British crime writer Will Carver takes fiendish delight in veering from familiar paths and taking readers on discomforting journeys. He’s the kind of author that you may love or hate; he doesn’t play it safe. Example: Hinton Hollow Death Trip is set in an English village outside London. Someone is shooting locals. DS Pace has returned home after dark times in the city, looking to recover but finds himself investigating troubling crimes.

So far, so familiar. But why was an eight-year-old boy put on a train out of town by his fearful mother, wearing a label asking for him to be kept safe for a week. Did she anticipate the horrors on the way? And why does our narrator seem to take some sort of pride in the killings and other twisted acts, even though they didn’t commit them?

Hinton Hollow Death Trip is narrated by evil itself. But perhaps a different kind of ‘evil’ than you’d presume. One that seeks balance in a world increasingly gone mad; that’s decided to make an example of this small town; five days of prodding its residents to give into their own darkest desires, their festering envies and fears. Can DS Pace uncover what’s really going on? Who will survive? Carver’s crafted an exceptionally clever crime novel with a strong voice that gives readers plenty to think about on several fronts.

Reviewed by Craig Sisterson