Charlie Sherman is married, a stay at home dad and a writer who suddenly finds himself homeless as the result of a domestic issue with his wife. While considering suicide he meets a strange creature who seems to be electrically charged and, to put it mildly, smells. Since the creature doesn't give his real name, Charlie calls the "supernatural creep" Trouble. As it turns out, Charlie chose the name well. Trouble offers Charlie a job which comes with a place to stay. The job is to complete a book started by Professor Talton who died some time ago. Talton's widow, Kathleen, wants the book published and allows Charlie to live in her basement and gives him an advance. The book, Flight from Forsyth, takes on a life of its own in Charlie's hands and what the book reveals is shocking. Jonathan Grant's novel, Brambleman, is about what Charlie uncovers about the events in Forsyth, a county in Georgia, from the early 1900's. His research leads to yet another story which takes him to the present.
The characters in the book are unforgettable. Kathleen has some dementia but what is even more poignant is her ability to punish people who anger her. She inflicts a fast occurring outbreak of boils-similar to a pox. Dana/Rodika/Arca, who was originally known to Charlie as Dana, presents herself as an art dealer. She is exotic and Charlie is attracted to her. Since much is not as it seems, he is shocked when she is arrested by the FBI during their first date. He learns she has a violent history and asks himself "What kind of a woman would participate in an armed attack on an orphanage?". The rest of the characters include his mother-in-law who hires not one but two assassins to get rid of Charlie. A bus driver who appears when least expected and who also appears as a social worker (a temporary job) when Charlie is being investigated for child abduction. Add the violent and loathsome members of his wife's family and the less than honorable law enforcement officers to the mix and cast is complete.
This book is action packed and deals with sensitive issues including racism. A bit of fantasy is included and it does not distract from the story line. Charlie Sherman is a man of honor whose life took many unexpected turns and Jonathan Grant skillfully guides the reader through his journey. The story is told with wit and wisdom. Mr. Grant is a gifted writer and has crafted a fantastic novel. I highly recommend reading Brambleman.
I received this book free of charge through LibraryThing and I give this review of my own free will.
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