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Hard Mountain Clay
Siblings Ben and Maisy find they have no one to turn to after witnessing a gruesome hit-and-run that shatters their innocence. Not their mother, a poor waitress with a spiraling heroin addiction—and certainly not her new boyfriend, a brutal, meth-smoking tow truck driver named Lou Holt. When Lou's cover-up slowly turns their backyard into a makeshift cemetery, they devise plans to escape their chaotic home in the Santa Cruz Mountains, only to see their lives sink to even darker depths.
In this rural town buried deep under redwood needles and mountain fog, a dangerous cast of characters never seems too far away. There’s Cowboy, a fast-talking enabler of Lou’s petty schemes; and MacLeod, a pock-faced proprietor of an off-the-books wrecking yard who utilizes child labor to disassemble his stolen cars. But everything changes when Don Halbert—a persistent school administrator with a keen eye for trouble—starts advocating for Ben and Maisy’s welfare. The outcome will break your heart.
In this rural town buried deep under redwood needles and mountain fog, a dangerous cast of characters never seems too far away. There’s Cowboy, a fast-talking enabler of Lou’s petty schemes; and MacLeod, a pock-faced proprietor of an off-the-books wrecking yard who utilizes child labor to disassemble his stolen cars. But everything changes when Don Halbert—a persistent school administrator with a keen eye for trouble—starts advocating for Ben and Maisy’s welfare. The outcome will break your heart.
142 pages, Paperback
First published January 26, 2023
3 people are currently reading
102 people want to read
About the author
C.W. Blackwell
51 books72 followersC.W. Blackwell is an American author from the Central Coast of California. His short stories have appeared with Shotgun Honey, Tough Magazine, Reckon Review, Ellery Queen Mystery Magazine, Dark Yonder, and Rock and a Hard Place Press. He is a 2x Derringer Award winner and 5x nominee. He was included on the Distinguished Author list in the 2024 Best American Mystery and Suspense collection. His folk horror novella Song of the Red Squire was published in 2022 from Nosetouch Press. His crime fiction novella Hard Mountain Clay was published in January 2023 from Shotgun Honey Books. His debut crime fiction collection Whatever Kills the Pain was released by Rock and a Hard Place Press in July 2025.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews
February 4, 2023
Simply amazed by Blackwell's ability to bring characters to life: Ben, Maisy, Carolyn, Lou, Cowboy, Kenny, Mac, et al. You'll want to murder Lou. You'll want to see Kenny's head kicked in. You'll want to shake sense into Carolyn. How many books where you remember every character, and the emotion wrought by that character, regardless of how small the role? I don't count many, but Hard Mountain Clay is one. The characters are incredibly vivid, and they drive this novella.
So many scenes stand out for their pathos. When Ben and Maisy are waiting for their mom to return to celebrate the final day of school. When the kids are at the amusement park, and Carolyn, suffering from what the kids understand as the "flu," dips into the restroom to get high. And then is ousted and humiliated by the security guard. The raw emotion of Ben and Maisy crying in that scene made me stop and put the book down, and I have chills writing about it now. It's that powerful.
An absorbing tale, beautifully written and suspenseful, where children try to persevere despite the cruelty of their lives. Just a fantastic book.
So many scenes stand out for their pathos. When Ben and Maisy are waiting for their mom to return to celebrate the final day of school. When the kids are at the amusement park, and Carolyn, suffering from what the kids understand as the "flu," dips into the restroom to get high. And then is ousted and humiliated by the security guard. The raw emotion of Ben and Maisy crying in that scene made me stop and put the book down, and I have chills writing about it now. It's that powerful.
An absorbing tale, beautifully written and suspenseful, where children try to persevere despite the cruelty of their lives. Just a fantastic book.
January 30, 2023
Fantastic southern gothic coming-of-age. Gritty and heartwarming, hopeful and hopeless. I bought this on a whim when seeing it pop up on my Twitter feed. So glad I did. I cracked the spine on a Sunday afternoon with no intentions on reading it in one day, but Blackwell had other plans. Highly recommended, particularly for fans of David Joy and Ron Rash.
February 15, 2023
Excellent crime coming-of-age novella. Gripping and heart-wrenching and kept me thinking about the characters for days. Highly recommended!
