Violent ... The reckless, feckless, secretive, self-punishing Carruthers clan may be hard to like; but when their collective woes are brought into the light of full disclosure, the effect is classically tragic.
An antihero tale, so don’t mistake this for a yarn about a good guy who’s come home to set things right ... An attitude you can strike a match on — and Ashes burns with the flame.
His dialogue...is pitch-perfect: colloquial and idiomatic, reflecting the education and upbringing of his characters—it feels like we’re eavesdropping on real people. A stunning novel.