In a small Appalachian town, an amateur detective unearths a dark conspiracy and his own haunted past, in a chilling novel about sacrifice, art, and revenge. Med school dropout Harlan Winter returns to his impoverished West Virginia hometown, where the law is scarce, arsonists are turning everything to ash, and his family's turbulent history lingers. All he wants is to keep the peace in a community cowering from the Lighthouse, a local cult preying on people's fears. Harlan's own fears, too, when he's hired to play detective and find a young couple gone missing. The vanished artist and his girlfriend have left behind a series of paintings that enrage the Lighthouse's Pastor Logan, who believes art can have divine power. It's not easy to believe for a rational man like Harlan. And impossible to ignore when his investigation is haunted by visions of the dead lurking in the shadows of his own violent past. Revelations about the disappearances are being unearthed. The Lighthouse's grip on the community is tightening. And Harlan fears he's losing control. As the threats against his town, his sanity, and his life begin to mount, Harlan doesn't know which is more terrifying: what's real, or what's in his mind.

About the Author
Jordan Farmer is the author of The Poison Flood and The Pallbearer. He was born and raised in a small West Virginia town, population approximately two thousand. He earned his MA from Marshall University and his PhD at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. For more information, visit www.jordanfarmerauthor.com.

Reviews
Praise for Jordan Farmer The Poison Flood "A near-Shakespearean snarl, a mad, seven-day action crucible set in the West Virginia wild...The Poison Flood is an ambitious saga, cockamamie and passionate. Through Hollis, Farmer produces a pocket Hillbilly manifesto." - Atlanta Journal-Constitution "Hollis himself is vivid...When the novel focuses on a musician's creative struggles, it sings." -Kirkus Reviews "Affecting...[It] combines an unconventional lead with a sobering portrayal of an environmental disaster's impact on a small community. Readers who like their fiction to have a social conscience will want to take a look." -Publishers Weekly "[A] bizarre and fascinating read that proves that anything is possible in the capable hands of author Jordan Farmer. The novel is immediately engrossing, its characters uniquely memorable, its prose both heartfelt and stunning. The novel takes a number of unexpected and thrilling turns...[and is] rich in compassion and empathy." -BookPage "Darkly brilliant and beautifully written...[Farmer's] similes, metaphors, and turns of phrase are worth underlining and rereading over and over. They are equaled, if not exceeded, by his sharply drawn characters, who you will remember long after you finish this book." -Bookreporter "[The Poison Flood] had one of the most satisfying endings I've read in a while, capping what was overall one of the best novels I've ever read of modern-day rural America." -Criminal Element "In his narrator, Hollis Bragg, Jordan Farmer has created a compelling character whose personal story and damaged body become emblematic of a whole region devastated by environmental destruction. The Poison Flood is a timely and important novel." -Ron Rash, PEN/Faulkner finalist and New York Times bestselling author of Serena "The Poison Flood is thrilling, poignant, and full of music, a forceful counterpunch to the usual expectations about poverty, trauma, and physical difference." -James A. McLaughlin, author of Bearskin "Jordan Farmer's novel is both a gripping page-turner and a stunning meditation on body and place. The Poison Flood will punch you right in the throat with its honesty and its heart. Farmer is a singular talent, with a voice I won't soon forget." -Nick White, author of Sweet and Low "Once again, Jordan Farmer has written a darkly urgent book. The Poison Flood is not only a story about the redemptive power of art-it is itself a redeeming and beautiful work." -Smith Henderson, author of Fourth of July Creek "Jordan Farmer's immense talent shines with the creation of Hollis Bragg, an indelible character at the heart of this perfect ballad to rural West Virginia." -Devin Murphy, author of The Boat Runner and Tiny Americans "Once in a great while, a book appears that gives voice to multitudes living just beyond our everyday scope. The Poison Flood establishes Jordan Farmer as a writer whose lyricism and unflinching search for truth place him among those artists who carry our deepest concerns and very best possibilities across time. This is a profoundly good book." -Jonis Agee, author of The Bones of Paradise "A fascinating exploration of character, with a story that captivates with suspense and heart, The Poison Flood is a book about the influence of music, the power of art, and the complexities of luck. Irresistible and original." -Timothy Schaffert, author of The Swan Gondola



Book Information
ISBN 9781662509919
Author Jordan Farmer
Format Paperback
Page Count 236
Imprint Thomas & Mercer
Publisher Amazon Publishing