February 9, 2023
There are few writers who really inspire me with their constant excellence. Blackwell is top of the list of writers who I wish I could write half as well as. Don’t think I’ve ever read something by Blackwell that wasn’t beautifully put together in pace, flow, structure and character arc.
This novella is Cormac McCarthy for Generation X. Poetic. Realistic. Brutal. Beautiful.
I’m confused as hell why an agent or big publisher hasn’t snatched Blackwell up and signed him.
Read everything you can with CW Blackwell’s name on it.
This novella is Cormac McCarthy for Generation X. Poetic. Realistic. Brutal. Beautiful.
I’m confused as hell why an agent or big publisher hasn’t snatched Blackwell up and signed him.
Read everything you can with CW Blackwell’s name on it.
November 15, 2022
"Resonant and harrowing, Hard Mountain Clay is a haunting and visceral story of survival, betrayal, and the power of hope. Like a Californian William Gay, Blackwell writes with compassion and honesty about the worst, and the best, of human nature taking us deep into the dark to see glimmers of beauty. Raw, wrenching, and brave, Hard Mountain Clay will change you."
February 1, 2023
Blackwell just keeps getting better.
I am not unfamiliar with Blackwell's writing, having been lucky enough to have received an ARC copy of Song of the Red Squire, and picked up his poetry collection River Street Rhapsody last year.
But Hard Mountain Clay hooked me in and wouldn't let me go. The characters were believable and well thought out, the villains (for there were multiple) incredibly, immensely frustrating, leading to an ending that both spoke to Maisy's ingenuity and the hard truth that sometimes, there may not be a savior coming over the horizon.
My only (slight) critique would be the epilogue seemed a little rushed- I wanted to learn more about how Maisy and Ben got to where they were, but, maybe that's a story for another time. As far as this novella goes, the pacing was well done, and the tension mounted beautifully, leading to a deserved, bittersweet ending. Definitely recommend as a short & sweet(?) read.
I am not unfamiliar with Blackwell's writing, having been lucky enough to have received an ARC copy of Song of the Red Squire, and picked up his poetry collection River Street Rhapsody last year.
But Hard Mountain Clay hooked me in and wouldn't let me go. The characters were believable and well thought out, the villains (for there were multiple) incredibly, immensely frustrating, leading to an ending that both spoke to Maisy's ingenuity and the hard truth that sometimes, there may not be a savior coming over the horizon.
My only (slight) critique would be the epilogue seemed a little rushed- I wanted to learn more about how Maisy and Ben got to where they were, but, maybe that's a story for another time. As far as this novella goes, the pacing was well done, and the tension mounted beautifully, leading to a deserved, bittersweet ending. Definitely recommend as a short & sweet(?) read.
November 29, 2024
Brilliant work here. Truly. Such an engaging read. Loved the characters. This one never flagged for a second. Highly recommended.
Five stars easy.
Five stars easy.
February 21, 2023
“Soon we were like those little blue petals, spinning and looping in the current toward some dark and unfathomable end.”
Ten-year-old Benny and his eleven-year-old sister Maisy live in the mountains with their meth-addicted mother and her violent boyfriend Lou. Lou’s hair trigger temper keeps the kids in fear that the next next body he buries behind their house could be one of theirs.
Blackwell nails Benny’s voice, making the boy a sympathetic protagonist who accepts his tragic home life until despite his young age, he must take action to save himself and his sister. Lou is the kind on antagonist that readers love to hate, yet Blackwell paints him as a person who probably doesn’t see himself as a bad guy, making Lou multifaceted and revealing the insidious villains of the story: addiction, poverty, and generational trauma. Carolyn, the mom, is likewise fascinating in that despite her love for her kids, she can’t break her reliance on Lou and the drugs. Maisy with her quiet strength may be my favorite character.
Noir is all about people making bad decisions. Every decision in this story is well motivated. In life, sometimes the only decisions are bad ones and worse ones, which makes for an awesome story.
I knew this was going to be a banger of a book, so I tried to dole each chapter out like a treat, but by the time I got to the end of the first chapter, I tossed that plan aside and binged the book to the end. Speaking of the ending, it’s perfect, but Blackwell takes it a step further by providing an epilogue that reveals the scars deep wounds leave.
