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Earl Marcus #1
Heaven's Crooked Finger
Earl Marcus thought he had left the mountains of Georgia behind forever, and with them, the painful memories of a childhood spent under the evangelical rule of his father RJ's church--a church built on fear, penance, and the twisting, writhing mass of snakes. But then an ominous photo of RJ is delivered to Earl's home. The photograph is dated long after his father's burial, and there's no doubt that the man in the picture is very much alive.
As Earl returns to Church of the Holy Flame searching for the truth, faithful followers insist that his father has risen to a holy place high in the mountains. Nobody will talk about the teenage girls who go missing, only to return with strange tattoo-like marks on their skin. Rumors swirl about an old well that sits atop one of the mountains, a place of unimaginable power and secrets. Earl doesn't know what to believe, but he has long been haunted by his father, forever lurking in the shadows of his life. Desperate to leave his sinful Holy Flame childhood in the past, Earl digs up deeply buried secrets to discover the truth before time runs out and he's the one put underground in Heaven's Crooked Finger.
As Earl returns to Church of the Holy Flame searching for the truth, faithful followers insist that his father has risen to a holy place high in the mountains. Nobody will talk about the teenage girls who go missing, only to return with strange tattoo-like marks on their skin. Rumors swirl about an old well that sits atop one of the mountains, a place of unimaginable power and secrets. Earl doesn't know what to believe, but he has long been haunted by his father, forever lurking in the shadows of his life. Desperate to leave his sinful Holy Flame childhood in the past, Earl digs up deeply buried secrets to discover the truth before time runs out and he's the one put underground in Heaven's Crooked Finger.
11 pages, Audiobook
First published November 7, 2017
65 people are currently reading
2354 people want to read
About the author
Hank Early
5 books126 followersHank Early spent much of his youth in the mountains of North Georgia, but he never held a snake or got struck by lightning. These days, he lives in central Alabama with his wife and two kids. He writes crime, watches too much basketball, and rarely sleeps. Heaven's Crooked Finger is his first novel. He's represented by Alec Shane of Writers House.
In a previous life, he published some books as John Mantooth. Check them out here:
https://www.amazon.com/John-Mantooth/...
In a previous life, he published some books as John Mantooth. Check them out here:
https://www.amazon.com/John-Mantooth/...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 134 reviews
June 23, 2018
Some people can reform, and some people just get by the best they can with their flaws. I’m the second kind.
this is the first book in a southern crime fiction series that i’m going to devour as soon as they are written. there’s a lot to appreciate here - good atmosphere and description, appealingly flawed antihero protagonist, southern gothic flourishes, and a little romance, if you’re into that sort of thing. it’s grit lit-adjacent by virtue of its isolated deep-in-the-mountains-of-north-georgia population, bound together by history, secrecy, and the influence of the snake-handling church of the holy flame, whose charismatic, recently-deceased preacher rj marcus has been seen - and photographed - after his body was buried, giving credence to his claims that he would conquer death itself and preserving the legacy of fear, awe, and power he inspired among his flock.
rj’s estranged son earl has been working as a private investigator in north carolina, cut off from his father and his brother lester for thirty years, vowing never to return to the hometown where he was humiliated, betrayed, and abandoned as a teenager. he receives a letter from a man named bryant mccauley, one of his father’s most devoted followers, containing photographic proof that rj is still alive, along with a plea to come help him track rj down - an invitation earl finds easy to ignore. less easy to ignore is the letter accompanying it, from mary hawkins, the biological granddaughter of the woman known to all as “granny,” who took earl in after his father cast him out. now over a hundred years old, the still-sharp granny has pancreatic cancer and would like to see earl before she dies, so he ventures back to coulee county to pay his respects and finds himself investigating a string of seemingly related crimes against teenaged girls that stretches back decades, struggling to find answers in a community still very much under rj’s influence, where he is plagued by visions, his own metaphorical demons, and some very real snakes.
it’s a very strong series opener. i like rufus (although his charm is somewhat compromised by his “describe to me all the boobies” insistence), i love goose the dog, and i love a good fire n’ brimstone community - so much potential for misguidedly criminal zealotry. so even though there are some iffy bits, like that first exchange between earl and ronnie thrash, where Tough Guys Talk Tough in a way that made my remaining ovary roll its eye, it’s also got some moments with a sharper descriptive edge, many of which involve earl’s relationship to his father and his version of god.
i’m not sure where earl goes from here, or if the ooOOOoo supernatural whispers are going to become a more prominent part of the action, but i’m certainly interested enough to stick with it and find out.
come to my blog!
this is the first book in a southern crime fiction series that i’m going to devour as soon as they are written. there’s a lot to appreciate here - good atmosphere and description, appealingly flawed antihero protagonist, southern gothic flourishes, and a little romance, if you’re into that sort of thing. it’s grit lit-adjacent by virtue of its isolated deep-in-the-mountains-of-north-georgia population, bound together by history, secrecy, and the influence of the snake-handling church of the holy flame, whose charismatic, recently-deceased preacher rj marcus has been seen - and photographed - after his body was buried, giving credence to his claims that he would conquer death itself and preserving the legacy of fear, awe, and power he inspired among his flock.
rj’s estranged son earl has been working as a private investigator in north carolina, cut off from his father and his brother lester for thirty years, vowing never to return to the hometown where he was humiliated, betrayed, and abandoned as a teenager. he receives a letter from a man named bryant mccauley, one of his father’s most devoted followers, containing photographic proof that rj is still alive, along with a plea to come help him track rj down - an invitation earl finds easy to ignore. less easy to ignore is the letter accompanying it, from mary hawkins, the biological granddaughter of the woman known to all as “granny,” who took earl in after his father cast him out. now over a hundred years old, the still-sharp granny has pancreatic cancer and would like to see earl before she dies, so he ventures back to coulee county to pay his respects and finds himself investigating a string of seemingly related crimes against teenaged girls that stretches back decades, struggling to find answers in a community still very much under rj’s influence, where he is plagued by visions, his own metaphorical demons, and some very real snakes.
it’s a very strong series opener. i like rufus (although his charm is somewhat compromised by his “describe to me all the boobies” insistence), i love goose the dog, and i love a good fire n’ brimstone community - so much potential for misguidedly criminal zealotry. so even though there are some iffy bits, like that first exchange between earl and ronnie thrash, where Tough Guys Talk Tough in a way that made my remaining ovary roll its eye, it’s also got some moments with a sharper descriptive edge, many of which involve earl’s relationship to his father and his version of god.
”He talks to you?” my seven-year-old self persisted, trying to wrap my head around the possibility.
He put me down. “He does. It started when I was a boy not much older than you. He told me it’ll happen with you or Lester too.”
I swallowed hard. I did not want God to talk to me. As bad as I feared hell, I’d come to fear God and heaven more.
The moment ended with him asking me to kneel and pray with him. When we rose, he was smiling again.
“What?” I asked.
