The Boy Who Shoots Crows

by Randall Silvis

A riveting new psychological thriller from a "a masterful storyteller" ( New York Times Book Review ). Yesterday, a local boy went missing in Cumberland County, Pennsylvania. Transplanted painter Charlotte Dunleavy was used to seeing him go into the woods, rifle in hand, to shoot at crows. Suffering from the debilitating aftereffects of a migraine, Charlotte is shrouded in a fog of pain and barely remembers the details of the day, just splinters of memory, as if they were a dream-but nothing concrete enough to help the local sheriff in his search. Outside of Charlotte's windows, the woods are peaceful, the play of light and dark among the leaves offering her inspiration for her art. But the truth can penetrate even the deepest shadows of a forest-and a killer's mind...

Genres: Mystery, Thriller, Fiction

356 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2011

About the author

Randall Silvis is the internationally acclaimed author of over a dozen novels, one story
collection, and one book of narrative nonfiction. Also a prize-winning playwright, a
produced screenwriter, and a prolific essayist, he has been published and produced in
virtually every field and genre of creative writing. His numerous essays, articles, poems and short stories have appeared in the Discovery Channel magazines, The Writer, Prism International, Short Story International, Manoa, and numerous other online and print magazines. His work has been translated into 10 languages.

Silvis’s many literary awards include two writing fellowships from the National
Endowment for the Arts, the prestigious Drue Heinz Literature Prize, a Fulbright Senior Scholar Research Award, six fellowships for his fiction, drama, and screenwriting from the Pennsylvania Council On the Arts, and an honorary Doctor of Letters degree awarded for “distinguished literary achievement.”

Reviews

[Fictionophile · Rating 5 out of 5]

How often have you seen the hype written on book covers that proclaim the book in your hand to be “the best this year”, “a page turner”, etc. Do you believe it? Well this time you can! The book cover boasts a quote by The New York Times Book Review which states “A masterful storyteller”. What can I say?
I concur.
The protagonist in “The boy who shoots crows” is an artist who has moved from the city to rural Pennsylvania to recover from a failed marriage. She has the idea that the idyllic peaceful setting will cure her soul and prove as an inspiration to her art. The description in the novel is told as seen through the eye of an artist using a lot of imagery which enables the reader to vividly imagine the action and setting.
The renovated farmhouse where Charlotte Dunleavy has taken up residence adjoins a wooded area. The novel opens with a police officer knocking on Charlotte’s door early one early spring morning to ask her if she had seen a young boy from the area who has been reported missing. The boy has been seen many times by Charlotte as he goes to the wood to shoot crows on a regular basis. However, this time she tells the officer that she has not seen him. She does say that she saw an older boy, Dylan, spreading lime on the fields and that he left his tractor to enter the woods that day…
The police officer, Marcus Gatesman, is a widower who is immediately attracted to the lovely Charlotte. He sees her vulnerability and her fragility and feels the need to protect her from life’s dark side. And he has seen the dark side. Many years of police work coupled with the loss of his beloved wife and infant daughter in a car accident, ensure that he is well versed in the fact that bad things sometimes do happen to good people. He is a likeable chap who occasionally waxes philosophical on life, fate, and chance. The author, Randall Silvis describes Gatesman as being “softened by life’s hardness” which describes him perfectly. Charlotte on the other hand is so wounded by her ex-husband that she is unable to let herself feel anything for Marcus. Although this sounds like your stereotypical romance novel, nothing could be further from the truth.
Jesse, the missing boy, is the only child of a poor family who live in a small mobile home just down the road from Charlotte’s farmhouse. His long-suffering mother, Livvie Rankin works hard to give Jesse the basic necessities. His father drinks to excess, gambles and shows neither his wife nor his son any love or affection.
Dylan, the teenager who Charlotte inadvertently puts in a difficult position maintains his innocence. Suspicion has been established however, and the local community make Dylan’s life a misery. He is severely beaten and hospitalized. This even after Charlotte recants her earlier tale, pleading that she was suffering from a debilitating migraine that day and couldn’t really rely on her senses. In fact Charlotte is so emotionally fragile that she seems to doubt her own perceptions causing the reader to question what is true? What is not?
As the story progresses and the search for the missing Jesse remains unfruitful, Charlotte seems to deteriorate into melancholia. She doesn’t take care of herself, she has lost all interest in her art, and her despair is almost palpable. She blames herself for casting Dylan in a guilty light.

“The boy who shoots crows” is unlike previous thrillers I have read where you turn pages wondering if what you deduct might be true. It is an astounding literary psychological thriller where I found myself turning pages feverishly hoping that what I was afraid of wasn’t true… The ending of the novel is one that will remain with me for years to come. Highly recommended!