By the way, I’d happily pony up and audible credit should Shotgun Honey books publish an audiobook version of HARD MOUNTAIN CLAY with Blackwell as narrator.
Ten-year-old Benny and his eleven-year-old sister Maisy live in the mountains with their meth-addicted mother and her violent boyfriend Lou. Lou’s hair trigger temper keeps the kids in fear that the next next body he buries behind their house could be one of theirs.
Blackwell nails Benny’s voice, making the boy a sympathetic protagonist who accepts his tragic home life until despite his young age, he must take action to save himself and his sister. Lou is the kind on antagonist that readers love to hate, yet Blackwell paints him as a person who probably doesn’t see himself as a bad guy, making Lou multifaceted and revealing the insidious villains of the story: addiction, poverty, and generational trauma. Carolyn, the mom, is likewise fascinating in that despite her love for her kids, she can’t break her reliance on Lou and the drugs. Maisy with her quiet strength may be my favorite character.
Noir is all about people making bad decisions. Every decision in this story is well motivated. In life, sometimes the only decisions are bad ones and worse ones, which makes for an awesome story.
I knew this was going to be a banger of a book, so I tried to dole each chapter out like a treat, but by the time I got to the end of the first chapter, I tossed that plan aside and binged the book to the end. Speaking of the ending, it’s perfect, but Blackwell takes it a step further by providing an epilogue that reveals the scars deep wounds leave.
By the way, I’d happily pony up and audible credit should Shotgun Honey books publish an audiobook version of HARD MOUNTAIN CLAY with Blackwell as narrator.
January 31, 2023
As I’ve stated before, I do like a good ‘coming of age’ story and this novella by C.W. Blackwell is right up there with the best of the genre. Ben and Maisy reside with their waitress mother in the Santa Cruz mountains but their mother gets into an abusive relationship with tow truck driver Lou Holt, who turns her into a heroin addict. Lou gets himself involved in a fatal hit and run among other crimes and uses their land to bury and dispose of the evidence linking him to these crimes. All the while the children secretly observe Lou’s actions but do not always understand what they are witness to. Eventually Lou’s wrath turns on Ben and Maisy and they must fight for their lives lest they end up in the ground themselves.
This is a great novella that slowly builds to a nail biting climax, in which I found myself fully immersed in Ben and Maisy’s story. It all starts out innocently enough as Lou initially tries to ingratiate himself with the children but it’s not long till his true abusive personality emerges. He is cruel to their mother, who tries her best to shield the children from Lou but eventually he starts to take his temper out on them too by devising punishments for perceived slights towards him and even involves them in some of his crimes. It’s a dark tale of how one persons violent criminality can corrupt a whole family but the story is not without its lighter moments, like the safe-breaking incident. Although not fully spelled out it’s also evident how the childhood events that Ben and Maisy experienced stayed with them and has had a profound effect on them throughout their lives.
This is the second novella of Blackwells that I’ve read and both have been truly original, exploring totally different subject matter but both have been equally gripping and immensely readable.
This is a great novella that slowly builds to a nail biting climax, in which I found myself fully immersed in Ben and Maisy’s story. It all starts out innocently enough as Lou initially tries to ingratiate himself with the children but it’s not long till his true abusive personality emerges. He is cruel to their mother, who tries her best to shield the children from Lou but eventually he starts to take his temper out on them too by devising punishments for perceived slights towards him and even involves them in some of his crimes. It’s a dark tale of how one persons violent criminality can corrupt a whole family but the story is not without its lighter moments, like the safe-breaking incident. Although not fully spelled out it’s also evident how the childhood events that Ben and Maisy experienced stayed with them and has had a profound effect on them throughout their lives.
This is the second novella of Blackwells that I’ve read and both have been truly original, exploring totally different subject matter but both have been equally gripping and immensely readable.
January 30, 2023
He Showed Up One Day and Never Left...
No spoilers. 5 stars. Lou Holt drove his F-250 truck hard... he really leaned into it...
In fact...
