Edge of Dark Water
Joe R. Lansdale

Mulholland Books
March 27, 2012 / ISBN 0316188433
Mystery / Suspense
Amazon

Reviewed by Beverly J. Rowe

Lansdale gives us a look at racism in East Texas in the 1930s that feels like he was influenced by Mark Twain and Ambrose Bierce...but the atmosphere is all Lansdale. There is no denying it; Lansdale is a genius at storytelling. The laughs are frequent, and sheer terror underlies it all with the mystery of who killed May Lynn in the forefront.

May Lynn dreamed of becoming a Hollywood star. Now she's dead, her body dredged up from the Sabine River.

Sue Ellen, Terry and Jinx, May Lynn's strong-willed teenage friends, set out to dig up May Lynn's body, burn it to ash, and take those ashes to Hollywood to spread around. It is the only way May Lynn will end up in the land of her dreams. But it isn't as easy as they thought it would be. Sue Ellen's abused, alcoholic mother decides to join them and they steal a raft and start down river to carry May Lynn's remains to Hollywood.

The only thing is, they also have May Lynn's stolen money with them, and there are others who want it. With Sue Ellen's step- father, the local Sheriff, and the wild man, Skunk, after them with murder on their minds, things go from bad to worse.

This story is dark and strange and funny, with very appealing characters. The dialogue and setting is pitch perfect. Lansdale writes in several categories from humor to sci-fi to horror, but he is always on my pre-order list as one of my favorite authors.