(This review was first published on my blog: Fictionophile)

[Heather Smith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Awful book. Poorly written, almost as if the author is bipolar. The chapters go from overly detailed rambling, to rants, to just extremely odd attempts at poetic poetic language. Furthermore, the main character is self-absorbed, whiny, weak, and a pitiful excuse for a person and woman. I could not summon an ounce of empathy.

[Hallie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Randall Silvis's "The Boy Who Shoots Crows" tells of another lost boy. Twelve-year-old Jesse Rankin is known to his neighbors for roaming the woods surrounding Amish farmland and shooting crows. He's last seen driving a tractor in a field just beyond the house where Charlotte Dunleavy lives. The reclusive painter is a refugee from the city and a broken marriage. The story begins with county sheriff Mark Gatesman knocking at her door.

She says she remembers seeing Jesse, a handsome boy with "sleepy eyes" and a "hooded gaze," disappear into the woods. But beyond that, an intense migraine has left her with "splinters" of memory. Gatesman, who recently lost his wife and daughter, is drawn to Charlotte, "moved by the bruises and scars life left behind."

From the opening page, Silvis allows the story to unfold in rich, often elegiac and vivid, painterly prose. Charlotte looks out at the field beyond her barn and sees "sfumato," da Vinci's technique that "smokes and blurs the trees." Persistent images of crows haunt the pages--small black shadows "that shot up and out of the bare branches, became a pair of black wings," "a dead crow splayed across a field of blood-specked white."

"The Boy" is a potent exploration culpability and redemption that rewards the patient reader.

(Review first published in The Boston Globe, 2/26/2012)

[Albert · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a very good book that could have been so much better. The Boy Who Shoots Crows does not seem to be able to make up it mind whether it is a small town mystery or an indepth study of the protaganist slide into depression and madness. As such it tries to be a little of both. It does both well but not very well.
It is none the less a very good book which moves quickly and stays intriging throughout. You simply know there should be so much more to it. There is no twist at the end as you should have already guessed what must have transpired to the missing boy but you read on for the stirring prose and strenght of the tale. But in the end for me at least it fell a little flat.

[Helena Ortiz · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don't think I've ever read a book so fast... not even when I was reading five or six books at a time when I was in college. Instantly, the book's ending was clear to me, but even then, I couldn't stop reading. And when I discovered that yes, I was right about the ending and that it was absolutely no shocker, the book did not disappoint. The entire idea of 'unreliable narrator' (which narrator, you'll have to read to find out) is a huge aspect of this novel. No matter how the book ended, it did with such poetic justice to all of the characters involved, that it didn't feel like a 'cheap ending'. This book is for lovers of character and watching how communities come together when something like this happens. There are many beautiful scenes in this book, including the candlelight vigil. The only reason why I'm giving it four stars instead of five is because I did see the ending coming.

[Daisy · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was literally the worst book. I've only disliked one book as much as this one. Why is this guy describing women like this? What? Big yikes. Doesn't add to the story, which is predictable and boring. A shame, because the scenery was beautiful. But then we had to go and talk about women who "thicken with middle age in all the least flattering places." And a creepy old landlord who won't stop making sex jokes at the main character, who isn't described to be creepy but just your run of the mill older man. And something about "nipple erections." Not erect nipples. Nipple ERECTIONS. I mean come on, what is THAT? No thanks.

[Armida D'Angelo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I cannot believe I never saw the ending coming. It was so obvious, but I kept shaking it off. Normally, it takes me a good while to finish novels, but this one only took me about five days. I binged on it, and loved the characters and how they interacted with one another. I still cannot I never saw the ending coming, and I kept waiting for a twist. Instead, we got something more akin to a cliffhanger. The way the reveal was revealed was much-needed in a book of this type. Beautiful prose. All I wish was that it would have been a more achingly reflected depiction of grief. The book, to me, only scraped the surface.

[Annabelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Charlotte, a divorced artist, moves to a small town in Pennsylvania. She buys a house out in the country so she can be alone to paint. A 12 year old boy disappears. Charlotte has seen him from time to time going into the woods to shoot crows. Sheriff Gatesman stops by to ask if she has seen the boy, Jesse. She has been suffering from migraines and has no real information for the sheriff. The townspeople search for Jesse but he is not found. I was interested from the first page to see how it would turn out, even though I was dreading what the end would be.

[Steven B. Harrington · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pulls You In

Randall Silvis can not be beat in his imaginative prose. He pulls you in before you even realize it. Charlotte becomes an empathetic character trying to start a new life but continue her painting career. Randall paints in words which accentuate the storyline and character development of a small town. He uses light and dark so symbolically, Hinting at the exposure of Charlotte’s struggle. Randall is a master craftsman.

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay.

This book started out really good. Unfortunately there is too much nonsense with pointless dreams and details and it was predictable. The ending was long and drawn out - I actually skimmed some of it. I read the whole book, so it wasn’t completely boring.

