched their shoulders in anticipation of winter.
Whit's quiet faith and moral core, his calm confidence and deep humility, drew me to him right away. Carenen's sense of humor is just right, sharp and dry. But perhaps my favorite aspect of this short novel is the author's simply beautiful descriptions of the mountains, the flora and fauna, the seasonal changes.
Whit liked the winter, the bleak beauty of it -- how the branches of the trees were exposed, their stark silhouettes against the white backdrop of snow and brittle blue of the sky mirroring their own root systems below the frozen ground.
He liked the thought of leaves dying and sacrificing all that living color on their way to barrenness, giving deeper value to their beauty.
Set in the Blue Ridge mountains, this story explores the inner workings - and outer gentleness and toughness - of Whit Coombs, who is living off the grid with his dog, Barney. Two local "good ole boys" with a penchant for stupidity, hatred and violence are Whit's enemies from page 1, and everything in the reader will want to see these two brought to justice - or brought face to face with their Maker.
Whit looked behind him. It was J. D. "Hacker" Merrone, local tough guy, a big man always getting on Whit's case, wanting a fight. Hacker's shadow and partner in ennui, Buford Butz, half the size of Hacker, nodded and grinned, his meth-decimated teeth dominating his pockmarked, skeletal face.
I wished the book was a bit longer. I would have loved to know more about Hacker's dangerous-sounding mother, and what that $2,000 was all about. I would have liked to see more of Beverly and have her find justice. Those loose ends made the story fall a bit short for me, simply because I wanted more of their stories.
September crept through the back door unannounced Blueberries were tapering off, figs were nearly gone, and his other plants hunched their shoulders in anticipation of winter.
Whit's quiet faith and moral core, his calm confidence and deep humility, drew me to him right away. Carenen's sense of humor is just right, sharp and dry. But perhaps my favorite aspect of this short novel is the author's simply beautiful descriptions of the mountains, the flora and fauna, the seasonal changes.
Whit liked the winter, the bleak beauty of it -- how the branches of the trees were exposed, their stark silhouettes against the white backdrop of snow and brittle blue of the sky mirroring their own root systems below the frozen ground.
June 16, 2022
This was a short, well-paced story packed with emotion. The "loner" character, Whit Coombs, is my kind of guy--independent, happy to do his thing in nature with his dog for a companion. I appreciated the tentative emotional openings toward one or two relationships--realistic and believable. The villains are truly bullies of the worst sort, and you really want them to get what's coming. Satisfying ending!!
July 24, 2021
I came across this book as I was posting it on social media for the store I work at and thought since the author was coming in for a signing I'd give it a read! I really enjoyed it and found it very descriptive I could picture the setting perfectly. Ended in a way I didn't expect. Great mysterious and short read.
September 4, 2021
A Good Read
Descriptions of the Blue Ridge mountains, seasons and nature kept pacing of the story moving with riveting details about this part of the US. The writing was poetic at times, kept me entertained. The arc of the story was predictable which is why four stars rather than five. That said, it’s an enjoyable read with a satisfying ending.
Descriptions of the Blue Ridge mountains, seasons and nature kept pacing of the story moving with riveting details about this part of the US. The writing was poetic at times, kept me entertained. The arc of the story was predictable which is why four stars rather than five. That said, it’s an enjoyable read with a satisfying ending.
December 9, 2021
This was my first John Carenen novel but won't be my last! Captured immediately by his prologue's description of the Blue Ridge Mountains of North Carolina, I was then off on a clear, vivid, descriptive ride with twists and turns, and simple truths; an honest tale of believable characters and a "boulder-big dog" named Barney! Quite a thriller of a novel!
January 1, 2024
My bookish (but booked) heart rejoices when an author can give me a 398-page story in 132. Give me fully fleshed-out and compelling characters, a page-turning plot, and descriptive scenery, and I’m a happy gal. Now, if you were to add in an introvert’s dream cabin in the middle of nowhere and a giant dog (Mastiff and Cane Corso), I’m done. Forward my mail. I live here now. Carenen wrote a compelling story with a satisfying ending. He also captured what I liked about military service: “clarity of people’s positions, chain of command, accountability.”
I’m thrilled @kpkey texted, “A friend of mine is an independent author. I’m going to leave a copy of his most recent novel in your mailbox.” Thanks, Kristi! I promise to return it and your mom’s empty pickle jars soon! #bestneighbors
I’m thrilled @kpkey texted, “A friend of mine is an independent author. I’m going to leave a copy of his most recent novel in your mailbox.” Thanks, Kristi! I promise to return it and your mom’s empty pickle jars soon! #bestneighbors
July 19, 2025
I really enjoyed this story.
It's methodically written without flourish. In that respect, it reminds me of True Grit. I love a good puzzle, and this book is worth puzzling through. I've read a few books by this author, and I think this one is my favorite.
I've had the privilege of meeting the author, and he is delightful!
It's methodically written without flourish. In that respect, it reminds me of True Grit. I love a good puzzle, and this book is worth puzzling through. I've read a few books by this author, and I think this one is my favorite.
I've had the privilege of meeting the author, and he is delightful!
April 10, 2022
Honestly dreadful writing. The author is good at painting the scenery but that’s about it.
The attempt to write in romance was cringy and very clearly written by a man who doesn’t understand women.
The attempt to write in romance was cringy and very clearly written by a man who doesn’t understand women.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews