Old Field Pines

by C.F. Lindsey

This story takes place in the Prohibition-era Ozarks. Our introduction to Willie Henderson happens on a train taking him home, at long last, after a one-year stint in prison where he served time for illegally bootlegging and producing the area's finest moonshine. Upon his arrival back into Stone County, he is met by Sheriff Michael Baker, the county's new lawman who has a penchant for dismantling Stone County's storied illegal moonshining industry. Willie arrives home to find his wife, Mabel, lying in bed, sickly, with her and her young son unable to have afforded her needed medicine. With Mabel's health rapidly declining and Willie's breadth of knowledge and talent in shining, Willie is soon left with only one option-to return to his old bootlegging ways. In this highly suspenseful cat-and-mouse Southern thriller, we are taken through a series of chess moves between Willie and his nemesis, Sheriff Michael Baker. Who will outsmart the other? And who will inevitably come out on top?

250 pages, Paperback

First published February 2, 2021

Reviews

[Micah Hicks]

A harrowing story of a war-haunted moonshiner trying to save his family in prohibition-era Arkansas. Brutal as bathtub gin and swollen with heart.

[Colleen]

This is a phenomenal first novel by author, Lindsey. The details of time and place, Arkansas 1924, along with the development of the characters through dialogue and alternating points of view felt like Lindsey had lived then and there and was just simply telling the stories of his neighbors as events unfold. I really enjoyed the newspaper articles that introduced each part which was a clever way to catch the reader up on important backstory in an efficient way. Willie Henderson (main character) and his nemesis Sheriff Baker are playing a small town cat and mouse which seems just right for the historical time period it takes place in. I won’t include spoilers, but I can say that the ending gave me some new and fresh feelings at the end of a novel, and it certainly left me thinking... which is what good writing should do, isn’t it? I love historical fiction and this novel was a great trip into the age of prohibition, moonshine, and the hollers of old Arkansas.

[John Vanderslice]

This is a gorgeous new book from a first-time novelist. It's so good you'll find it hard to believe Lindsey isn't a book publishing veteran. It's physically rich, with Lindsey masterfully evoking at every turn the landscape of the Arkansas Ozarks. More over, it's an intricate and balanced drama. The main character is a bootlegger, sure. But he's so much more than that, and so too is his antagonist, a sheriff named Baker. Maybe odd to say about a novel about bootlegging but what Lindsey has created is a moving and complex family drama, with fascinating lines of tension running every which way. Between family members and between the family and others. It may be hard to tell, except for a few exceptions, who is an absolute Good Guy--but we sure as heck can tell who are the Bad Guys. And we know who we are rooting for. This is a thoroughly engrossing and beautifully told historical novel. It put me on notice that Lindsey is a talent worth watching. I expect any later books will come from much bigger presses.

[C.F. Lindsey]

Today is the day, folks! Dive into a tale of moonshining, sacrifice, and the rich history of the Arkansas hollers. Reviews and ratings are appreciated! #makeitbubblewhenyouhitit