Tombley's Walk

by Crosland Brown, A.W. Gray

[Read by Stephen R. Thorne]

The beast that walks like a man feeds beneath a blood-red Texas moon.

Billy Ed and Dory Barnes left the honky-tonk in Tombley's Walk on a warm Texas night. They were looking for a little privacy. They never returned.

Billy Ed's body was found soon after, ripped to pieces by a savage, wolf-like creature that walked on two legs. Dory survived the brutal attack. But she has been changed into something horribly, inexplicably ... different.

As a full moon bathes the town in terror, the residents bolt their doors in fear of the night. But no lock will keep out the unspeakable horror that has infected the once-sleepy Texas community - a gruesome evil that won't be sated until the last drop of human blood is drained from Tombley's Walk.

Genres: Horror, Audiobook

416 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Pseudonym of A.W. Gray

Reviews

[Michael · Rating 2 out of 5]

I read this in my teens and remember enjoying it (not loving, there's a difference). Many moons later, I've come to the conclusion that some books should remain in the distant past. A so-so werewolf novel that drones on and on and...on and on. The author, a pseudonym for a crime author, required a better editor. Not to mention the unnecessary moments of animal cruelty, racism, and misogyny. The two stars is only for the interesting character development, but after a certain point even the colorful cast of small-town folks couldn't save this one.

[Tome Reader · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not a terrible read but by no means is it any good. I was expecting so much more for a "werewolf" novel but sadly it didn't come close to my expectations. Didn't even start getting good until the last 100 pages. It was difficult to enjoy this book with the way the author wrote the dialogue for the country slang. And where was the editor? So many grammar mistakes and and at one point a character named Beamer was locked in a cell at Doc Petty's hospital and at the same time he was helping dispose of bodies with the other infected... the ending was pretty good but overall I would say at 2.5 stars but I'd round up to 3 stars for Goodreads.

[Kevin Macak · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book turned out to be a good little werewolf story. It takes place in Texas in a small town called Tombleys walk. First, a mysterious virus is making dogs rabid and the town folks thought it was rabies, but things aren't always as they appear. Townsfolk start coming up dead, and they need to find out why. They have one witness and it's a ho that was having sex in the woods. Dory said it was a wolf like creature that killed her flavor of the night. This is where the story takes off as a loner from out of town starts investigating the murders, while trying to hide out from the law himself. The name he goes by is Bud. He makes friends with a woman lawyer named Melody Parker and a Dr. Jack Petty. They are the only hope for Tombley's Walk. Strange things start happening. The people of Tombleys start acting weird, healing faster,looking stronger and younger, but worst of all turning into murderous werewolves. Will Bud,Melody, and Dr. Jack find a way to stop the mutant werewolf virus that is plaguing this town. Read this enjoyable story to find out.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

When it comes to genres of horror, werewolves are my favourite subject and this is without doubt the best horror book I have ever read. First read in my teens in the early 90’s, this book has accompanied me ever since and I have probably read it 6 times in all. Yes it is long but there is a reason behind this and the story is definitely going in a direction-that direction being the utter destruction of this sleepy Texan town by an unimaginable nightmare. I see people are criticising the length of the book but for me it was perfect. The writer skilfully creating layer after layer of dread. The violence is on another level to anything I’ve read and I don’t think I’ve ever read a book that has had my pulse racing the way this does. I can’t believe this is the only book from this author as I would have loved to read more. If your a fan of this particular genre but you like your werewolves a little more hardcore than your average Hammer Horror film depicts, this is definitely for you.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

There are a few elements of this book that would garner some interesting discussion and social commentary if the writer had been more interested in diving into it.

There seems to be an understanding of how the ruling class will use poor people from all walks of life but in different ways with the werewolves recruiting poor white folks whilst using folks of colour as food. Both are seen as tools by the rich. This would have been a lot more interesting if we got the POV of even a single person of colour.

Still this was an entertaining enough werewolfish tale with all the usual incredibly dated elements that plague horror fiction of the era.

[Kilgallen · Rating 3 out of 5]

A werewolf tale that will set many to pearl clutching as it's chock full of all the triggers that exist in 80's and 90's horror fiction.

Misogyny? yup. Homophobia? yup. Body shaming? yup. Rape? yup. Domestic abuse? yup. Substance abuse? yup.

The main characters were quite well developed and believable, the supporting, secondary characters...not so much. The pacing was good and as long as one can accept the questionable, above mentioned "triggers" the story was good as well. Just nothing that will make it stand out in my mind.

[Scott Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

The small Texas town of Tombley’s Walk has its share of problems, poverty, child abuse, alcoholism and now lycanthropy. Something has chosen this little town and it’s inhabitants as its prey

An interest taken on the werewolf story with a good twist to the idea. Full of sex as usual for this type of book but with some nasty stuff so be warned those of a softer disposition

[Miloo · Rating 4 out of 5]

💜💜💜💜

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chapter 10 was disturbing, but an okay read.

[Kevin Baker · Rating 4 out of 5]

The narrator of the Audible version excellently articulated the author’s dry, almost cynical, sense of humor. The book was a pleasant surprise.

[T.E. Whitehill · Rating 1 out of 5]

Takes a lot for me to rate something below 3 stars. DNF.

[Fishface · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a fun read, about the travails of a tiny town in Texas afflicted by something not quite like, but not entirely unlike werewolves. This 1991 horror title reads like a book published in the late 1970s because of all the gratuitous, often violent sex scenes. The author, a Texan, writes very much in the dialect of her home territory and gives the story a very believable quality in spite of the subject matter. Every character has a distinct voice and perspective that gives the whole story a 3-dimensional feel. I recommend this one.

[Augustus Jumper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was a unique and (sometimes) fun take on werewolves. However the characters were for the most part hollow. Don’t get me wrong I had fun with this book, but it just didn’t quite pack the punch of other books I love.

[Mary · Rating 3 out of 5]

pretty good, fast & some twists