“God told me where that pig was.”
And he was right, too. We found the pig a few minutes later, and I watched - memorizing the look of smug accomplishment on his face - as he picked it up by its legs, ignoring its pitiful squeals for mercy, as only a true man of God could do.
i’m not sure where earl goes from here, or if the ooOOOoo supernatural whispers are going to become a more prominent part of the action, but i’m certainly interested enough to stick with it and find out.
come to my blog!
August 21, 2017
Earl left the mountains of North Georgia thinking that he would never return. He then receives news that the lady he calls Granny is dying and he owes her the respect of going to visit. He also receives a weird photo that shows his Daddy..postdated after his dad's death.
Earl's Daddy was the preacher of the Church of the Holy Flame. He believed that God would strike you pretty much dead for everything. His word is law in the small north GA town and he had disowned Earl years ago. Earl was seventeen years old when he fell from his Daddy's godly ways. He was bitten by a snake during the church service because his faith just wasn't strong enough.
He finally was turned away from his family and the town when he continued to not live up to his Daddy's version of God's laws. He was taken in by the local midwife who he calls Granny.
Earl's return to town is not such a happy occasion for the members of his Daddy's church..they pretty much still hate him. And then there's that rumor that his Daddy has risen from the grave just like he prophesied. And now young girls are showing up either dead or with strange tattoo like markings on their bodies.
You would think that this type of church doesn't exist anymore?
I don't know of any now in our area (North GA where the book is set) but I ran from the church years ago. I know that the power of the church is still alive and well in our area and there is almost fear to speak against anything that is believed inside those walls. Fear makes people do strange things. I could see the power of Earl's Daddy come alive in these pages. I've been to churches in this area that totally make me think that the storyline in this book could happen. Lots of power to men that preach the gospel, people want to believe. They feel that fear in so many different ways. Like having to make sure that their tithing is met, no matter if they go hungry. (I have a friend who does this still-she refuses to miss a week even if she can't pay her electric bill). I've also seen public shaming in church. I think most people are like Earl.....I had always wanted to believe in something. I still do so they keep going and believing.
This book blends the religious fanaticism with the mystical very well.
Plus it's just damn good. I'll read whatever this author puts out next.
We swung by the "pawn shop," which was nothing more than a double-wide trailer on blocks with a large posterboard attached to one of the windows that read, "Als' Fire-Arm's and Pown." It looked like it had been written by a fourth grader who was well on his way to failing the year. For the second time.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
Earl's Daddy was the preacher of the Church of the Holy Flame. He believed that God would strike you pretty much dead for everything. His word is law in the small north GA town and he had disowned Earl years ago. Earl was seventeen years old when he fell from his Daddy's godly ways. He was bitten by a snake during the church service because his faith just wasn't strong enough.
He finally was turned away from his family and the town when he continued to not live up to his Daddy's version of God's laws. He was taken in by the local midwife who he calls Granny.
Earl's return to town is not such a happy occasion for the members of his Daddy's church..they pretty much still hate him. And then there's that rumor that his Daddy has risen from the grave just like he prophesied. And now young girls are showing up either dead or with strange tattoo like markings on their bodies.
You would think that this type of church doesn't exist anymore?
I don't know of any now in our area (North GA where the book is set) but I ran from the church years ago. I know that the power of the church is still alive and well in our area and there is almost fear to speak against anything that is believed inside those walls. Fear makes people do strange things. I could see the power of Earl's Daddy come alive in these pages. I've been to churches in this area that totally make me think that the storyline in this book could happen. Lots of power to men that preach the gospel, people want to believe. They feel that fear in so many different ways. Like having to make sure that their tithing is met, no matter if they go hungry. (I have a friend who does this still-she refuses to miss a week even if she can't pay her electric bill). I've also seen public shaming in church. I think most people are like Earl.....I had always wanted to believe in something. I still do so they keep going and believing.
This book blends the religious fanaticism with the mystical very well.
Plus it's just damn good. I'll read whatever this author puts out next.
We swung by the "pawn shop," which was nothing more than a double-wide trailer on blocks with a large posterboard attached to one of the windows that read, "Als' Fire-Arm's and Pown." It looked like it had been written by a fourth grader who was well on his way to failing the year. For the second time.
Booksource: Netgalley in exchange for review.
November 4, 2017
Earl was raised in the Georgia mountains ,son of a fire and brimstone preacher who was the leader of a cult like church who believed in the handling of snakes. A man who didn't believe in calling a doctor, believing it was up to God whether the person should live or die, even if that person is there son. Earl would leave home at sixteen, taken in by a wonderful, black woman, who he calls Granny. He would leave the mountains, vowing never to return, which he didn't even when he heard of his father's death. He does return though, when he hears from Granny's granddaughter that she is dying, and when he receives a picture intimating that is father may not be dead after all.
This is the start of a new series, and Earl is a fascinating character. What he finds when he returns home is a boat load of trouble, underhanded dealings and the quest for and abuse of power. This is a gritty read, very atmospheric, divided families and a great deal of fear by the young women in town.
Who to trust, who is involved in the church, and is his father really alive? Answers will be found, with loses for some and reconciliation for others. A good start to this series, and will definitely be reading the second.
ARC from Netgalley.
This is the start of a new series, and Earl is a fascinating character. What he finds when he returns home is a boat load of trouble, underhanded dealings and the quest for and abuse of power. This is a gritty read, very atmospheric, divided families and a great deal of fear by the young women in town.
Who to trust, who is involved in the church, and is his father really alive? Answers will be found, with loses for some and reconciliation for others. A good start to this series, and will definitely be reading the second.
ARC from Netgalley.
November 2, 2017
“I had always wanted to believe in something. I still do.”
Wow. What a beginning. As a teenager, Earl Marcus was desperate for the love of his father, a Pentecostal preacher in the hills of Northern Georgia. The kind of preacher that handles snakes and preaches hard core hell and damnation His father has a strict sense of right and wrong, good and bad. Earl lands on the wrong side of his father’s beliefs after he is bitten by a snake during a church service.
Time moves forward and Earl is a PI in North Carolina when he gets a letter asking him to return to Georgia before his “Granny” passes away. He’s never resolved the trauma of his teenage years and he’s got an alcohol problem to prove it. Oh, and he’s been sent a photo of his father taken months after his father’s supposed death.
Earl has problems but it’s hard to dislike a man that saves a pup from death by snakebite and immediately names and adopts the pup.
The writing here has a hard edge to it, as hard as the Georgia mountains. Early does a great job of making you feel the fear. Not just the fear Earl had as a teenager, but that of the present day folks who are on the wrong side of the Holy Flame Church. He gets that whole concept of being able to love and hate a parent at the same time. And he also gets that whole religious belief of being on the “right side”. I can still remember attending a service and hearing the minister say anyone who didn’t belong to their denomination was going to hell. It wasn’t good enough to be a Christian, you had to be part of their particular church. This book has a lot to say about the different “Gods” that people worship. “It wasn’t a prayer to my father's God. It was a prayer to Granny’s. To the god of goodness, the God of second chances, and the God who might not care.”