Everything he did or said was hard. He was an evil truck driver who entered the lives of Ben, Maisy, and their single mother, Carolyn...
At first...
His arrival appeared to be a good thing, bringing to the struggling family an extra income. He showed up one day and never left...
But...
It wasn't long before his depraved mean side surfaced and mama Carolyn started getting "sick" frequently...
The kids...
... just seemed to irritate him and get in the way of him doing what he wanted to do with his buddies...
Like...
Burying bodies and bikes in the hard mountain clay in the backyard of their Santa Cruz home...
I pre-ordered and looked forward to receiving this novella after reading this author's excellent story, SONG OF THE RED SQUIRE.
This was a different kind of horror story. It is the story of children terrorized by the adults overseeing their lives and, as children, being unable to get other adults to believe their horrendous reports as things escalated. A warning is due here about child abuse content.
This is a story that reminded me of another story, WICKED TEMPER, an excellent novel by Randy Thornhorn.
C.W. Blackwell has become one of my favorite authors.
No spoilers. 5 stars. Lou Holt drove his F-250 truck hard... he really leaned into it...
In fact...
Everything he did or said was hard. He was an evil truck driver who entered the lives of Ben, Maisy, and their single mother, Carolyn...
At first...
His arrival appeared to be a good thing, bringing to the struggling family an extra income. He showed up one day and never left...
But...
It wasn't long before his depraved mean side surfaced and mama Carolyn started getting "sick" frequently...
The kids...
... just seemed to irritate him and get in the way of him doing what he wanted to do with his buddies...
Like...
Burying bodies and bikes in the hard mountain clay in the backyard of their Santa Cruz home...
I pre-ordered and looked forward to receiving this novella after reading this author's excellent story, SONG OF THE RED SQUIRE.
This was a different kind of horror story. It is the story of children terrorized by the adults overseeing their lives and, as children, being unable to get other adults to believe their horrendous reports as things escalated. A warning is due here about child abuse content.
This is a story that reminded me of another story, WICKED TEMPER, an excellent novel by Randy Thornhorn.
C.W. Blackwell has become one of my favorite authors.
February 24, 2023
Full Review:
https://www.papercutslive.com/post/bo...
Brutally realistic, and devastating, Hard Mountain Clay is a tale of two siblings alone in the world. With a mother zoned out from her heroin addiction, and her abusive live-in friend with benefits running the house, Ben and Maisy must prepare themselves daily for the unexpected.
This is a savagely honest book. By that I mean it’s a story you may hear happen in real life on your local news. It’s the realistic feel that makes this book hit close to home.
From the beginning you feel for Ben and Maisy, and the hardships they face. The sibling duo must deal with a mother who has lost her soul to drugs, possibly to dull the pain of her life, and the actions of the dirty, nasty, shady live-in boyfriend. Actually I wouldn’t even call him the boyfriend. More like someone around for convenience.
This all takes place in a little Mountain town. A little rural town nestled in the fog of the mountains. Possibly a beautiful place, if it wasn’t for the crooked people involved with Lou Holt.
When the kids witness a tragic event, or at least the process of covering up a tragic event, their already rough life becomes more complicated. It becomes a story of survival for the kids, how to continue living in this situation, and for how long?
The storytelling has a laid back compassionate feel that pulls you in and leads you by the wrist in the direction it wants you to go. Not necessarily the correct direction, but the book is telling the story here.
There are points throughout that become true fight or flight moments, with hard decisions needing to be made. You find empathy kicking in with these 2 young kids being the decision makers. Making decisions no kid should have to make.
Hard Mountain Clay strikes hard, and when it strikes, it hits bone. It brings the kind of raw grittiness that makes your teeth hurt, but doesn’t prevent you from seeing what happens next.
I am reminded of the Pearl Jam song, Dissident, where Eddie Vedder sings, “Escape is never the safest path.” Hard Mountain Clay will have sweat forming over your brow from the intense moments leading up to the finale. As we the readers pull for Ben and Maisy to survive, to win, we start questioning ourselves what would a “win” in this situation actually consist of? If a “win” were to happen, would it be too late? Or has the merciless living conditions Ben and Maisy have already experienced laid the foundation for these two kids to follow suit?
https://www.papercutslive.com/post/bo...
https://www.papercutslive.com/post/bo...
Brutally realistic, and devastating, Hard Mountain Clay is a tale of two siblings alone in the world. With a mother zoned out from her heroin addiction, and her abusive live-in friend with benefits running the house, Ben and Maisy must prepare themselves daily for the unexpected.
This is a savagely honest book. By that I mean it’s a story you may hear happen in real life on your local news. It’s the realistic feel that makes this book hit close to home.
From the beginning you feel for Ben and Maisy, and the hardships they face. The sibling duo must deal with a mother who has lost her soul to drugs, possibly to dull the pain of her life, and the actions of the dirty, nasty, shady live-in boyfriend. Actually I wouldn’t even call him the boyfriend. More like someone around for convenience.
This all takes place in a little Mountain town. A little rural town nestled in the fog of the mountains. Possibly a beautiful place, if it wasn’t for the crooked people involved with Lou Holt.
When the kids witness a tragic event, or at least the process of covering up a tragic event, their already rough life becomes more complicated. It becomes a story of survival for the kids, how to continue living in this situation, and for how long?
The storytelling has a laid back compassionate feel that pulls you in and leads you by the wrist in the direction it wants you to go. Not necessarily the correct direction, but the book is telling the story here.
There are points throughout that become true fight or flight moments, with hard decisions needing to be made. You find empathy kicking in with these 2 young kids being the decision makers. Making decisions no kid should have to make.
Hard Mountain Clay strikes hard, and when it strikes, it hits bone. It brings the kind of raw grittiness that makes your teeth hurt, but doesn’t prevent you from seeing what happens next.
I am reminded of the Pearl Jam song, Dissident, where Eddie Vedder sings, “Escape is never the safest path.” Hard Mountain Clay will have sweat forming over your brow from the intense moments leading up to the finale. As we the readers pull for Ben and Maisy to survive, to win, we start questioning ourselves what would a “win” in this situation actually consist of? If a “win” were to happen, would it be too late? Or has the merciless living conditions Ben and Maisy have already experienced laid the foundation for these two kids to follow suit?
https://www.papercutslive.com/post/bo...
January 31, 2023
Blackwell has long been one of my favourite writers on the indie scene as he has worked his way up to writing longer length fiction and Hard Mountain Clay does not disappoint.
Blackwell writes a timeless tale with a wonderfully innocent voiced main character in Ben. A child's perspective on crime is not a new thing, but Blackwell does it with such skill as to keep ratcheting up the suspense as events unfold darkeningly.
Ben and sister, Maisy, have watched Lou wreak havoc upon their home and their mother. Described by the kids as the Lou Flu, their mother succumbs to drugs supplied by Lou leaving her a negligent mother in the height of summer.
The kids weary of Lou's presence sneak to watch his every move and find themselves witness to dark deeds they can't quite understand. Blackwell's tale is a classic of the genre and handled in such a way, you can't see any other way than up for him.
Blackwell writes a timeless tale with a wonderfully innocent voiced main character in Ben. A child's perspective on crime is not a new thing, but Blackwell does it with such skill as to keep ratcheting up the suspense as events unfold darkeningly.
Ben and sister, Maisy, have watched Lou wreak havoc upon their home and their mother. Described by the kids as the Lou Flu, their mother succumbs to drugs supplied by Lou leaving her a negligent mother in the height of summer.
The kids weary of Lou's presence sneak to watch his every move and find themselves witness to dark deeds they can't quite understand. Blackwell's tale is a classic of the genre and handled in such a way, you can't see any other way than up for him.
February 8, 2023
Man. C.W. Blackwell brings readers a taut and emotionally charged story in only 124 pages. It’s a quick read, never has a lull. My only complaint is that I wish it was a novel. Like an extra 120 pages with these characters is something that I wouldn’t mind. The epilogue is a heartbreaker. Excellent stuff here.
December 29, 2022
I discovered C.W. Blackwell's short stories a couple of years ago and have eagerly read everything he's written since. He is easily one of the best Indie crime writers working today and Hard Mountain Clay is perhaps his best work. Highly recommend.
