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At the End of the Road

by Grant Jerkins (Goodreads Author)

3.66 of 5 stars 3.66 · rating details · 217 ratings · 63 reviews

From the critically acclaimed author of A Very Simple Crime, a chilling story of a young boy coming to grips with genuine evil.

A red dirt road on a sweltering day. A car loses control, flips through the air. A woman crawls out, bloody and battered, staggers toward the boy on the bike, the one she swerved to avoid. But he runs away...

Kyle is ten in the summer of 1976, and...more

Paperback, 304 pages

Published November 1st 2011 by Berkley Trade

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Jul 02, 2012 Once Upon rated it 1 of 5 stars

I struggled through this book. I didn't like it from the beginning and I skipped some parts because they were too hard to read. It is kind of a mystery/thriller/crime drama.

I liked the mystery and crime solving part of this storyline, but it was very graphic and violent in parts. Violence to children and women, some pretty graphic imagery, abusive situations--that kind of stuff is really difficult to read. The storyline was hard to follow at times because it was kind of a flashback type of book...more

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Dec 21, 2011 Paul Pessolano rated it 4 of 5 stars

“At the End of the Road” by Grant Jerkins, published by Berkley Prime Crime.

Category – Mystery/Thriller

Grant Jerkins first book, “A Very Simple Crime” was an outstanding first effort for a Mystery/Thriller, than bordered on the psychological. To say that I was engrossed to the very end of the book is an understatement.

Jerkins has actually outdone himself in “At the End of the Road”. It is difficult to image how he could have made this book any better.

As I did with his first book I will just giv...more

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Nov 02, 2011 Elizabeth A. rated it 5 of 5 stars

In the summer of 1976 ten-year-old Kyle Edwards was one of millions of Americans who celebrated a landmark birthday for our nation. Looking back, however, Kyle realizes that summer also held a landmark death for him, that of his innocence. A typical boy in rural Georgia, Kyle's daily activities include helping harvest peanuts and sweet potatoes, playing in the corn fields, and riding his bike with abandon up and down the dirt road in front of his house. While out riding his bike one afternoon Ky...more In the summer of 1976 ten-year-old Kyle Edwards was one of millions of Americans who celebrated a landmark birthday for our nation. Looking back, however, Kyle realizes that summer also held a landmark death for him, that of his innocence. A typical boy in rural Georgia, Kyle's daily activities include helping harvest peanuts and sweet potatoes, playing in the corn fields, and riding his bike with abandon up and down the dirt road in front of his house. While out riding his bike one afternoon Kyle causes an accident when he speeds around a blind curve right into the path of an oncoming car. Veering sharply to avoid hitting him, the car flips repeatedly, coming to rest on its side. Kyle watches in horror as a bloody young woman emerges from the vehicle, stumbling toward him.

Terrified of the potential consequences of having caused the accident, Kyle flees to his house, hoping in that foolish way young kids do that if he doesn't say anything it will all go away. And it seems to, because the woman he expects to stumble up to the door any minute never arrives. Stranger still, when he gets the courage to ride out to the accident scene the following morning there is no trace of the woman or the car. Little could Kyle possibly know that his trouble wasn't over, it had only just begun.

When he and his Wonder Woman obsessed younger sister, Grace, accidentally start a fire which consumes over 100 acres Kyle makes his second bad decision of the summer, convincing Grace they should lie about having been anywhere near the fire, let alone being responsible for starting it. Unbeknownst to him there was a witness, one who has more in mind than simply turning the kids in to the police. Now Kyle must not only face his guilt and fear, but engage in an increasingly dangerous battle of wills with a monster masquerading as "the Paralyzed Man" in order to save himself and his sister.

Author Grant Jerkins' debut, A Very Simple Crime, was an intense, dark, psychological thriller involving murder, deceit, and courtroom drama in bustling Atlanta. While on its surface At the End of the Road initially appears to be a more sedate offering given its lazy rural setting and young lead character, as the story unfolds it slowly becomes clear that the events which take place are all the more sinister precisely because of the pastoral setting and Kyle's innocence. A simple walk across a field becomes an exercise in survival when charged by a massive Holstein bull which has already crippled one local boy. The joy of playing in the woods turns unspeakably ugly when Kyle inadvertently stumbles upon the town bullies engaged in criminal activity. Even the games Kyle plays with his siblings have a slightly sinister edge to them, as Kyle later reflects about his episodes of hide-and-seek with Grace in the corn mazes.

From the casual cruelty and irrational logic of youth, to the polite prejudice Sheriff's Deputy Dana Turpin, the first black woman in the history of the force, encounters in her search for a missing young woman, to the all day Sunday church sessions and formal family dinners, everything about At the End of the Road is an absolutely pitch-perfect reflection of the mid-70s rural South... with a hell of a creepy mystery interwoven amongst it.

Grant Jerkins has not only followed up his tremendous debut with a fitting successor, but surpassed it with a tale that is more than deserving of a place on shelves alongside the all-time classic coming of age stories ever written.(less)

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Mar 06, 2012 Stephen rated it 4 of 5 stars

Kyle is 10 and growing up in rural Georgia. The Edwards family consists of Mom and Dad, Louise and Boyd and 4 children... Kyle and his younger sister,Grace plus two older brothers, Jason and Wade. Jason and Wade hang together and Kyle and Grace often find adventures by themselves
Kyle Edwards is bicycling down a country road near his home but he doesn't realize that a car is bearing down on him from behind. At the last minute he tries to get out of the way but the car crashes in trying to avoi...more Kyle is 10 and growing up in rural Georgia. The Edwards family consists of Mom and Dad, Louise and Boyd and 4 children... Kyle and his younger sister,Grace plus two older brothers, Jason and Wade. Jason and Wade hang together and Kyle and Grace often find adventures by themselves
Kyle Edwards is bicycling down a country road near his home but he doesn't realize that a car is bearing down on him from behind. At the last minute he tries to get out of the way but the car crashes in trying to avoid him. The woman survives, gets out of the car and runs away. Kyle is too scared to try and help the woman. He runs home and tries to forget the whole incident.
One day soon after the incident, Kyle and Grace start a small fire that the wind turns into a catastrophe. Kyle and Grace run home to be able to deny that they were the cause of this terrible event. What he doesn't realize is that someone saw him and Grace start the fire and that someone is going to play a big part in the events soon to unfold.
Meanwhile the woman who was in the accident has been identified and has disappeared.Her name is Melodie Godwin and her mother is frantic to find out what has happened to her. Deputy Dana Turpin is assigned to the case but because there are few clues, the police department is going to put the case on the 'backburner'. But Dana feels for the mother and will continue the investigation on her own time. There are several things about the accident that don't make sense and Dana will try to pursue the details, especially what may be the connection to the boy (Kyle) who won't look at her when she questions the Edwards family on what they may have witnessed.
The pace of the action is about to pick up to runaway speed as Kyle finds himself drawn into the web of the one person who saw him start the fire and with Dana starting to put some clues together on Melodie's disappearance. The wickedness and the chill factors will increase as you get deeper and deeper into Grant Jerkins's scary novel.

(less)

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Nov 02, 2011 Chris Wolak rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery-thriller, suspense

Fabulous suspense, coming of age novel with a creepy, dark core.

At the End of the Road is Grant Jerkins's second novel and there is nothing of the sophomore slump about it. Set in rural Georgia on the cusp of the coming suburban sprawl that's ready to explode out of Atlanta, At the End of the Road is the story of ten year old Kyle and how radically his life changes one day in 1976 after he causes a car accident and then doesn't help or get help for the injured driver. When Kyle returns to the sc...more Fabulous suspense, coming of age novel with a creepy, dark core.

At the End of the Road is Grant Jerkins's second novel and there is nothing of the sophomore slump about it. Set in rural Georgia on the cusp of the coming suburban sprawl that's ready to explode out of Atlanta, At the End of the Road is the story of ten year old Kyle and how radically his life changes one day in 1976 after he causes a car accident and then doesn't help or get help for the injured driver. When Kyle returns to the scene of the accident, there's no trace of the driver or the car, which had rolled on its side.

A series of events unfold and Kyle's secrets build and turn into lies. He eventually starts to believe his lies, to some extent, and then they start to take a physical and deeply emotional toll on him and on his little sister Grace. At one point I started to wonder if Kyle wasn't right in the head, but then I recalled what it's like to be a ten year old with a big problem, one that you've never had before and know adults would freak out about and then who knows what will happen to you. You'd be beyond in trouble. And it is 1976. I'm not sure how well this novel would work set in 2011, in an America that is much more sophisticated about crime, technology, and communication. It would be doable, but it would certainly be a different novel.

Kyle lives on Eden Road. You can read this novel as just a good, well-written suspense story, or as an origin story for a life of drugs and alcohol addiction, or even, yes, as a retelling on the story of the Garden of Eden.

I was ten years old in 1976 and even though I grew up in an urban environment, I could relate to Kyle in many ways. I remember the popularity of Wonder Woman, shopping at Zayre, and the dangers of playing with matches and Drano. His childhood is pretty standard: siblings who either ignore him or become his best buddy, parents who aren't really paying attention to their kids because they're wrapped up in their own pain or routine, the casual violence of children running free, neighborhood bullies, and mean neighbors who construct believable social facades for the adults around them.

Except that in Kyle's neighborhood there's someone who is beyond mean.

I really enjoyed Grant Jerkins first novel, A Very Simple Crime, which came out last year. I was still a bookseller back then and regularly hand-sold copies of that book to mystery readers who were looking for something new. Most of them came back asking if I knew when Jenkins' next book would be out. Alas, the bookstore where I worked is no-more, but I hope those customers find At the End of the Road at their "new" bookstore or library because it's a really good read. It's been a long time since I gave a book a 5-star rating on Goodreads, but this one earned it for its smooth writing and understated storytelling.

If you're looking for something different, something that reads like a combination of Mark Twain, Stephen King, and a dash of Patricia Cornwell, At the End of the Road might be up your alley.(less)

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Feb 13, 2012 Chris rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was a quick read and a pretty good book. A little heavy on simile use in the first few chapters. The overuse of similies in particular got a bit annoying but as the story progressed the similes decreased and the style got quite professional. The plot did remind me of two short stories I've read. One is about a grandmother who cares for her grandson who has swallowed lye. The other was about a character whose bones melt and he's left just a blob of thinking/sentient flesh. (It might have been...more

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Jul 09, 2012 Ed Schneider rated it 5 of 5 stars

Grant Jerkins is one of my favorite writers. This is a dark, dark story set in 1976 of a young boy and his little sister in rural Georgia who get caught in a twisted snare by a villainous neighbor. He takes the reader to the red-dust summer outback where innocence intersects with evil. His spare, elegant prose explores the terror and tension found in the mind of his 10-year-old protagonist as he tries to hide a terrible secret and at the same time protect his beloved sister.

This is Jerkins' seco...more

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Jan 13, 2012 Scotchneat rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: family-fiction, mystery

I get why this one is classified as a "thriller". There is a serial killer in it.

But the actual (usual) entrapmentsexdeath is almost incidental to the vividly real life of children growing up on a small road in a forgotten part of Georgia. The childhood scenes and interior life of Kyle are really well done. The scary paralysed man across the road is menacing, as is the bull in the pasture next door.

Definitely some disturbing scenes but nothing you haven't seen on HBO. I wonder what Jerkins could...more

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Jan 24, 2012 J. Darien rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

A pretty quick little popcorn read, took me about 4 hours. It's a thriller with a sort of restrained Stephen King vibe, though with no supernatural elements. Small-town rural life covering up dirty secrets about just how horrible human beings can be to each other. The first half is a slow and somewhat listless coming-of-age, but then everything explodes in the back half, dragging you from page to page. Over-reliance on coincidences of timing keep it from being a real masterpiece of the genre, bu...more

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Apr 15, 2012 Shedrick Pittman-Hassett rated it 4 of 5 stars

"It seems like everyone has that one special summer, that point that marks the separation between the carefree days of childhood and the burdens of adulthood. It’s a common experience—which is why it makes such a rich setting for any coming of age story. For Kyle Edwards, that summer will be infused with terror, violence, and the end of all innocence..."

Check out my full review at Shroud Magazine Book Reviews:

http://shroudmagazinebookreviews.blog...

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Apr 17, 2012 Laura rated it 5 of 5 stars

what can I possibly say? I'm terrified! I'm utterly convinced to stay at home and be like all those Japanese people or were they Chinese, can't remember, that stay at their bedrooms because of this psychological disease.

