HILL COUNTRY by R Thomas Brown

Gabe Hill comes home one night to find a pedophile dead and mutilated on his doorstep. This happens to be precisely the same pedophile Hill just got into a fight with only hours before--although he has no idea how he ended up dead... and on his doorstep.

Things quickly become stranger and more complicated for Gabe Hill. He discovers that a number of nefarious people connected to his long-lost, drug addict brother are after him, all of whom believe that Gabe is the key to getting their greedy paws on a bunch of money. It's not clear who--if anyone--Gabe should trust.

R Thomas Brown is an expert at crafting these lean, gritty tales that drift between crime and horror, and Hill Country (Snubnose Press) picks up right where his first book, Merciless Pact, left off. Brown's a sharp, no-nonsense kind of writer with a gift for creating smooth plots and interesting characters. I particularly enjoyed Tyler, a sociopath of the highest order, and the protagonist is a  likeable guy despite all the dumb choices he makes.

Fast-paced, surprisingly funny, and thoroughly human, Hill Country proves to be a Texas noir classic. (And don't you just love that cover from Eric Beetner?)