There are lots of snakes in this story which just adds to the creepiness factor that Early does so well. I have a real problem with snakes and let me tell you, I was freaking out reading some of these scenes (my husband will attest to all the squirming I was doing while reading.)
There are some wonderful characters here, especially Granny. I love her comment that prayers are like kisses. And Rufus, who was “the walking embodiment of the North Georgia gothic.” Ok, I know I’m not supposed to quote from a pre-release, but I can't help myself! This is an amazing book and would make a wonderful book club selection.
My thanks to netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy of this book.
Wow. What a beginning. As a teenager, Earl Marcus was desperate for the love of his father, a Pentecostal preacher in the hills of Northern Georgia. The kind of preacher that handles snakes and preaches hard core hell and damnation His father has a strict sense of right and wrong, good and bad. Earl lands on the wrong side of his father’s beliefs after he is bitten by a snake during a church service.
Time moves forward and Earl is a PI in North Carolina when he gets a letter asking him to return to Georgia before his “Granny” passes away. He’s never resolved the trauma of his teenage years and he’s got an alcohol problem to prove it. Oh, and he’s been sent a photo of his father taken months after his father’s supposed death.
Earl has problems but it’s hard to dislike a man that saves a pup from death by snakebite and immediately names and adopts the pup.
The writing here has a hard edge to it, as hard as the Georgia mountains. Early does a great job of making you feel the fear. Not just the fear Earl had as a teenager, but that of the present day folks who are on the wrong side of the Holy Flame Church. He gets that whole concept of being able to love and hate a parent at the same time. And he also gets that whole religious belief of being on the “right side”. I can still remember attending a service and hearing the minister say anyone who didn’t belong to their denomination was going to hell. It wasn’t good enough to be a Christian, you had to be part of their particular church. This book has a lot to say about the different “Gods” that people worship. “It wasn’t a prayer to my father's God. It was a prayer to Granny’s. To the god of goodness, the God of second chances, and the God who might not care.”
There are lots of snakes in this story which just adds to the creepiness factor that Early does so well. I have a real problem with snakes and let me tell you, I was freaking out reading some of these scenes (my husband will attest to all the squirming I was doing while reading.)
There are some wonderful characters here, especially Granny. I love her comment that prayers are like kisses. And Rufus, who was “the walking embodiment of the North Georgia gothic.” Ok, I know I’m not supposed to quote from a pre-release, but I can't help myself! This is an amazing book and would make a wonderful book club selection.
My thanks to netgalley and Crooked Lane Books for an advance copy of this book.
May 30, 2020
I have no proof, but I think Hank Early may be the illegitimate son of crime writer extraordinaire James Lee Burke. In style, plotting, and philosophical musings, Early's first novel with haunted and reluctant detective Earl Marcus is the perfect fit for anyone who loves Burke's Robicheaux novels. Not that Early hasn't carved out his own literary space here. Set in the mysterious Georgia mountains, Early's created a perfectly crafted world of secret communities, religious sects, and haunted pasts. Throw in a lot of snakes, some missing teenagers, and detective returning to face a past he's run from for decades, and this is one the most exciting crime debuts in years.
Read
February 26, 2018Even though I've read my own book, it would be weird to review it, right? So, I'm going to leave my first trade review here...
Starred Review from Kirkus
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
"You won’t put down this powerful and painful tale, the first in a planned series, until you’ve seen its unlikely hero explore all the avenues of love, hate, deception, and faith and unravel a gripping mystery."
Starred Review from Kirkus
https://www.kirkusreviews.com/book-re...
"You won’t put down this powerful and painful tale, the first in a planned series, until you’ve seen its unlikely hero explore all the avenues of love, hate, deception, and faith and unravel a gripping mystery."
February 5, 2019
Wow, how can I adequately get across my absolute adoration for this book? I went into this title not thinking much about it, just knowing I needed to read it because it had been on my Netgalley shelf for quite some time, and then bam my first 5 star read of the year!
There truly isn’t anything I can say I didn’t like about this novel. The story does take you on a wild ride that does feel absolutely insane at times, but knowing what I know about so many cults, who’s to say this kind of thing doesn’t happen in the back-ends of nowhere? I’m completely astounded by how cults come about and the dedication people have to them, it’s amazing how some people are so susceptible to believe in something so many others don’t and I loved how that was represented in this novel. The cult element of this story really sold me into requesting this book and it did not disappoint!
One of my favourite things about this novel was how the location, Coulee County, was a character within itself. The Georgia setting was as much a part of the plotline as any of the human characters, it was magnificent. I think it’s fair to say I’ve fallen in love with this gritty, Deep South setting and I will be seeking out more books like this. (A couple of years ago I read Savage Reckoning – 4 stars – and I loved that for its similar vibe)!
The (human) characters in this story were superb and it was interesting getting to know each and every one of them. Our MC Earl Marcus is a troubled, lone-wolf, and rugged middle-aged man with steel fists and a heart of gold. I absolutely fell in love with him and can’t wait to read about his escapades in book 2. The love interest in this novel is Mary, who again, I loved. She never backed down from a fight and was a woman who knew exactly what she wanted, but at the same time, she was timid and loving enough to be as endearing as she was fierce. Then there was a great mix of menacing characters like Choirboy, Shaw and Earl’s father. Early is a master at creating these intense and detestable people. All the way through I hated these awful men and I was filled with so much rage at their actions.
There is a never a dull moment in Heaven’s Crooked Finger as there were just so many mysteries to follow. Is Earl’s father really dead? What happened to Bryant McCauley? What happened with Maggie when she and Earl were younger? Why are so many young women disappearing? There are so many questions that need to be answered in this story and it’s exciting to follow each one of these paths. I wasn’t sure where some of them were going to go, so it was fun to try and work out the mysteries alongside Earl Marcus.
The atmosphere in this book was unlike anything I’ve read in a long, long time. In fact, this whole book was unlike anything I’ve read in a long, long time. I absolutely adored it! The writing was superb, the characters were really well done and the story was enthralling. I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2, In the Valley of the Devil, which came out in the middle of 2018.
Thanks so much to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
There truly isn’t anything I can say I didn’t like about this novel. The story does take you on a wild ride that does feel absolutely insane at times, but knowing what I know about so many cults, who’s to say this kind of thing doesn’t happen in the back-ends of nowhere? I’m completely astounded by how cults come about and the dedication people have to them, it’s amazing how some people are so susceptible to believe in something so many others don’t and I loved how that was represented in this novel. The cult element of this story really sold me into requesting this book and it did not disappoint!