It started slow, really slow, but you need it. It fills you with questions and confusion and I wasn't getting any of it, to be honest, I thought of putting it off, try again some time later. But that is very difficult for me, once I start I have to finish. And, boy, I do not regr...more what can I possibly say? I'm terrified! I'm utterly convinced to stay at home and be like all those Japanese people or were they Chinese, can't remember, that stay at their bedrooms because of this psychological disease.

It started slow, really slow, but you need it. It fills you with questions and confusion and I wasn't getting any of it, to be honest, I thought of putting it off, try again some time later. But that is very difficult for me, once I start I have to finish. And, boy, I do not regret it. This is mind fucking, pardon my french. It has all this psychological traces, this mystery, this web of events that were so perfectly coordinated, a sequence so exact that, shoot, it gave me shills all over. Several times I had to stop because it was too much for me and this is why:

It all starts with a woman wanting to end her life, actually on the process of doing exactly that. Then it jumps to describe this crazy accident that seems to come out of a futuristic sci-fi movie, remember that it is set in 1976, so that is an actual accurate comparison.
It is OK, for a few chapters it comes and goes from past events to what it is actually happening. Describing Kyles life style, his family and what made him participant of the must traumatic thing I have ever read about, fiction or not. And it is all written in a matter that does not actually bores you to death just to build enough foundation for the real plot, but it is a slow process so just be patient. All those stories with his older brothers and specially with Grace comes to show how Kyle was before. You come to like him very much.
But when you think it is taking a certain path it changes, the Policewoman comes along, the Paralyzed man that at first seems a secondary character,inconsequential, rises. And you, as a reader, you start to make your own conclusions, thinking on the possible outcomes. And let me tell you, it is not difficult to put the pieces together but the amount of information that the author has to offer in order for you to do exactly that is larger that the conclusion itself. And it seems that the author liked to make you doubt and rethink your own conclusions, so you will be caught up with the end.
It is not a surprising ending or the in between events are either alien to the main plot but the style, how it was written, how little information was delivered and so scattered that it was the thing that impressed me the must, hence the five stars, because it is witty, intelligent, and it just clicked with my taste.And the amount of suspense and disgust was horrible, yet, so part of the story that you are able to handle it. Like when Melody went all Bear Grylls with a rat I just couldn't enjoy lunch that much. So, warning, do not read it if you are thinking of eating delicious bliss afterwards. And the Paralyzed man just reminded me of the evil spirit of What The Night Knows by Dean Koontz somehow. With all of that stuff of being able to call Kyle or Grace whenever he wanted and stuff that you will notice.
And well, that is it, I don't really want to give away that many details. So very different from my usual readings. Dark, unusual, chaotic yet compelling. And,in a sense, it does not have a happy ending. At all. (less)

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Jul 30, 2012 Megan rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: giveaways-won

I won this in a Goodreads Giveaway.

Warning: May be triggering for those who suffered abuse as a child!

This is a great book, but if you're looking for a romantic fairy tale, this is not the one for you. "At the End of the Road" takes you into the dark and disturbing world of a man who seems good and normal on the surface. While I may have nightmares for a while, Jerkins did a great job of revealing suprising twists with perfect timing.

The only negative criticism I have is that some of the backtr...more

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Nov 28, 2011 Sandy rated it 5 of 5 stars

Gripping, intense and well written. The plot moved forward at a pace that kept this reader turning pages while at times I had to put the book down and take a little walk to get away. It left me wondering who all lives in the head of author Grant Jerkins and just what's coming from him next. I recommend his first book, A Very Simple Crime and this one for sure.

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May 18, 2012 Lisa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I'm glad it's finished. Stephen King, some William Golding and a bit of Carson McCullers. This book is really dark and made me very uncomfortable. One reviewer said she had to put it down and go on to something else for a while before picking it back up. I understand that. I came close to simply not picking it up again. Wonderfully and simply written, but oh my gosh it is heavy reading.

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Apr 16, 2012 Janet rated it 4 of 5 stars

It was well written, an easy read really, if you can get past the crime. Wonderful character development of the protagonist, you really walked in his shoes. As the characters are lead into the horror of the crimes you feel full dread at the idea of them being exposed to it. You want them to remain as they are. It’s heartbreaking in the end.

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Mar 24, 2013 Robert James rated it 4 of 5 stars

Great book. The writer really knows how to build the story. I thought the book started out a little slow but the writer kept building layer after layer until getting to the end. The book kind of reminded me of the best of Joe Lansdale or Daniel Woodrell. Very detailed description of the environment/atmosphere puts you in the middle of the story.