July 5, 2023
Hard mountain clay indeed
I thourghly enjoyed this short slice of rural crime fiction. The writing flows smoothly and the words hit hard. Its a sad story that probably plays out a lot more in this country than we would like. The story ends exactly as it should. Sad but with a little hope. I'll be looking for more from Blackwell in the future.
I thourghly enjoyed this short slice of rural crime fiction. The writing flows smoothly and the words hit hard. Its a sad story that probably plays out a lot more in this country than we would like. The story ends exactly as it should. Sad but with a little hope. I'll be looking for more from Blackwell in the future.
December 10, 2022
Ben and Maisy are just two kids living with their single mother outside Santa Cruz in the mountains. Mama’s waitressing job barely pays the bills. A new boyfriend shows up in their lives to help their Mama out a little. A half-ass outlaw Lou Holt sets loose a waking nightmare on the siblings formerly bucolic setting. He drags their mama down into his lawless existence bearing witness and excusing his acts of indecencies to society and even her own children.
But Ben and Maisy are resilient and imaginative kids. Strong in spirit if not body. Full of fear but never afraid to love each other completely. Blackwell wrote a masterful modern fairy tale full of dark jeopardy and violence. If you can recall, the Grimm’s fairy tale endings weren’t always hospitable to children either.
Blackwell packs more emotional dynamite in his one hundred pages than most writers who use four hundred pages. I dare you to buy this book and stop reading after a couple of sentences. I couldn’t and you won’t be able to either.
But Ben and Maisy are resilient and imaginative kids. Strong in spirit if not body. Full of fear but never afraid to love each other completely. Blackwell wrote a masterful modern fairy tale full of dark jeopardy and violence. If you can recall, the Grimm’s fairy tale endings weren’t always hospitable to children either.
Blackwell packs more emotional dynamite in his one hundred pages than most writers who use four hundred pages. I dare you to buy this book and stop reading after a couple of sentences. I couldn’t and you won’t be able to either.
February 5, 2023
C.W. Blackwell wrote a short novella with “Hard Mountain Clay” but he makes every word count.
It’s a coming-of-age story that no one would ever want to live and shouldn’t. But unfortunately, there are too many Ben’s and Maizy’s of the world. It’s the realism and sadness of the novella that sticks to you.
It’s a quick read but the language is fierce. It has brevity with description that is almost Hemingwayesque. It’s a dark bleak picture of a fictionalized pair of children. But these same children could almost be seen today if you drive outside the city limits and into the rural parts of America.
It is brutal, honest and beautiful.
It’s a coming-of-age story that no one would ever want to live and shouldn’t. But unfortunately, there are too many Ben’s and Maizy’s of the world. It’s the realism and sadness of the novella that sticks to you.
It’s a quick read but the language is fierce. It has brevity with description that is almost Hemingwayesque. It’s a dark bleak picture of a fictionalized pair of children. But these same children could almost be seen today if you drive outside the city limits and into the rural parts of America.
It is brutal, honest and beautiful.
December 19, 2023
A powerful and haunting novella
Just finished it in a breathless 2 hour sitting. By the end of the first chapter I was hooked. By the end of the third, I was filled with dread about how bad it was gonna get for these kids. The writing is lyrical and tactile, with a strong sense of place. I've read some CW Blackwell stories before and they're good, but I was not prepared for THIS.
Just finished it in a breathless 2 hour sitting. By the end of the first chapter I was hooked. By the end of the third, I was filled with dread about how bad it was gonna get for these kids. The writing is lyrical and tactile, with a strong sense of place. I've read some CW Blackwell stories before and they're good, but I was not prepared for THIS.
February 3, 2023
This book had me gripped from page one. A story of growing-up amid chaos and tragedy and still finding your way, somehow. Heartbreaking and thrilling all at once. I didn’t want to put it down. Looking forward to Blackwell’s next book!
March 26, 2023
What a really wonderful novella by C. W. Blackwell. I loved this rural noir tale that reminded me of the work of another great author, David Joy. I look forward to reading further stories by Blackwell in the future, definitely recommended!