One of my favourite things about this novel was how the location, Coulee County, was a character within itself. The Georgia setting was as much a part of the plotline as any of the human characters, it was magnificent. I think it’s fair to say I’ve fallen in love with this gritty, Deep South setting and I will be seeking out more books like this. (A couple of years ago I read Savage Reckoning – 4 stars – and I loved that for its similar vibe)!
The (human) characters in this story were superb and it was interesting getting to know each and every one of them. Our MC Earl Marcus is a troubled, lone-wolf, and rugged middle-aged man with steel fists and a heart of gold. I absolutely fell in love with him and can’t wait to read about his escapades in book 2. The love interest in this novel is Mary, who again, I loved. She never backed down from a fight and was a woman who knew exactly what she wanted, but at the same time, she was timid and loving enough to be as endearing as she was fierce. Then there was a great mix of menacing characters like Choirboy, Shaw and Earl’s father. Early is a master at creating these intense and detestable people. All the way through I hated these awful men and I was filled with so much rage at their actions.
There is a never a dull moment in Heaven’s Crooked Finger as there were just so many mysteries to follow. Is Earl’s father really dead? What happened to Bryant McCauley? What happened with Maggie when she and Earl were younger? Why are so many young women disappearing? There are so many questions that need to be answered in this story and it’s exciting to follow each one of these paths. I wasn’t sure where some of them were going to go, so it was fun to try and work out the mysteries alongside Earl Marcus.
The atmosphere in this book was unlike anything I’ve read in a long, long time. In fact, this whole book was unlike anything I’ve read in a long, long time. I absolutely adored it! The writing was superb, the characters were really well done and the story was enthralling. I cannot wait to get my hands on book 2, In the Valley of the Devil, which came out in the middle of 2018.
Thanks so much to Crooked Lane Books and Netgalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
July 8, 2017
Well, I'll be. Another hidden gem. I had not heard anything about this book before seeing it on Netgalley. I was immediately drawn to the cover, and then when I read the synopsis, I thought I would give it a try. To be honest, I wasn't expecting a 5 star read. I have always been fascinated with cults and how religion can warp and twist an individual. I thought Earl's thoughts and experiences were dead on. The characters were so well done, I felt like I knew each one personally. I love Granny! I am very much looking forward to the next one.
December 9, 2017
I love stories set in the South. The mountains always have dark, and deep forbidding secrets. Heaven's Crook Finger is a story of a charismatic man who run a christian ministry in the Georgia mountains. It is about a family that is torn apart by misguided beliefs, setting father against son and brother against brother.
Returning home after 33 years away. Earl Marcus is confronted with the death of his father and the impending death of the black woman who cared for him after he left his family at age 14. Earl at age fifty is a private investigator, and an alcoholic. Never reconciling the abusive early years of his live, Earl now must confront them. Without really wanting to Earl keeps getting drawn in further and further into the misdeeds that his father and his followers committed.
The book is well plotted, Earl is not one of my favorite characters but there is potential for this become a good series, if the characters get developed a little better.
This review was originally posted on The Pfaeffle Journal
Returning home after 33 years away. Earl Marcus is confronted with the death of his father and the impending death of the black woman who cared for him after he left his family at age 14. Earl at age fifty is a private investigator, and an alcoholic. Never reconciling the abusive early years of his live, Earl now must confront them. Without really wanting to Earl keeps getting drawn in further and further into the misdeeds that his father and his followers committed.
The book is well plotted, Earl is not one of my favorite characters but there is potential for this become a good series, if the characters get developed a little better.
This review was originally posted on The Pfaeffle Journal
July 3, 2018
i read this book in one sitting. the story revolves around a southern man named earl who returns home after 30 years having been banished for standing up to his religious & fanatical father. after receiving a cryptic letter indicating that his father has risen from the dead he heads home to see what is up. the characters are fabulous; his preacher father, the crooked sheriff, the overzealous followers, the mysterious midwife, among others. there is snake handling, scary sermons, & a certain blind man who cares for the church cemetery. as earl investigates to figure out if his father is dead (or not) you learn his backstory & about the reason for his banishment. i was captivated until the last sentence.
January 26, 2019
4.5 stars. 50 year old North Carolina private investigator Earl Marcus receives a letter informing him the woman who took him in for several years while he was a teenage is dying. Her grand daughter Mary who is a deputy sheriff asks him to come see her before she dies. In the letter is another unopened letter from a man who was a friend of his father. Earl's father RJ died a few months ago. However, there's a picture taken of RJ since his supposed burial. RJ was a fire and brimstone preacher with a strict interpretation of good and evil, heaven and hell. Could Earl's brother have been mistaken in his identification of the animal ravaged body? Or has RJ risen from the dead as he and all the rest of the town always said he would.
The setting in the small town in the mountains of Georgia is defined by The Church of the Holy Flame and its leader RJ Marcus. He uses snakes in his services. The entire town is under RJ's spell and Earl is the only one who ever stood up to him. At 17, his Daddy made him handle a cottonmouth. Of course, it bit him but RJ refused to take him to a doctor and he was in a coma for 5 days. His Daddy said it was all God's will. No wonder Earl has been gone for 33 years and never intended to return. But return he does to see the woman who was so good to him. But menace and long held secrets await him.
What a great beginning of a series! The plot is original and the writing is superb. The author give beautiful descriptions of the mountains and the cultish environment. I hate snakes so those parts made me cringe. I liked the dog Goose. I liked Mary and Rufus, a blind caretaker of the cemetery and I hope both these characters return in future books.
The setting in the small town in the mountains of Georgia is defined by The Church of the Holy Flame and its leader RJ Marcus. He uses snakes in his services. The entire town is under RJ's spell and Earl is the only one who ever stood up to him. At 17, his Daddy made him handle a cottonmouth. Of course, it bit him but RJ refused to take him to a doctor and he was in a coma for 5 days. His Daddy said it was all God's will. No wonder Earl has been gone for 33 years and never intended to return. But return he does to see the woman who was so good to him. But menace and long held secrets await him.
What a great beginning of a series! The plot is original and the writing is superb. The author give beautiful descriptions of the mountains and the cultish environment. I hate snakes so those parts made me cringe. I liked the dog Goose. I liked Mary and Rufus, a blind caretaker of the cemetery and I hope both these characters return in future books.
August 2, 2019
Rating: ★★★★☆+
Synopsis
2018 Next Generation Indie Book Award Winner!
Eerie, intense, and masterfully-crafted, Hank Early’s gripping series debut Heaven’s Crooked Finger transports readers to a secretive community in the Georgia mountains.
Earl Marcus thought he had left the mountains of Georgia behind forever, and with them, the painful memories of a childhood spent under the fundamentalist rule of his father RJ’s church—a church built on fear, penance, and the twisting, writhing mass of snakes. But then an ominous photo of RJ is delivered to Earl’s home. The photograph is dated long after his father’s burial, and there’s no doubt that the man in the picture is very much alive.