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Jan 02, 2012 Luis rated it 4 of 5 stars

Very good book! Grant Jerkings describe characters and places as no other author I ever read. It truly creates a wonderful movie in your imagination and you can feel what's happening in the book.

The plot is great, very engaging... yet at times you wished that the bad guy was caught sooner .... :-)

Good book overall...

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Nov 23, 2011 Erica rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: mystery

This was a well written page turner! I am very impressed, it's a sad, dark story, that is hard to put down. It's a pretty fast read because the chapters are so short, so I was able to finish it on one night. Interested to read other books by this author.

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Oct 30, 2011 George rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: pb-f

This book was as good as I expected. Mr Jerkins follows up his fabulous debut (A Very Simple Crime) with a fast paced thriller that kept me turning the pages as quickly as my eyes could soak up the words. I suspect that Kyle and Grace will be in my thoughts for quite some time.

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Jan 16, 2012 Laura Bruhns rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-in-2012

I loved this book! The writing is intense. I felt as if I were there, with Kyle. I wanted to finish it in one sitting, but had to keep putting the book down. Then I would just keep thinking about it until I picked it back up... What a story!

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Feb 07, 2012 Kaitlin rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: first-reads

Disturbing, morbid, twisted, all things that start to describe what lies in the pages of this novel. I had to takes breaks because I got so shook up. This book will keep you on the edge.

Recommended.

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May 27, 2012 Connie rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: southern-lit, challenge, kindle-fire, mystery-crime-fiction

Kyle, a ten-year-old boy, who lives in rural Georgia in 1976 causes a woman to run off the road to avoid hitting him on his bike. Kyle runs from the accident instead of helping the woman, which sets the events of the book in motion. Riddled with guilt, Kyle is vulnerable. Kyle, his little sister, Grace, and the old man, who is stroke victim, across the street are the main characters. The children are repulsed and scared of the old man across the street. The author uses a very clever device to re...more

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Dec 31, 2012 Pamela rated it 5 of 5 stars

Oh Grant Jerkins, how you scare me. After I got over the creeptastic beginning of this book, I inched my way through it. I admired the writing. I admired the plot. And then you start throwing twists and turns I never saw coming. But none of them were gratuitous and none were executed in a Deus ex machina format. And that, my friend, made me love your very scary, very good book.

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Jul 31, 2012 Monica rated it 3 of 5 stars

This was a pretty disturbing book. It was also a but descriptive for my taste. It started getting better towards the end. Interesting story line, just too descriptive and not warm and fuzzy.

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Sep 12, 2011 Charlie rated it 4 of 5 stars

I was able to read this in pre-publication galley form after interviewing the author. Very different from A Very Simple Crime; biblical and horrifying.

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Mar 02, 2012 Deb rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: goodreads

This is a story that sneaks up on you. What begins as the story of a young boy who flees from a woman who has crashed her car because he was riding his bike down the middle of the road slowly becomes a tale that weaves in more layers, adding depth of characterization that keeps you turning pages. I wasn’t sure where the journey was taking me, but I didn’t want to put down the book in case I missed a turn in the road.

Full of surprises, the mystery, the suspense, and the questioning will all keep...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Lana Boles rated it 3 of 5 stars

Better than I thought it was going to be. I read this book in one day!

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Mar 02, 2013 David Odeen rated it 5 of 5 stars

A nasty great lil southern noir that wil grab you by the sack and not let go. Truly great.

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Aug 30, 2012 Theresa rated it 4 of 5 stars

A page turner! Quite compelling, and very chilling.

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Nov 22, 2011 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011

This book is compelling and well written. It's dark and sad, but I liked it a lot. I'm really glad that my friend Sandy introduced me to Grant Jerkins' work.

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About Grant Jerkins

Grant Jerkins's first novel, A Very Simple Crime, has been optioned for film by Oscar-nominated screenwriter Nicholas Kazan (At Close Range, Reversal of Fortune,) with Barbet Schroeder (Barfly, Single White Female) attached to direct. This will mark the first pairing of Schroeder and Kazan since their landmark, Oscar-winning film, Reversal of Fortune.

Grant lives with his wife and son in the Atlant...more

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