Edge of Dark Water

Joe R. Lansdale

Mar 2012 · Sold by Mulholland Books

About this ebook

Mark Twain meets classic Stephen King -- a bold new direction for widely acclaimed Edgar Award winner Joe R. Lansdale.

May Lynn was once a pretty girl who dreamed of becoming a Hollywood star. Now she's dead, her body dredged up from the Sabine River.

Sue Ellen, May Lynn's strong-willed teenage friend, sets out to dig up May Lynn's body, burn it to ash, and take those ashes to Hollywood to spread around. If May Lynn can't become a star, then at least her ashes will end up in the land of her dreams.

Along with her friends Terry and Jinx and her alcoholic mother, Sue Ellen steals a raft and heads downriver to carry May Lynn's remains to Hollywood.

Only problem is, Sue Ellen has some stolen money that her enemies will do anything to get back. And what looks like a prime opportunity to escape from a worthless life will instead lead to disastrous consequences. In the end, Sue Ellen will learn a harsh lesson on just how hard growing up can really be.

Ratings and reviews

Sue Ellen and her uncle Gene were fishing when they found the body of their friend, Mary Lynn, with a sewing machine weighing her down. No one really cared that the girl was dead; they all seemed to think it was a bother. Sue Ellen and her friends, Jinx and Terry, along with Sue Ellen’s mother, dug up the body and burned it. The four set out on a journey to Hollywood, along with Mary Lynn’s ashes and a jar filled with stolen money. Skunk, an evil killer, was hot on their trail. The man was obviously a sociopath. Their journey was beset with danger. "Edge of Dark Water" is a beautiful blend of adventure, horror, and suspense. This review is on the audio version. I was captured from the moment I began to listen. The plot is character-driven. What characters the author has created! The story is narrated by Sue Ellen. It is easy to pick up on her quick wit and sarcastic manner. This book actually had a wee bit of humor woven into it. Much of the humor comes from Sue Ellen’s descriptive comments. It is subtle humor and southern humor. Southerners will understand what I mean. Jinx is a black teen with a major attitude. Terry is rumored to be a homosexual. Sue Ellen’s mother is an alcoholic. Skunk is hard to describe; he wore a dead bird and severed hands tied to his hat. "Edge of Dark Water" is one of the best books I have listened to in quite some time. Angéle Masters perfectly mastered the accent. She moved back and forth through the characters smoothly. The sound quality is very nice. I will be looking for more books by Joe Lansdale.

Gripping and dark. Plenty of twists and turns. Really liked it.

This is great book to read

About the author

Joe R. Lansdale is the author of nearly four dozen novels, including Rusty Puppy, the Edgar-award winning The Bottoms, Sunset and Sawdust, and Leather Maiden. He has received nine Bram Stoker Awards, the American Mystery Award, the British Fantasy Award, and the Grinzane Cavour Prize for Literature. He lives with his family in Nacogdoches, Texas.