As Earl returns to Church of the Holy Flame searching for the truth, faithful followers insist that his father has risen to a holy place high in the mountains. Nobody will talk about the teenage girls who go missing, only to return with strange tattoo-like marks on their skin. Rumors swirl about an old well that sits atop one of the mountains, a place of unimaginable power and secrets. Earl doesn’t know what to believe, but he has long been haunted by his father, forever lurking in the shadows of his life. Desperate to leave his sinful Holy Flame childhood in the past, Earl digs up deeply buried secrets to discover the truth before time runs out and he’s the one put underground in Heaven’s Crooked Finger, Hank Early’s thrilling series debut.
Review
So, I grabbed a copy of Heaven’s Crooked Finger (Earl Marcus #1) on Amazon a WHILE back when it went on sale for like $1.99. I was really intrigued by the cover as it gave me Stephen King ‘Revival’ vibes and the cover featured a blurb from one of my favorite horror writers, Paul Tremblay.
Low and behold, it turns out that I know the author and we live like 30 minutes from each other. Not only that, but I was a substitute teacher for him a few years back when I was in a transitioning period with my career path. Small word, eh?
But I digress.
Heaven’s Crooked Finger is a captivating debut. A dark and enthralling southern gothic piece of literary fiction that sinks its teeth in early on, leaving you emotionally drained by the turn of the final page.
While the opening couple of chapters wrapped themselves around me and had me clamoring for more, I have to admit that I started falling a little out of love with the story as it progressed toward 30-40%. It slowed down a bit, sort of meandering between characters, the he said/she said scripts that come with mystery novels, and glimpses into the past to give us a better feel for our protagonist and his… family issues.
But then I hit the 50ish% mark AND THINGS GOT REAL. Let’s just say that if you have a fear of snakes, you may read parts of this novel through your fingers. I wouldn’t say that I am scared to death of ole’ no-legs, but I’m not going up and kissing them on the head. These few scenes had me picking my feet up off the floor and clamoring for higher ground. On top of that, the story encompasses a church that makes its monthly tithe off dealing with cottonmouths. HARD PASS.
On top of that, the real mystery that surrounds this entire novel is inherently creepy as all get out and is never truly wrapped up until the very end (and is it even over at the point???? WHO KNOWS). It is a novel where emotions consistently run high, past choices suffer new consequences, and death may be lurking around each and every corner.
I absolutely dug the heck out of this novel and am excited about starting In The Valley of the Devil (Earl Marcus #2), which Crooked Lane Press was so kind to send me a copy of. If you dig southern gothic stories or want a new mystery author to try out, give Heaven’s Crooked Finger a shot. I cannot guarantee that there won’t be snakes, but I can say that you won’t be unmoved.
Synopsis
2018 Next Generation Indie Book Award Winner!
Eerie, intense, and masterfully-crafted, Hank Early’s gripping series debut Heaven’s Crooked Finger transports readers to a secretive community in the Georgia mountains.
Earl Marcus thought he had left the mountains of Georgia behind forever, and with them, the painful memories of a childhood spent under the fundamentalist rule of his father RJ’s church—a church built on fear, penance, and the twisting, writhing mass of snakes. But then an ominous photo of RJ is delivered to Earl’s home. The photograph is dated long after his father’s burial, and there’s no doubt that the man in the picture is very much alive.
As Earl returns to Church of the Holy Flame searching for the truth, faithful followers insist that his father has risen to a holy place high in the mountains. Nobody will talk about the teenage girls who go missing, only to return with strange tattoo-like marks on their skin. Rumors swirl about an old well that sits atop one of the mountains, a place of unimaginable power and secrets. Earl doesn’t know what to believe, but he has long been haunted by his father, forever lurking in the shadows of his life. Desperate to leave his sinful Holy Flame childhood in the past, Earl digs up deeply buried secrets to discover the truth before time runs out and he’s the one put underground in Heaven’s Crooked Finger, Hank Early’s thrilling series debut.
Review
So, I grabbed a copy of Heaven’s Crooked Finger (Earl Marcus #1) on Amazon a WHILE back when it went on sale for like $1.99. I was really intrigued by the cover as it gave me Stephen King ‘Revival’ vibes and the cover featured a blurb from one of my favorite horror writers, Paul Tremblay.
Low and behold, it turns out that I know the author and we live like 30 minutes from each other. Not only that, but I was a substitute teacher for him a few years back when I was in a transitioning period with my career path. Small word, eh?
But I digress.
Heaven’s Crooked Finger is a captivating debut. A dark and enthralling southern gothic piece of literary fiction that sinks its teeth in early on, leaving you emotionally drained by the turn of the final page.
While the opening couple of chapters wrapped themselves around me and had me clamoring for more, I have to admit that I started falling a little out of love with the story as it progressed toward 30-40%. It slowed down a bit, sort of meandering between characters, the he said/she said scripts that come with mystery novels, and glimpses into the past to give us a better feel for our protagonist and his… family issues.
But then I hit the 50ish% mark AND THINGS GOT REAL. Let’s just say that if you have a fear of snakes, you may read parts of this novel through your fingers. I wouldn’t say that I am scared to death of ole’ no-legs, but I’m not going up and kissing them on the head. These few scenes had me picking my feet up off the floor and clamoring for higher ground. On top of that, the story encompasses a church that makes its monthly tithe off dealing with cottonmouths. HARD PASS.
On top of that, the real mystery that surrounds this entire novel is inherently creepy as all get out and is never truly wrapped up until the very end (and is it even over at the point???? WHO KNOWS). It is a novel where emotions consistently run high, past choices suffer new consequences, and death may be lurking around each and every corner.
I absolutely dug the heck out of this novel and am excited about starting In The Valley of the Devil (Earl Marcus #2), which Crooked Lane Press was so kind to send me a copy of. If you dig southern gothic stories or want a new mystery author to try out, give Heaven’s Crooked Finger a shot. I cannot guarantee that there won’t be snakes, but I can say that you won’t be unmoved.
July 18, 2017
This was just one phenomenal book! Private investigator,Earl Marcus returns home to be with an old woman he loves and
feels obligated to as she is dying.
This begins a journey through a 30 year-old mystery full of guilt, shame , and his struggles with his his religious zealot father and his twisted congregation.
With supernatural overtones, this is a haunting and compelling beginning to an excellent new series. This one is a must read and I can't wait for more!
feels obligated to as she is dying.
This begins a journey through a 30 year-old mystery full of guilt, shame , and his struggles with his his religious zealot father and his twisted congregation.
With supernatural overtones, this is a haunting and compelling beginning to an excellent new series. This one is a must read and I can't wait for more!
November 10, 2024
Пафосно, передбачувано і затягнуто.
P.S. Який адекватний 50-річний чувак буде називати свого батька (який відверто знущався над ним у дитинстві) “daddy”??
P.S. Який адекватний 50-річний чувак буде називати свого батька (який відверто знущався над ним у дитинстві) “daddy”??
