Review: Sacrificing Spencer?
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 04 7, 2014
Splits in the Skin by John Tucker is a suspense/thriller set in the North Georgia mountains where an inbred family led by patriarch Moses Bailey is caught up in a dragnet set out for an escaped convict. Ellis Hardigree is a bounty hunter forced to rely on the aid of a middle-aged sheriff and an attractive hill girl named Smithfield Mozelle Sprayberry, known as Smitty, to help him gain access to the hostile environment and apprehend the fugitive. Only the Bailey clan regards its property as sacred ground and poses a lethal threat to trespassers regardless of their purpose. Ellis turns to the residents of the neighboring town of Tunnel Hill for help, and ends up instigating a hillbilly feud that may place dozens of lives at stake.The theme of deception resonates throughout the novel as Moses uses Scripture to deceive and manipulate his offspring. He frequently quotes the Tanakh in legitimizing his edicts among his clan, and uses it as a form of mind control to subjugate his brood. The author negotiates the sexual minefield as best he can though we are given enough of a glimpse to see how Bailey uses sex as an enticement to keep his followers happy. We also see how Sheriff Waylon Brunswick appears willing to help Ellis take Moses down, though in reality he is promoting a personal agenda. It is a backwoods drama in the tradition of Deliverance, with Ellis trying to survive in a world a century apart from reality.Tucker's storyline is authentic and allows the narrative to flow smoothly as we watch the characters develop and the tension build towards the major conflict between the denizens of Tunnel Hill and the Bailey-dominated New Eden community. It reaches a climactic conclusion as Spencer Lee Heath enters the fray and threatens to end the hunt once and forever. Spencer who? Well, neighbor, pick up a copy of Splits in the Skin by John Tucker and see for yourself. You won't be disappointed.