Rockabilly Hell

by William W. Johnstone

The bizarre disappearance of more than five hundred people along a stretch of highway over a forty-year period leads Sheriff's Deputy Jesse "Cole" Younger and Katti Baylor, a beautiful reporter, on a terrifying journey behind the doors of a mysterious roadside club. Original.

Genres: Horror

302 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1995

About the author

William W. Johnstone is the #1 bestselling Western writer in America and the New York Times and USA Today bestselling author of hundreds of books, with over 50 million copies sold. Born in southern Missouri, he was raised with strong moral and family values by his minister father, and tutored by his schoolteacher mother. He left school at fifteen to work in a carnival and then as a deputy sheriff before serving in the army. He went on to become known as "the Greatest Western writer of the 21st Century." Visit him online at WilliamJohnstone.net.

Reviews

[Phil · Rating 2 out of 5]

Even by Johnstone's standards, Rockabilly Hell failed; failed to impress, failed to scare, and failed to even entertain. That stated, this started off pretty good, it just kept getting worse and worse. Our main protagonist, Cole, works as a deputy down south, and starts the novel going up to Chicago to fetch a guy (prisoner). Cole, only 45, looks forward (in a way) to retirement just a few months away. On the road trip up to Chicago, Cole's radio goes haywire, playing only Rockabilly in the middle of no whereville. Puzzled, he looks for a place to grab a drink or something and comes across an old roadhouse. All the cars/trucks in the lot are from the 40s/50s and when he goes in, the calendar reads 1957. When he exits and starts to drive away, the place disappears!

A few months later, at a police conference, he meets a reporter, Katti, who seeks justice for her missing brother; seems he stopped at some roadhouse and disappeared as well. Well, long story short, once Cole retires, he and Katti start looking into the old roadhouses and disappearances and find something evil...

Cole represents a typical Johnstone protagonist-- tough, army vet, no nonsense and with a firm believe in Christ. He gathers around him some more typical badasses and they start digging. I was still enjoying this up to this point, but then Johnstone overreached, even for him. There seems to be two types of people for Johnstone's novels; those like Cole and those who make a pact with Satan (super evil). In this case, a whole conspiracy of people made the devil a deal, and now torture, rape people, make snuff films, etc. Problem is these are people with power and influence. Can Cole and his rag tag group fight the evil and win?

Wait, what happened to the Rockabilly roadhouses? Well, Johnstone kinda dropped that ball, making them into something in between Hell and earth (for people so mean and evil the Devil does not even want them. Ok). Even Hohnstone's 'trademark' right wing rants fall flat here while usually they amuse as they are so outlandish. Don't know what Johnstone was going after here, but I can see why he dropped horror and just kept writing westerns after this. I am down with trashy pulp, and Johnstone usually gives some decent fare in that regard, but not here. 1.5 lame stars, rounding up only because I finished it.

[Heather ~*dread mushrooms*~ · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was expecting this:











And maybe a little this:



Instead I got sparkling lights and people eating in diners constantly. The sparkling lights represent the ghosts of the story—the hellish rockabilly people, that is. That's original, I guess, but those lights could be tased and turned into rotting bodies. So ... it was weird. The characters chose to discuss the ghosts/things situation while eating, which is so boring I couldn't even find an appropriate gif.

There was NO character development, so I couldn't muster up any interest for why these people were all sitting around talking about stuff. The other villains, the real people who were millionaires and judges and whatnot, also sat around and talked about stuff, and they were super bad and all, but it was basically a laugh fest. Only with no laughing.



Then there was the weird God and Devil angle thrown in. NOPE. Give me a break. That was just ... why? God and the Devil (capital D, of course) are playing a cosmic game with disappearing roadside diners? Okay ... They must be bored.

Someone should take this idea and run in the other direction with it. I would love to read about rockabilly zombies or something who are doomed to dance FOREVER, and doom anyone who comes into contact with them.

Or hot greasers. Something like that.

[Walter Warren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pulp fiction, Something different, Entertaining. Read it for fun like watching TV infomercials.

[Shannon]

Along Route 61, music greats like Elvis and Jerry Lee Lewis

[Carolyn Injoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rockabilly Hell by William W. Johnstone Rockabilly Hell by William W. Johnstone is an intriguing horror/mystery that has well-drawn characters: Deputy Jesse “Cole” Younger and a reporter named Katti Baylor together are investigating the death of her brother ten years prior, and all the roadside clubs that have random "hauntings". I gave it five stars.
 
It was filled with evil people and their repulsive deeds. While it advanced the storyline, there were parts that were difficult to read and left me feeling as if I needed a brain shampoo.
 
I received a complimentary Kindle copy from Kensington Books and NetGalley. That did not change my opinion for this review.
 
Link to purchase: https://www.amazon.com/Rockabilly-Hel...

[Shelleen Toland · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked this book and the story line. I only gave it 3 stars though because it has rape in it and with children. I had a hard time with the children part of it. On a main route, for 40 years, 500 people have disappeared. An deputy and a reporter stumble unto something chilling and then get other involved to solve this mystery. Ghosts and bad millionaires and politicians and cops are all a part of this. I received this from NetGalley for a review.