November 12, 2023
Evil has the coldest bluest eyes. Ben and Maisy come face to face with it and they are heartbreakingly alone. On that mountain, in that remote place, when they scream they might as well be in space because there’s no one hearing them. Their mother flickers in and out of the picture like a guttering candle. Will she wake up in time from her “flu”, will she shake off the toxic seduction Lou Holt weaves around her? C.W. Blackwell writes beautifully of the kind of circle of hell that might be just around the curve in the road, up the mountain, in the neighbor’s backyard, next door.
February 12, 2023
There's beauty in tragedy
A story that is as heartbreaking as it is beautiful. Blackwell put a small cast of characters to life and gave them soul and heart throughout a bleak and gritty tale.
A story that is as heartbreaking as it is beautiful. Blackwell put a small cast of characters to life and gave them soul and heart throughout a bleak and gritty tale.
February 28, 2023
I like tales of country crime noir and this is a beauty. My first book by Blackwell, it will not be the last.
March 16, 2023
Really good novella. All the characters have depth and the voice of the narrator is distinct. It vividly brings to life the story.
February 6, 2023
Finished in one sitting. Because I wanted to find out what the fuck happens one summer in the hard life of youngsters Ben and Maisy as they wade through the horrors made by garbage adults around them. So good. At the epilogue, I was like, NO. But is actually an ideal ending.
February 8, 2023
Sat down to start a new read, and boom a couple hours later I finished this gem. @CW_Blackwell grabs you on the first page and doesn't let go. No wasted words in this one. The story is going to stick with me for a bit. Another great one from @ShotgunHoney .
February 29, 2024
Good ending! Quick read.
October 16, 2025
Blackwell’s characters make you feel something: anxiety, fear, rage. His descriptions of landscapes are evocative and cinematic. Pacing and plotting are consistently strong. So glad I discovered him, and can’t wait to read more!
June 1, 2024
Again from spending time on social media I saw mention of C. W. Blackwell- Hard Mountain Clay, a slim novella:
Siblings Ben and Maisy find they have no one to turn to after witnessing a gruesome hit-and-run that shatters their innocence. Not their mother, a poor waitress with a spiraling drug addiction—and certainly not her new boyfriend, a brutal, meth-smoking tow-truck driver named Lou Holt. When Lou’s cover-up slowly turns their backyard into a makeshift cemetery, they devise plans to escape their chaotic home in the Santa Cruz Mountains, only to see their lives sink to even darker depths.
As a big fan of authors such as Castle Freeman, Daniel Woodrell, Frank Bill et al, this ticked all the boxes for me. The backwoods American setting, with its grinding poverty was ever present, and the pervasive threat of, and actual perpetration of violence was interweaved throughout the book. Blackwell depicts the moral decay this family experiences at the hands of mom’s boyfriend Lou, who brings nothing but trouble and darkness to their home. It’s also a tale of resilience as we see Ben and Maisy retaliate in their own small ways, whilst being acutely aware of the deterioration of their mom, as she seeks to appease this awful man, at a deep personal cost to her physical self and to her relationship with her kids. It’s a short, grim read but there’s a redemptive message too. Very much recommend this one.
Siblings Ben and Maisy find they have no one to turn to after witnessing a gruesome hit-and-run that shatters their innocence. Not their mother, a poor waitress with a spiraling drug addiction—and certainly not her new boyfriend, a brutal, meth-smoking tow-truck driver named Lou Holt. When Lou’s cover-up slowly turns their backyard into a makeshift cemetery, they devise plans to escape their chaotic home in the Santa Cruz Mountains, only to see their lives sink to even darker depths.
As a big fan of authors such as Castle Freeman, Daniel Woodrell, Frank Bill et al, this ticked all the boxes for me. The backwoods American setting, with its grinding poverty was ever present, and the pervasive threat of, and actual perpetration of violence was interweaved throughout the book. Blackwell depicts the moral decay this family experiences at the hands of mom’s boyfriend Lou, who brings nothing but trouble and darkness to their home. It’s also a tale of resilience as we see Ben and Maisy retaliate in their own small ways, whilst being acutely aware of the deterioration of their mom, as she seeks to appease this awful man, at a deep personal cost to her physical self and to her relationship with her kids. It’s a short, grim read but there’s a redemptive message too. Very much recommend this one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 35 reviews