October 8, 2017
Earl left the mountain town he was raised in thinking he would never, ever return there. When he gets word that the woman who helped him is dying, he returns but not just for her, but to also solve the mystery about whether his father is actually dead or has returned from the dead to continue leading his church. His father formed a church that handled snakes to prove their faith in God. When Earl was bitten and left to die or live he left. Earl's brother has now taken over the church. The whole town is either believers or "heathens". Earl had also gotten a photo in the mail showing his father after his death as alive as ever.
This book was a very good read. Though I was not raised in the mountains where these type of churches seem to thrive, I do come from a small town where not much has changed since the 30's-40's. Earl makes a nice main character and I would be interested to see where his life goes from here. The book did not leave you hanging like most do if the author makes a series of them.
I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
This book was a very good read. Though I was not raised in the mountains where these type of churches seem to thrive, I do come from a small town where not much has changed since the 30's-40's. Earl makes a nice main character and I would be interested to see where his life goes from here. The book did not leave you hanging like most do if the author makes a series of them.
I was given an eARC by the publisher through NetGalley.
October 27, 2017
I don't say this very often, but if I could give this book six stars out of five, I would. Hank Early, one of the alternate names that writer John Mantooth uses, is a phenomenal writer. This book reminded me of a fusion between Tom Piccirilli and William Faulkner. It was eerily good. The pacing was fantastic, the mysterious supernatural elements were on point, and the strained family relationships as well as guilt and inner turmoil of the protagonist were stupendously well done. I truly hope this novel receives the recognition it deserves when it comes time for it to be nominated, and I hope that more people read this novel because it is amazingly good. Even though it is set in a tiny Southern town, it still definitely has that delicious Southern Gothic feel to it. Highly recommended!
August 25, 2017
I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Side note, I stalk someone on goodreads. She reads (and loves) almost everything I do. So naturally when I saw she went gonzo for this book, I had to read it myself.
It starts out SO. GOOD. The background in Earl's early years, his crazy-ass snake handling daddy, his turning away from the church - I mean, I couldn't put it down. And then.
Then there is a mystery to solve. And honestly, at first the mystery had me going. But then the story started sagging worse than a $2 mattress. There was no spark driving this part of the story the way there had been in the beginning.
The mystery is solved, the bad guys get got, our hero gets the girl (although I do see the door open for a move in a new direction). It was a good mystery, it had some really good twists and descriptions. It just seemed a bit self-conscious towards the big reveal.
Overall, 4 stars. Earl is a good leading man, and I hope to see more of him.
Side note, I stalk someone on goodreads. She reads (and loves) almost everything I do. So naturally when I saw she went gonzo for this book, I had to read it myself.
It starts out SO. GOOD. The background in Earl's early years, his crazy-ass snake handling daddy, his turning away from the church - I mean, I couldn't put it down. And then.
Then there is a mystery to solve. And honestly, at first the mystery had me going. But then the story started sagging worse than a $2 mattress. There was no spark driving this part of the story the way there had been in the beginning.
The mystery is solved, the bad guys get got, our hero gets the girl (although I do see the door open for a move in a new direction). It was a good mystery, it had some really good twists and descriptions. It just seemed a bit self-conscious towards the big reveal.
Overall, 4 stars. Earl is a good leading man, and I hope to see more of him.
November 7, 2017
NOTE: This review originally appeared on New York Journal of Books: http://www.nyjournalofbooks.com/book-...
There’s a new name in the mystery fiction scene, and that name is Hank Early. And with his debut novel Heaven’s Crooked Finger, he is quickly turning heads and garnering much-deserved attention and acclaim.
Heaven’s Crooked Finger is the narrative of Earl Marcus, a private detective. A childhood survivor of the abusive evangelical ways of his father, Reverend RJ Marcus, Earl has had his share of challenges and conflicts on the job. But nothing can prepare him for the letter that he receives which brings him back to his hometown of Coulee County, Georgia.
A sheriff’s deputy, Mary Hawkins, has contacted Earl to let him know that her grandmother, Arnette “Granny” Lacey (who also looked after Earl when he was younger) is on her deathbed, and that she would like to see him one last time. What’s more, Granny has recently received a letter for Earl—a letter containing a very recent photo of his long-dead father.
It’s not long after Earl arrives that the mystery quickly deepens. The man who sent the letter has gone missing. Several teenage girls have disappeared and returned with strange tattoos on their bodies. And there’s a rumor going around among the followers of the Church of the Holy Flame that RJ Marcus has come back from the dead.
Heaven’s Crooked Finger is a tight and involved mystery, full of twists and turns aplenty. There are many secrets and skeletons piled high in closets. There are false leads and red herrings. And there are a number of enemies that Earl runs into—and makes—during the course of his investigation.
However, what sets this aside from other, similar works goes far beyond strong characterization or plotting. There is a powerful and profound mood to the novel, combining by turns loneliness, despair, and an ongoing striving for redemption that makes this tale as emotionally exhausting as it is intelligently plotted.
As a character, Earl Marcus is far from perfect, and yet so much more than a stereotypical tough guy with shortcomings. He’s headstrong and impulsive; in an early scene, Mary is horrified to learn that he burned the letter containing his father’s picture, simply because he “didn’t want to see it again,” even though it would have been a powerful piece of evidence in their investigation. Earl is prone to very human errors and oversights, and in addition to humanizing his actions, this helps bring very vulnerable and relatable qualities to his persona.
Family and religion play very important themes in this novel. Over a number of alternating flashbacks, we get glimpses into Earl’s life as he grew up under the reign of his father. There are many unpleasant scenes of child abuse in these flashbacks, which may prove to be difficult content for some readers. However, none of these are done exploitatively or too extensively—they convey many hurtful emotions that serve primarily to bolster and define the characters’ motivations.
With as much of an emphasis on pathos as there is on plot, Heaven’s Crooked Finger could have turned into an edgy but heavy-handed drama. And conversely, it could have been boiled down to a solid mystery, yet lacking in the rich development that elevates the characters above traditional types and tropes. But Early keeps the pace swift and taut and the emotions high, perfectly balancing the novel’s numerous tensions.
There’s also a hefty dose of humor throughout the book. It’s never heavy-handed or distracting, nor is it sparingly sprinkled here and there. Once again, balance is the name of the game, for the jokes are perfectly placed and never too cheap or blunt, throwing some much-needed light upon the frequent darkness.
And finally, Early is a master of description. The dense, humid Georgia setting is powerfully atmospheric, full of smells and sounds, swaying trees, crunching leaves and gravel, and crashing thunder. Never does the reader forget where they are, and it makes this tale all the more vivid and engrossing.
Without spoiling anything of the plot, this novel is also the first book in a planned series. A sequel has already been announced, titled In the Valley of the Devil, due out in July of 2018. If that or any subsequent Earl Marcus mysteries are even half as good as this one, readers will be in for an ongoing number of treats.
