Cross Country Murder Song

by Philip Wilding

On a journey from the Jersey Shore to the Pacific Ocean the driver crosses an America twisted beyond all recognition, pursued by ghosts of his traumatic past, and by the police, who have discovered the horrifying secrets of his basement. On and off the road, we glimpse the lives of people who are touched by the driver in one way or another - a porn star who can no longer perform; a widower looking for love; two parents who return day after day to the spot where their son was killed. The driver meddles, mixes and murders, heading towards his own macabre realisation of the American Dream.

Genres: Crime

256 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2010

Reviews

[Suzi · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

[Lc16 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unfortunately the reviews I had read for this book led me to believe it was darker than I found it. The original premise was interesting but this was never really developed. It was an interesting although not original concept to dip into others lives during the road trip and I thought this was tied together quite well. Only one instance of this was shocking, I'm sure anyone who has read this can guess which bit I mean.

[Teresa Geraghty · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one. The characters of the unnamed "driver" (who's story is told throughout the "chorus" of this murder song) and all those who he meets and impacts along his journey are so curiously interesting and in some cases darkly disturbing. The continuous hoping between times, places and characters however, caused me to have to re-read some sections every so often, but overall for me, a really good read.

[Marti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark and twisty. That is to say, I liked it very much. However, it could have really benefitted from an American copy editor. I'm not in the least bit jingoistic, but (taking into consideration that it's a book about Americans taking place in America) the vocabulary could have been adjusted accordingly. The British terminology was enough to take me out of the moment whenever it came up.

[Mike Hales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Brilliantly written, interweaving story lines and leaving spaces for your imagination to fill in the gaps in this wonderfully twisted tale.

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Excellent writing, but the whole thing was rather disjointed, leaving me often rather confused as to the identity of the characters in any given chapter.

[Thom Riddle · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting novel.

[Kate Kshashkiewitch · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a bit tricky at the beginning, trying to get a hold on who is the protagonist of the given chapter, but as you read on you see the links and patterns. Challenging, but a rewarding read.

[Molly Barlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Outstanding modern noir. An absolute must-read import.

[Lesley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disturbing, yet compelling. I enjoyed this very much.