A big thank you to Sean Durreger, the narrator of the audiobook edition, for sending me a download in exchange for an honest review!
The Gordon Place by Issac Thorne opens with a disclaimer from the author assuring his readers that this novel is about the horrors of racism. It is not a racist novel. I’ll admit, this statement made me nervous from the get-go. If an author feels the need to include a disclaimer exposing the point of their novel outright so that readers won’t unfairly judge the book without finishing, it makes me weary of the author’s ability to make their point through storytelling alone. Fortunately, The Gordon Place didn’t really need this disclaimer to begin with. It should be obvious to anyone with comprehensive reading skills that this is an anti-prejudice book with the racist characters being uneducated with evil intensions and the main characters being a cop raised by an abusive, racist father, a black female reporter who has worked hard to overcome the racism of her small-town, and her gay cameraman who thankfully isn’t too much of a stereotype.
The story follows a man named Graham Gordon, who is the constable of Lost Hollow. It has been twenty years since Graham has been to his childhood home where he suffered much abuse by the hand of his father, but he decides to visit that home only to be trapped there by an evil presence. Enter Afia Afton, a reporter for the local news, and her cameraman. They are filming a Halloween segment for the Channel 6 news about the rumored hauntings of Lost Hollow, and their next stop is the Gordon place. What proceeds is a story of possession, grief, and finding justice for those who have been wronged.
The Gordon Place is a timely novel that explores, not so much the current political climate at large, but the current climate of small town living. There is no subtly here and the story can be a bit heavy handed, so please know that going in. This is primarily a story built around its message.
Some strong points: I enjoyed the characters, particularly the tragic Graham Gordon and Afia Afton. They were both fleshed out and easy to empathize with. I also enjoyed reading scenes with Patsy Blankenship, the town administrator. She’s this spunky southern bell with a lot of personality and charm, torn right out of the pages of a cozy mystery.
Unfortunately, I did find the story a bit predictable (except for two very clever twists), and it could also be slow and repetitive at times. Therefore, it took me a while to get through the audiobook. This is nothing against the narrator though. Sean Durreger has an infectious energy and an upbeat voice. He also likes to get into character, making the audiobook a fun listen overall. The only nitpick I have is that sometimes his upbeat energy can diffuse the tension in heavier scenes, but seeing that this is one of his early performances, I won’t hold it against him. His recent narration of The Brain Eaters was spot-on.
Overall, I’d recommend The Gordon Place to anyone looking for a timely read in these challenging times.