[Robin Fuchs Brumfield · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was hesitant to give it a 4 star. I figured out the plot about 100 pages into the book. It's pretty predictable and rather wordy too. If it had been shortened without the unnecessary filler then I think I could have enjoyed it more.

[Bonnie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read it but was willing to quit several times. It dragged quite a bit in places. Disquieting end - want to read something else right away to get my mind off this story.

[Jay · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written and easy to read. Somewhat predictable although never really sure why. Good book.

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A psychological thriller. I literally read half this book in one sitting.

[Rich Watson]

Boy who shoots crows behind the house where painter Charlotte Dunleavy lives goes missing

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Twelve-year-old Jesse Rankin eats his breakfast one morning, but doesn’t show up at school. His backpack is still at home, but his hunting vest, boots, and shotgun are missing. It’s not the first time young Jesse has skipped school to shoot crows, but he’s never been gone this long. His mother Lizzie is frantic, afraid there has been an accident or something worse that has happened to her son. Artist Charlotte Dunleavy may have important information about the boy’s whereabouts, but her memory is clouded by the effects of a severe migraine, so Sheriff Marcus Gatesman is left with a lot of questions and a possible tragedy on his hands.

The Boy Who Shoot Crows is a beautifully written book with passages that often read like poetry. Most of the story is told form Charlotte’s point of view. Charlotte is very unusual for the lead character. She is beautiful and talented, but troubled. She can be caring and generous and then turn around and be reserved and selfish. She is having a hard time dealing with the aftermath of a failed marriage and finds it hard to fit in with the others in the small town in Pennsylvania. There is obvious chemistry between Charlotte and the county sheriff, Marcus Gatesman, whose wife and daughter died several years ago, but she becomes hysterical after agreeing to go for sushi with him and the date doesn’t happen. She is friends with a neighbor and later forms a tentative friendship with Lizzie, but her own fears get in the way.

While most stories of missing children are tragic, this book is especially haunting and sad. It is full of foreboding and all of the signs are there telling the reader what happened to Jesse, but all the while I hoped I was reading them wrong. Portions of the book are so fraught with tension, it’s hard to keep reading, but it’s also impossible to put down.

It’s difficult to fully comment on the book without giving away the ending. It is more a novel of psychological suspense than a mystery since it doesn’t seem there is much investigating being done by the sheriff or the state police even though foul play seems probably and there are more than a couple of solid suspects. Maybe the reader is supposed to assume there is more investigating going on than is mentioned, but it doesn’t seem like Marcus is looking for clues or trying to figure out the ones he has. He is supposed to be an intelligent, competent sheriff, so for me, this takes away from the story.

While this is a well-written book, it is not for everyone. The tone is similar to some of the stand alone novels by Ruth Rendall. While it’s not a book I will soon forget, it’s also not one I would want to re-read. The ending wasn’t shocking to me, but it was disturbing. Feelings of sadness linger after finishing the book, so while that’s a testament to the skill of the author, this book isn’t for everyone. At the beginning of the novel, Sheriff Gatesman thinks to himself,

“It was at times such as this that he felt unsuited for his job. He had not anticipated so much sadness.”

This line perfectly sums up the downside of Marcus’s job as sheriff, as well as my feelings toward "The Boy Who Shoots Crows.”

Thie review was originally written for The Season E-Zine. The book was provided to me in exchange for an honest review.

[Ms.pegasus · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first two chapters of this book are contrasts in perception. Seen from the point of view of Charlotte Dunleavy, an artist who has recently relocated to rural Pennsylvania, the world is constricted into the tight and painful distortions of a migraine. Hypersensitivity renders sounds muffled yet brutally intrusive. Sight is a confused pattern of too bright haze and distancing shadow. Everything feels unbearably intense, and emotionally overwrought.

It is a relief when the viewpoint moves to the everyday familiarity of Sheriff Gatesman's world. Despite the seriousness of his errand, looking for a missing twelve year old boy, his firm grip on the objective world, his deliberate thoroughness, and calm professionalism are reassuring.

Before the plot proceeds, the reader's interest is quickly invested in the lives of these two characters. Sheriff Gateman is still mourning the loss of his wife and infant daughter in an automobile accident. Charlotte is still suffering from the trauma of an ugly divorce, the death of her mother, and the confinement of her father who suffers from Alzheimers. Somehow, the new beginning she hoped for in rural Pennsylvania has failed to shed a pervasive sadness and depression.

The missing boy was a frequent truant. He frequently wandered the adjoining woods with his absent father's shotgun and could be heard shooting crows. It is unclear if he is a runaway, or went off with his father, or was abducted.

The story unfolds with deceptive slowness, and is fleshed out with the smallest of details that introduce other members of the town, including the missing boy's parents. The town assumes a subtle cohesiveness in its suspicions and uneasy lack of closure.