Heaven’s Crooked Finger is an outstanding work of literary suspense, a tale as devastatingly beautiful as it is powerfully intelligent. Fans of a wide variety of fiction are in store for a remarkable read in this novel, which perfectly combines elements of Southern gothic literature and hard-boiled mystery. And with more tales to follow, this is the start of a new trail in mystery fiction—with Hank Early paving the way.
There’s a new name in the mystery fiction scene, and that name is Hank Early. And with his debut novel Heaven’s Crooked Finger, he is quickly turning heads and garnering much-deserved attention and acclaim.
Heaven’s Crooked Finger is the narrative of Earl Marcus, a private detective. A childhood survivor of the abusive evangelical ways of his father, Reverend RJ Marcus, Earl has had his share of challenges and conflicts on the job. But nothing can prepare him for the letter that he receives which brings him back to his hometown of Coulee County, Georgia.
A sheriff’s deputy, Mary Hawkins, has contacted Earl to let him know that her grandmother, Arnette “Granny” Lacey (who also looked after Earl when he was younger) is on her deathbed, and that she would like to see him one last time. What’s more, Granny has recently received a letter for Earl—a letter containing a very recent photo of his long-dead father.
It’s not long after Earl arrives that the mystery quickly deepens. The man who sent the letter has gone missing. Several teenage girls have disappeared and returned with strange tattoos on their bodies. And there’s a rumor going around among the followers of the Church of the Holy Flame that RJ Marcus has come back from the dead.
Heaven’s Crooked Finger is a tight and involved mystery, full of twists and turns aplenty. There are many secrets and skeletons piled high in closets. There are false leads and red herrings. And there are a number of enemies that Earl runs into—and makes—during the course of his investigation.
However, what sets this aside from other, similar works goes far beyond strong characterization or plotting. There is a powerful and profound mood to the novel, combining by turns loneliness, despair, and an ongoing striving for redemption that makes this tale as emotionally exhausting as it is intelligently plotted.
As a character, Earl Marcus is far from perfect, and yet so much more than a stereotypical tough guy with shortcomings. He’s headstrong and impulsive; in an early scene, Mary is horrified to learn that he burned the letter containing his father’s picture, simply because he “didn’t want to see it again,” even though it would have been a powerful piece of evidence in their investigation. Earl is prone to very human errors and oversights, and in addition to humanizing his actions, this helps bring very vulnerable and relatable qualities to his persona.
Family and religion play very important themes in this novel. Over a number of alternating flashbacks, we get glimpses into Earl’s life as he grew up under the reign of his father. There are many unpleasant scenes of child abuse in these flashbacks, which may prove to be difficult content for some readers. However, none of these are done exploitatively or too extensively—they convey many hurtful emotions that serve primarily to bolster and define the characters’ motivations.
With as much of an emphasis on pathos as there is on plot, Heaven’s Crooked Finger could have turned into an edgy but heavy-handed drama. And conversely, it could have been boiled down to a solid mystery, yet lacking in the rich development that elevates the characters above traditional types and tropes. But Early keeps the pace swift and taut and the emotions high, perfectly balancing the novel’s numerous tensions.
There’s also a hefty dose of humor throughout the book. It’s never heavy-handed or distracting, nor is it sparingly sprinkled here and there. Once again, balance is the name of the game, for the jokes are perfectly placed and never too cheap or blunt, throwing some much-needed light upon the frequent darkness.
And finally, Early is a master of description. The dense, humid Georgia setting is powerfully atmospheric, full of smells and sounds, swaying trees, crunching leaves and gravel, and crashing thunder. Never does the reader forget where they are, and it makes this tale all the more vivid and engrossing.
Without spoiling anything of the plot, this novel is also the first book in a planned series. A sequel has already been announced, titled In the Valley of the Devil, due out in July of 2018. If that or any subsequent Earl Marcus mysteries are even half as good as this one, readers will be in for an ongoing number of treats.
Heaven’s Crooked Finger is an outstanding work of literary suspense, a tale as devastatingly beautiful as it is powerfully intelligent. Fans of a wide variety of fiction are in store for a remarkable read in this novel, which perfectly combines elements of Southern gothic literature and hard-boiled mystery. And with more tales to follow, this is the start of a new trail in mystery fiction—with Hank Early paving the way.
November 27, 2017
Earl Marcus is the child of a fire and brimstone preacher in a small mountain town in Coulee County, Georgia. RJ Marcus is a Pentecostal preacher that strongly believes in the word of God. When Earl is bitten by a snake when he is seventeen he is essentially kicked out of church, his home, and hated by everyone in town. Thankfully a midwife by the name of Granny takes him in and finish raising him.
Year later Earl has moved on and now lives in North Carolina as a private investigator. He still has bad memories about his father and refused to return when the man died. But then he hears that Granny is dying from pancreatic cancer and wants to see him one more time, he returns to the little town. When he gets there he finds those that hated him still hate him. But then he sees a picture of his father clearly alive after he is supposed to be dead and hears about strange happenings with teenage girls. He decides to look into both events.
This is a killer start to a new series from a new author. You can’t help but feel for Earl. He’s stuck in a small town that is enraptured with his father’s preaching and has a certain small mindedness that you can only find in a small town. When Early clearly is not accepted by God, his is discarded. I don’t blame him at all for not going back for his father’s funeral but I understand sucking it up for Granny. As for the mystery, I really liked the twists and turns you follow along as clues are revealed and red herrings dropped around. I was kept guessing until the end and really liked the big reveal.
This is a first in the series and I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for the next book. If you like a great thriller with religious undertones and some paranormal added in, you need to check this book out.
I received Heaven’s Crooked Finger from Sami at Roger Charlie for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
Year later Earl has moved on and now lives in North Carolina as a private investigator. He still has bad memories about his father and refused to return when the man died. But then he hears that Granny is dying from pancreatic cancer and wants to see him one more time, he returns to the little town. When he gets there he finds those that hated him still hate him. But then he sees a picture of his father clearly alive after he is supposed to be dead and hears about strange happenings with teenage girls. He decides to look into both events.
This is a killer start to a new series from a new author. You can’t help but feel for Earl. He’s stuck in a small town that is enraptured with his father’s preaching and has a certain small mindedness that you can only find in a small town. When Early clearly is not accepted by God, his is discarded. I don’t blame him at all for not going back for his father’s funeral but I understand sucking it up for Granny. As for the mystery, I really liked the twists and turns you follow along as clues are revealed and red herrings dropped around. I was kept guessing until the end and really liked the big reveal.
This is a first in the series and I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for the next book. If you like a great thriller with religious undertones and some paranormal added in, you need to check this book out.
I received Heaven’s Crooked Finger from Sami at Roger Charlie for free. This has in no way influenced my opinion of this book.
June 3, 2018
Put this book on your list, y’all. After southern literature, suspense and mystery are among my favorite genres, so I am always drawn to a combination of the two. Hank Early’s “Heaven’s Crooked Finger” was the perfect mix. It is set in the mountains of Georgia and Early’s description of the region is spot-on.
