It’s here. The book I’ve spent at least three years waiting to unleash on you is now available in paperback and for kindle. Pale Horses, my first crime novel, is (in my humble opinion) the best thing I’ve ever written. A huge leap forward in my writing. I want to extend a sincere thank you to the good folks at Snubnose Press for taking a chance on me and to everyone who read it, offered notes, or agreed to blurb this sucker. It means a lot.
So, now I’ll tell you a bit about Pale Horses. I’ll tell you it sits in the gray area between the crime and horror genres. A quick synopsis is below, as well as some kind words other writers have had for the story and a link to a blog about why I wrote it in the first place (hint: it’s a pretty damn personal story). I hope you like what you see, and I hope you check out Pale Horses. You won’t be disappointed.
Most days, Sheriff Hal Kendrick can remember his wife’s name, but what frightens him are the days he can’t. When a local woman is found dead, naked and dumped on the banks of the Ohio River, Sheriff Kendrick is determined to solve the crime before Alzheimer’s disease destroys his ability to reason. No matter the cost, he will leave his county better than he found it, but murder is only the beginning, a spark that ignites a firestorm of violence, betrayal, and deceit.
Most mornings, former marine Korey Hunt can remember the previous night. Other times, he only remembers darkness. When a body is found on his family’s property, Korey wants to believe he’s incapable of murder. Deep down, however, killing is all he knows.
Death rides a Pale Horse, and no one in its path escapes unscathed.
Advance praise for Pale Horses
“Death rides a Pale Horse. Welcome to Folk County where Death’s ride is fueled by sex, meth, and corruption, and a cast of broken characters stagger through emotional darkness trying to find their way to something resembling normality. Fast paced, magnificently written, and memorable, Pale Horses recalls the best of Jim Thompson and Elmore Leonard while blazing its own trail. It’s small town noir that reads like a kick to the teeth, and even when you see the boot coming you can’t turn away.” – Lee Thomas, Bram Stoker Award and Lambda Literary Award-winning author of The German and Ash Street.
“Nate Southard’s Pale Horses is a fast-paced, smart, and nasty noir shocker, full of both heart and guts. And, his Hal Kendrick is a revelation. Achingly real and equally doomed, Sheriff Hal is someone you won’t be able to forget. I promise.” – Paul Tremblay, author The Little Sleep.
“Three damaged men. One mutilated corpse. A small Indiana town headed toward a homegrown apocalypse. Nate Southard’s Pale Horses is powerful and heartbreaking noir and not to be missed.” – Lynn Kostoff, author of Late Rain and A Choice of Nightmares.
“Nate Southard knows the secret to a great murder story: whodunnit doesn’t really matter. It’s about the characters, and Pale Horses is filled with memorable ones. You’ll care about these people.” – Sean Doolittle, author of Lake Country and Safer.
