Mother Howl

Name: Mother Howl
Brand: Penguin Random House
Availability: InStock
Author: Craig Clevenger
ISBN: 9781915523198

Author: Craig Clevenger

Narrator: Greg Lockett

Unabridged: 11 hr 2 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Datura Books

Published: 06/13/2023

Categories: Fiction, Noir

Synopsis

Compelling literary crime that follows the son of a serial murderer who changes his identity in a bid to escape his past.

Sixteen-year-old Lyle Edison recognizes the face of a murder victim on the nightly news – the waitress at his local diner. A place he often frequented with his dad. The following day his father is arrested and charged with her murder. And then eight further bodies are discovered.

Following the revelation that his dad is in fact a serial killer, Lyle is outcast and shunned. Forced to abandon his family, illegally obtaining a new identity, he moves away to start all over again.

Some years later, Lyle thinks he has finally moved on. But after several brushes with the law, Lyle’s past eventually catches up to him when a mysterious stranger known only as Icarus shows up and seems to know Lyle’s secret...

About The Author

Craig Clevenger is an American author of contemporary fiction. He was born in Dallas, Texas and raised in Southern California, where he studied English at California State University, Long Beach. He has travelled extensively and lived in Dublin and London, but currently resides in California. He is the author of two previously published novels, The Contortionist's Handbook and Dermaphobia, both released by MacAdam/Cage. His work has been classified by some as neo-noir and has received praise from Chuck Palahniuk and Irvine Welsh.

Reviews

Goodreads review by Rachel (TheShadesofOrange)

3.5 Stars This is a slower paced character driven narrative that explores the scars of our pasts. The writing was simple, but solid. I liked the story but not one that I found particularly immersive or engrossing. I would primarily recommend this one to readers who prefer slow burning character studi......more

Goodreads review by Alex

Dark literary fiction following Lyle as he tries to escape from his past and avoid becoming like his serial killer father. Beautifully written with a bit of a noir vibe plus a different element (sci-fi? urban fantasy? magical realism?) Highly recommended if you like flawed characters and ambiguous s......more

Goodreads review by Ben

Full Review Here Mother Howl is Craig Clevenger’s first book since 2005 and appeared in excerpts throughout the years. While I can’t speak to if it was worth the wait tonight, I’ve not been aware of Clevenger that long, I can say that his work on it over the years paid off. This is a well-crafted pie......more

Quotes

"Mother Howl is unlike anything you’ve read or will read. Truly a stunning work."
– Amina Akhtar, author of Kismet

"Dubbed “neo-noir,” Clevenger’s book is brilliant, original, and genre defying, veering from the mundane to the truly bizarre and from dark hopelessness to strangely hopeful."
– Booklist, starred review

“Clevenger’s riveting, fearless and unshakeable Mother Howl is noir from the cold side of the sun, where Icarus is gravity’s assassin and every search for the self leads through a black star.”
– Steve Erickson, author of Shadowbahn and Zeroville

"Entering the world of Mother Howl is like reverse engineering an origami rattlesnake only to realize you're holding a bloodstained murder confession – this book will devour you just as ruthlessly and tenderly as you devour it."
– Will Christopher Baer, author of the Phineas Poe trilogy

"Couldn’t keep my nose out of this one."
– Stephen Graham Jones, author of The Only Good Indians

"I am utterly f***ing infuriated with how good it was. Just... don't make the mistake of sleeping on this."
– Rob Hart, author of The Paradox Hotel

"Though this story doesn’t mention cypress trees or bayous, Lyle’s attempts to reconcile the blood in his veins with the content of his character bring to mind the best Southern gothic fiction."
– Library Journal, starred review for Audiobook edition