Children Of The Valley Av Castle Freeman

A pair of runaways take refuge in Sheriff Wing's slice of the Vermont countryside.

A fast-paced, sharply observed novel of rural suspense. Sheriff Lucian Wing goes to the aid of a pair of young runaways, Duncan and Pamela, who have fled to his backwoods county jurisdiction in Vermont. The girl's powerful stepfather New York has set a smoothly menacing lawyer and well-armed thugs on their trail.At the same time Wing must deal with his wayward wife's chronic infidelity; the snobbery of Pamela's cosmopolitan mother; the dubious assistance of a demented World War Two enthusiast - and even the climactic, chaotic onset of a prodigious specimen of the local wildlife. Amidst it all, can Wing bring Duncan and Pamela to safety?Praise for Castle Freeman's novels:'A small miracle - sharp, sly, moving and full of heart.' Nick Cave'Part comic romp and part nail-biting thriller ... Castle Freeman writes with both wit and a deep understanding of the human psyche, and he does not cheat us out of a dramatic climax.' Guardian'Shares many small-town, big-crime themes with Cormac McCarthy...it is impossible not to appreciate this.' The Times'Wonderful... every paragraph a gem. Freeman - like Cormac McCarthy, like Annie Proulx - shows us the awkward realness of lives, and does it with humour, with wry perception, with great style.' R.J. Ellory'Extremely funny... streamlined storytelling, dead-on dialogue and lyrical descriptions of the bleak, woodsy landscape.This is a meticulous New England miniature, with not a word wasted.' Oprah Magazine'A fast, memorable read gooey with atmosphere ... a gem that sparkles with sly insight and cuts like a knife.' Boston Globe'Freeman has a flawless ear for dialogue and a sharp eye for quirky detail ... Superb.' People Magazine'A brilliant book - laconic, spare, stylish and exciting.' Al Alvarez'A small masterpiece of black comedy and suspense ...If all novels were this good, Americans would read more.' Kirkus Reviews