A suspenseful horror story.

[Shedrick Pittman-Hassett · Rating 3 out of 5]

"When speaking of depression, the experience that springs most readily to mind is sadness; a melancholy so profound that its victims are weighed down into a completely inert state. What many do not realize is that depression can also represent a completely debilitative case of self-absorption. The depressed person is engaged in a constant examination of the inner mirrors of their soul and battles their loathing of what those mirrors reveal. And while the person is caught in a looking-glass maze of self-recrimination and doubt, they lose the ability, or even the desire, to interact in a meaningful way with the people with whom they come in contact..."

Check out my full review at Shroud Magazine Book Reviews:

http://shroudmagazinebookreviews.blog...

[Merrian Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I find myself wondering why Mr Silvis isnt more famous than he is. In my opinion, He belongs right up there with Hemingway, Faulkner, and every other highly regarded author I’ve ever read. His prose are sublime, his stories are authentic, and the emotions his characters reveal resonate on a deep, spiritual level. He had a unique ability to touch every nerve with truth. Perhaps that's the problem. I know plenty of people who shy away from the truth...who can't handle the truth...But not me. I yearn for it. I cannot thank this author enough for sharing his perspective and stirring me on such a profound level. Thank you, thank you.

[MLO · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did race to finish this book, but only to confirm the ending I'd suspected since page 45. Maybe it's because I knew so early…maybe it's because the main character goes on and on about how horrible she feels and felt and blah blah blah…but I had zero sympathy for her and her story. Which, since her story does make up the lions share of his book, made it hard to like it, even a little bit. I gave the book 2 stars because it is based on a novel premise…but that's about the only good thing going for it.

[Gretchen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book.......was as it says on the cover "a captivating read". Real characters you can relate to. A story you can get lost in and as the mystery thickens you can not help but wonder and also ache along with the characters. I could have done without the profane language but oddly enough it fit the scene and the character expressing it. Thoroughly enjoyed it-would have given it 5 lost a star for the language.
After throwing down the last three books I tried to read and couldn't get into it was nice to get into a juicy novel. Thank you Mr. Silvis!

[Sidney · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engrossing read, a crime drama focusing on just a few characters in a small Pennsylvania town. There's a bit of a European feel as Silvis delves into the mind and soul of Charlotte Dunleavy, an artist who frequently saw the boy of the title pass her home on his hunts. She's recently divorced, damaged by the experience and deeply emotional as Sheriff Mark Gatesman seeks her help in finding the boy who has disappeared. It's a dark journey, nicely handled.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

Did the author mean to give away the identity of the killer near the beginning of the book? Did something I never do--read the ending to confirm my suspicions. Predictable premise--artist buys farmhouse in the Pennsylvania countryside to pull herself together after a nasty divorce, only to be pulled into a horrific local event, thus spoiling her vision of the bucolic charms of rural life, etc. This is why I do not like mysteries.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an addictive read; I had a hard time putting it down. Almost from the beginning-I knew the final outcome. Clues and symbolisms are dropped throughout the story. The author’s prose is beautifully descriptive-his characters all come alive in the rural Pennsylvania countryside.
The Boy Who Shoots Crows is haunting and very disturbing-you will think about it long after you have finished reading this book.

[Kareninsacramento · Rating 2 out of 5]

While there are two characters who have the possibility to become the main narrator of this story, the author settles on the one that is excruciatingly neurotic and bordering on intolerable. She makes very poor company for the reader.

In addition, the narrative also lies. This is revealed through clumsy mechanisms, and will likely cause most readers to wish they had given up on the book after the first few chapters.

I wish I had done so myself.

[Laura Hoffman Brauman · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really liked the writing and the way the story developed -- until I got to the end. I didn't like how it ended and felt that even looking back, the ending wasn't supported by how the narrative unfolded.

[John Ruggiero · Rating 3 out of 5]

Finished! Pretty good psychological thriller. Even though the main characters annoyed me a bit when things started to heat up, it made sense in the end why things got a bit neurotic. On to the next book on my list!

[Lynn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very well written - kind of poetic actually, vivid scenery and feelings. It was hard to put this book down. You think you know what's going to happen, and in the end, you're right... And knowing didn't ruin it a bit, because you're really not sure you're right until the last page.

[Ouroboros · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so well written and could have been even better had the author chosen to concentrate on either the missing boy/small-town life or the downward spiral into depression of Charlotte Dunleavy. Instead he gave us both dividing the novel and my enjoyment of it.

[Marci Richie Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Really good story with a surprise ending. The only bad part was that the main character, Charlotte, isn't particularly likable. In fact I was pretty disgusted with her throughout the entire thing.. I only hung in there to find out what happened to Jesse.