Midnight Road
Davis (One for Hell, 1952) published two Gold Medal paperbacks in his too-brief career, opting instead for the security of a straight job. But he didn’t stop writing, and this previously unseen novel gives us a haunting taste of his talent. Set in West Texas around 1930, it’s the story of 15-year-old Jeff Carr, who doesn’t resemble his father, Bant, so much as he does handsome, wealthy Kenty Hooker, who has returned to his home in the neighboring valley—and whose history with Jeff’s mama, Pearl, all but guarantees a tragic finale. Yes, someone dies, and there’s a big trial at the end, but this book is very different from Davis’ crime novels. Some of Jeff’s adventures (Indians! Caves!) recall Twain, while the rural gothicism and obsession with parentage could be Faulkner’s. And, above all, it’s a remarkable portrait of a way of life. The book does lack discipline, with repeated elements and uneven pacing. But, for all that, it has power, beauty, and ambition. Had Davis been matched with the right editor, who knows what could have happened? --Keir Graff