[Smalltowncat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting horror

Ghosts, the dead rising, 1950's vanishing roadhouses; this novel has it all. A very different take on supernatural evil and the living beings who revel in evil. Good characters and action packed.

[Sea Caummisar · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this one more than I expected.
Music is fun. Reading is fun. Reading about music is really fun. Especially when the music is coming from ghost bars.
Out of all types of bars, I'm willing to go out on a limb and bet that a bar full of 'ghosts' is the coolest type of bar.
I'd love to go to a ghost bar.
Or maybe not after reading that.
In for realz life, if I was driving by and a bar popped up out of nowhere, I would definitely venture inside. Out of curiosity and stupidity. Most ghost stories aren't my jam, but this one was pretty neat

[Larry Estep · Rating 2 out of 5]

I actually had high hopes for this book. I enjoy rockabilly music, love old cars and hot rods, and the book crosses several genres that I enjoy. I knew of William W. Johnstone as a well established western writer, but that is not a genre that interests me very much so I also viewed this as a way to sample his work in a genre I would enjoy.

Sadly, there were a lot of shortcomings. The dialog was terrible. If two people are sitting in a room, do they use the other's name in every sentence they say?

Our hero always seems to be a step ahead of everyone else. He knows what's going on because ... well, he just does. Mostly because his religion tells him so, even though he isn't a religious person.

Most of the characters are stereotypes and we seem to end up with a whole army of them. Fewer characters and more character development would have gone a long way.

There are several points where the author injects his politics into the story. I read books mostly for escapism and politics is one of the things I would like to escape. The really sad part is that the politics have little to no bearing on the story. They are nothing but a distraction.

There appears to be a second book called Rockabilly Limbo. I'm sort of drawn to it in the same way I was drawn to this one and had initially added it to my "to read" list, but considering my disappointment with this one, I doubt I will ever read it.

[Cathy Gudger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another good read by William Johnstone!

[T. Gray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kind of cheesy .

This one is kind of cheesy. There are good parts that draw you in but overall it is a little weak for Johnstone.

[henry smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Was very good except there were times I felt like I had missed something connecting the night clubs and the people. But was a good read. Typical violence sex and sun.

[Angela Crawford · Rating 2 out of 5]

From Cairo to Vicksburg, along Route 61, they lit up the night with the sounds of wailing voices and twanging guitars. All the greats played at roadside clubs filled with smoke, sex, and a driving beat,,, Elvis, Jerry Lee Lewis, Carl Perkins and Johnny Cash. These jive joints are now a thing of the past. Or are they? A sheriff's deputy has just stumbled on to a mystery that will take him into the cheating heart of Rockabilly Hell.

In the last forty years, over five hundred people have disappeared along that particular stretch of highway. Now Deputy Jesse " Cole " Younger and a beautiful reporter named Kattie Baylor have entered the doors of one of those lost clubs to find what waits within,,,, and to face what waits beyond.... Hell!!

While I normally really like William W. Johnstone's books this one just missed the mark. It reads like one of the Satanist cult made for TV movies you would see in the 80's, only less fun. Between the ghosts ( Who weren't very scary even though they were " So bad that the Devil didn't want them in hell ) to the snuff film/ kiddie porn making rednecks and politicians, and the storms of bodily waste ( Yup, it rains poo ) this book is by far one of the worst Johnstone's I've ever read.

I'd like my time back please! 2 stars.

[carolyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very disturbing book. Over 500 people have mysteriously disappeared on a stretch of highway on Rt. 61. Deputy Younger and a reporter named Katti enter hell on earth when Deputy Younger stumbles upon one of the old roadside clubs that disappears and reappears during the night. In these clubs are people from the past whom have already died and have not freed their souls (one of these people being Katti's brother who was murdered years ago). Througout their adventure they unravel a huge pool of high, rich and powerful individuals that are involved in some of these murders and disappearances and are now covering it up as a group. They also discovered that there were a lot of snuff films made in the process. All hell breaks lose and the whole county goes mad and starts a rampage of destruction, murder, and violence. From ghosts, to the walking dead, pornography and murder, this is a very disturbing book, even for myself.

[VeronicaMarie1986]

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley and am voluntarily reviewing it.

Hundreds of people have been disappearing along a single stretch of highway for the past forty years. A sheriff's deputy and a reporter decide it is time to uncover the truth. What ensues is horrifying and thrilling. I recommend this book to fans of horror. I found it to be a unique read and kept me turning the pages.

[Kim · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 3 stars were given for the complete Pulp of this book. I do not shout it's literary genius by offering the 3 stars. LOL Not a great work, but kitsch as can be and something I just HAD to read!

[Scott Mccoy · Rating 2 out of 5]

interesting premise falls way short. confusing narrative. too many minor characters. characters way way way too accepting and understanding of supernatural phenomenon.