Sawbones is one of the most original stories I've read in 2018. Set in the mid-1860s, it's the story of a man out for revenge after a flophouse fire takes the life of a woman he has strong feelings for, even though they've barely spoken.
Calling himself, Dr. Septimus Whithall (not his real name), he sets off on a cross-country journey to find and dispose of those responsible. Not an easy task by any means...
I carefully pressed my hand against the back of my head and found moist, hot brains fully exposed to the elements. It was sticky to the touch, and my eyes were filled with glittering white stars each time my fingers made contact. My skull, or at least most of it, was gone. Chipped and broken.
At times Sawbones is a visceral, cringe-inducing, and violent story. Totally immersive in the way the tale takes the reader from the comfort of their reading place to this wonderful world created by the author.
One could hardly live in Hell and not expect to get burned.
If I've learned anything from reading the work of Ed Kurtz, it's to expect the unexpected. If I could read only one author. His name would be Ed Kurtz. I need more than five stars to rate this exceptional novel.
Sawbones is something completely different and if you're up for the challenge, I'm pretty sure you'll enjoy the ride.
Totally recommended.
Published by Crossroad Press and available in paperback, e-book, and Audible formats.
From the author's bio, Ed Kurtz is the author of The Rib from Wich I Remake the World, Nausea, Angel of the Abyss, and others. Ed is also the author of numerous short stories. His work has appeared in Needle: A Magazine of Noir, BEAT to a PULP, Shotgun Honey, Thuglit, and several anthologies, including The Best American Mystery Stories 2014. Ed resides in Connecticut.
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