The novel’s hero, Earl Marcus, who is to be featured in a second book, is an appropriately gruff, closed-off investigator who has come home after 30 years to make peace with his traumatic childhood as the son of a snake-handling preacher with tight control of his flock. It’s not as easy to put behind him as it might seem, considering church members are claiming his dead father has come back life.
This was one of those books that kept me awake past bedtime because I just had to know what happened next. The hints at the supernatural kept me guessing. Was there something worse in those mountains than the snakes Marcus faced as a teen in his father’s church? Sometimes suspense books disappoint when the ending either leaves readers dangling or kind of fizzles. This was not one of those books. I LOVED the ending. I will be checking out the next Earl Marcus mystery.
A final note: Early’s depiction of the snake-handling church was detailed and vivid. For more information on fringe mountain religions, check out Dennis Covington’s excellent “Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia.”
The novel’s hero, Earl Marcus, who is to be featured in a second book, is an appropriately gruff, closed-off investigator who has come home after 30 years to make peace with his traumatic childhood as the son of a snake-handling preacher with tight control of his flock. It’s not as easy to put behind him as it might seem, considering church members are claiming his dead father has come back life.
This was one of those books that kept me awake past bedtime because I just had to know what happened next. The hints at the supernatural kept me guessing. Was there something worse in those mountains than the snakes Marcus faced as a teen in his father’s church? Sometimes suspense books disappoint when the ending either leaves readers dangling or kind of fizzles. This was not one of those books. I LOVED the ending. I will be checking out the next Earl Marcus mystery.
A final note: Early’s depiction of the snake-handling church was detailed and vivid. For more information on fringe mountain religions, check out Dennis Covington’s excellent “Salvation on Sand Mountain: Snake Handling and Redemption in Southern Appalachia.”
October 28, 2017
Wow! What a series debut for Hank Early!
The character of Earl Marcus was so vivid, complex and developed. He's a man at odds with the beliefs he was raised with and wanting to leave those beliefs, the memories of a zealot father and his painful past behind him.
The plot was suspenseful, well-crafted and absolutely riveting. It was so easy to forget that this was a fictional story. At times, it felt like you had fallen into the recitation of someone's actual life. Secrets and lies abound and add to the rich flavor of the already well-spiced storyline.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was truly impressed.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books in order to read and provide a voluntary and honest review, should I choose to do so.
The character of Earl Marcus was so vivid, complex and developed. He's a man at odds with the beliefs he was raised with and wanting to leave those beliefs, the memories of a zealot father and his painful past behind him.
The plot was suspenseful, well-crafted and absolutely riveting. It was so easy to forget that this was a fictional story. At times, it felt like you had fallen into the recitation of someone's actual life. Secrets and lies abound and add to the rich flavor of the already well-spiced storyline.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and was truly impressed.
*I received a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley & Crooked Lane Books in order to read and provide a voluntary and honest review, should I choose to do so.
January 28, 2023
After reading the 2nd book in this series first, like I did; this was just 'eh'.
You do not have to read both of these to make sense of the second book in the series; "In The Valley of The Devil" and I would just recommend everyone to go ahead and just read that book....this one did not have the hook and grab that the 2nd one had. I can't really recommend this unless you are a die hard southern gothic type of fan.
3 🤔🤔🤔
You do not have to read both of these to make sense of the second book in the series; "In The Valley of The Devil" and I would just recommend everyone to go ahead and just read that book....this one did not have the hook and grab that the 2nd one had. I can't really recommend this unless you are a die hard southern gothic type of fan.
3 🤔🤔🤔
October 9, 2017
Hank Early’s novel, Heaven’s Crooked Finger takes readers on a wild and unpredictable adventure through the rural Georgia mountains with detective, Earl Marcus, whose pursuit of truth causes countless enemies to relentlessly pursue him as well. This thrilling, and at times, chilling mystery, keeps readers guessing until the very last chapter.
February 4, 2018
Very well-written suspense novel with thorough character development & surprising plot twists. This book is certainly a page-turner that I didn't want to put down. I am definitely looking forward to the next Earl Marcus mystery by Hank Early.
March 31, 2022
I was supposed to cook last night. But instead I said 'screw it' to all forms of adulting and spent the night finishing the last 100 pages. No regrets. Earl Marcus (and Rufus, tied for favorite) are not characters you can turn away from, and this unsettling tale doesn't let you go.
I unfortunately recognized some of the people in this story (hai, WV family) and was fascinated by the rich details and layering that kept me guessing throughout. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.
I unfortunately recognized some of the people in this story (hai, WV family) and was fascinated by the rich details and layering that kept me guessing throughout. Can't wait to read the rest of the series.
October 30, 2017
I won a copy of this book during a Goodreads giveaway. I am under no obligation to leave a review or rating and do so voluntarily. So that others may also enjoy this book, I am paying it forward by donating it a local library.
January 12, 2018
Rounded up from 4.5. Interesting story that didn’t hook me initially but then had me staying up late to finish. Looking forward to the next Earl Marcus story.
August 4, 2017
3.75 stars
Definitely not the last Earl Marcus story I'll be reading.
This was a great first book,telling a story with twists,turns and religious nuts,without feeling like being bashed on the head with scene setting for future stories in the series.
Earl himself seems like a big bold character,with enough baggage and compassion to keep me interested a while.
A good mix of madness,brutality and mystery.
Will welcome book 2.
Definitely not the last Earl Marcus story I'll be reading.
This was a great first book,telling a story with twists,turns and religious nuts,without feeling like being bashed on the head with scene setting for future stories in the series.
Earl himself seems like a big bold character,with enough baggage and compassion to keep me interested a while.
A good mix of madness,brutality and mystery.
Will welcome book 2.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2017
Hank Early has a knack for suspense. There were a few times when I wondered where he was going and how he was going to tie everything together but I don't thinks there were any loose ends left. Heavens Crooked Finger takes place in a remote backwards county where corrupt leaders use religion, punishment and murder to control its residence.
You'll find great characters, unique scenes and riveting suspense. The middle sagged a little for me and there were a few clunky parts that seemed way to straightforward and predictable. On the other hand there were a few unexpected twists too. Make sure you stick with the story until the end. I think you'll be glad you did. This was a great debut novel. I'll likely read his next book.
You'll find great characters, unique scenes and riveting suspense. The middle sagged a little for me and there were a few clunky parts that seemed way to straightforward and predictable. On the other hand there were a few unexpected twists too. Make sure you stick with the story until the end. I think you'll be glad you did. This was a great debut novel. I'll likely read his next book.
February 20, 2018
Wow! This is the first book for Hank Early and I can't wait for the 2nd. It was a fantastic read! When Earl Marcus is called back to the Mountain area he has left behind and tried to forget for the last 30 years, the plot takes on twists and turns that will leave you wanting to leave your light on at night. Well done Hank Early!!
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