Book Review: Devils in the Confessional by Channing Cornwall

 

Devils in the Confessional is the third installment of the Western Sins trilogy written by Channing Cornwall, who happens to be my friend. In this, the final book in the western genre series, we meet up with Joseph Abernathy from the second book in the series Breathed out by God who is in a pickle in the freshly dug mining town of Opelance, Oregon in the late 1800s. The Coffin Killers, led by one mean smooth talkin' sumbitch by the name of Coffin Kain, have taken over the town in an effort to extort money from its citizens and its founder Benjamin Fink. In an effort to rid the town of these wretched curs Joseph Abernathy and three other men ride out one night to find the men he thinks can help, the saviors of Serenity Ridge, Isaac Teller, and Kemal Hajara from Breathed out by God as well. 

Isaac is still a God-fearing man who denounced violence after his harrowing adventures in the previous tale and Kemal isn't the fastest gun in the Northwest so they then turn to the two most dangerous hombres they know; none other than Cullen Travers and Sadie Warner, who bested the entire Faceless Ghosts gang in book one of the series Hell Came with Her. Joseph Abernathy brings these two groups together, along with Isaac's brother Jacob and a couple others from Opulence in an effort to bring peace back to the mining town where men and women are being held hostage by the Coffin Killers and the unwitting gold baron Benjamin Fink.

There is a bit of setting up before we get to the altercation that ensues by the end of the story but the setup is worth it for the background needed to understand the new characters and the new stakes involved. Everyone has something to gain and something to lose from their decisions and the lives of dozens of people hang in the balance. Isaac and Kemal want to go back to their wives and children at their cozy inn and look forward to a move up north where they can be free from the racism that plagues their culture. Cullen wants to feel useful again doing the only thing he knows how to do, killing and Sadie just wants to make sure Cullen doesn't die being the stubborn bastard she can't contain that he is. The people of Opulence want their share of the golden cow. Fink wants his riches. Coffin Kain wants his retirement money and to make a name as the baddest gunslinger. Will they get what they want or just what's coming for them? 

The author, Channing Cornwall, has crafted a compelling finale to the tale of the characters we fell in love with during the previous Western Sins books where the harsh realities of the lawless west are splattered against the walls of our minds' proverbial silver screen in great relief. This world is dark and cruel. Channing makes us hate the bad guys who are fucking horrible while making us love the good guys who are as noble as they come, even with their unrelenting flaws. While Devils in the Confessional has all the makings of a classic western tale it offers fresh struggles, suspenseful intrigue, and emotional depth. 

I highly recommend finishing off your western sin with a confession of your own! Let me try again: No preacher can save you from the western sins in this confessional! Or: Even God won't pardon these western sinners, no matter how much they confess. Fuckin' nailed it!

Get Channing's books here: Amazon.com

Read my Review of Hell Came with Her Here

Read my review of Breathed out by God Here

Read more book reviews at joesnotesblog.com! 

Book Review: Anathema by Channing Cornwall

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Channing Cornwall's latest novel is another example of his diverse style and ability to span genres. From westerns to fantasy and now to Anathema, Channing continues to push the boundaries of what his readers should expect. Anathema straddles the line between the genres of horror and noir mystery where the world of the spiritual and profane are explored while nestled in the unnerving arms of dysfunctional family dynamics. 

Anathema takes place in the small town of Neskowin, Oregon in the early 20th century. The Galloway siblings are all grown up and reunite at the family estate to bury their father, whose sudden death becomes increasingly suspicious. This all occurs years after the suicide of their mother, Anna, who spent the last years of her life painting depictions of the nearby island of Anathema. The island's inhabitants are a mysterious group of religious zealots that only come to shore to recruit new members and have lost most of the color in their skin, which is not the oddest thing about them. 

The Galloway siblings are accompanied by a Chinese woman named Song that is convinced that a higher power is guiding them to the island to discover and deal with the supernatural occurrences that are plaguing the nearby village of Neskowin and the Galloway parents more directly.  In their pursuit of the truth of their parents' deaths, the Galloway siblings struggle with each other, as their personalities and lifestyles clash, as well as with the forces that brought them all together. 

I enjoyed this book and I appreciate Channing's take on a genre that I don't normally take to. His writing is a breeze to read and the pacing doesn't allow for dull excesses or boring exposition. The journey builds toward a climactic standoff that is both horrific and satisfying. I would say more but I don't want to give anything away. The fun is in the discovery of the truth. I recommend this book to anyone that likes the intrigue of mysterious deaths, ghostly apparitions, and unearthly realms. 

Get the book on Amazon:

https://www.amazon.com/Anathema-Channing-H-Cornwall/dp/B08F6X4QFK

More reviews of Channing's other books:

https://jdgnotes541.blogspot.com/2016/12/book-review-hell-came-with-her-by.html

https://joesnotesblog.com/blog/book-review-the-world-carried-on-by-channing-cornwall

https://joesnotesblog.com/blog/book-review-breathed-out-by-god-by-channing-cornwall

Book Review: Breathed out By God by Channing Cornwall

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          All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.2 Timothy 3:16-17

Breathed out by God is Channing Cornwall's sixth novel and the second in a series following the book Hell Came With Her, whose characters show up in this entry but are not the main characters here. This new entry into the series shows a different side of the author. A side that is conflicted yet organized, and maybe, just a little preachy. 

The story is centered around Isaac Teller, an ex-preacher whose soul was shattered by a violent act, leaving his belief system naked and torn. In an effort to find God he embarks on a journey of self-discovery, all the while encountering increasingly difficult moral conundrums amid a cutthroat frontier Oregon landscape. Cora Reid is a reformed whore who hopes that Isaac might be the shepherd she needs to stay off her back and accompanies Isaac into the wild. They form an unlikely bond that borders on the romantic with Cora's playful banter creating a tension that tests Isaac's more puritanical ideals.   

Channing's uncompromising portrayal of a barbaric 19th century can be shocking at times as he does not shy away from taboo words and language. This just adds to the significance of the story as the author takes you into a world many would step on eggshells to navigate but he seems to find solid ground easily enough. The tale is so full of thoughtful moral challenges that heavy topics seem to be the order of the day and Channing rides waves of uncertainty deftly. Moral juxtapositions shift up and down on a see-saw of Western-style travel adventures consistently creating suspense, intrigue, and momentum. Where Hell Came With Her is about the unwavering drive for revenge, Breathed out by God is what happens when you slow down and start to question the world around you.

Breathed out by God delivers a moral rollercoaster with stints of steadfast resolve that offer a brief reprieve and I really enjoyed the ride. There is a bigger point to this book than that of a simple western with its duels and violence. Beliefs have the power to cripple the mind and bolster the heart.  But no matter how hard you try we learn that change is inevitable.

Channing is a friend of mine and I am very fond of his work. I can't wait for the next one.


Read my other reviews of Channing's books:

Hell Came With Her

The World Carried On

Book Review: The World Carried On by Channing Cornwall

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"The world is ending. Ending just the way we all feared it would. Not from disease, or global warming, but fire falling from the sky."

-The World Carried On

The World Carried On is an epic tale written by Channing Cornwall. In this novel, his most ambitious to date, he intricately weaves a story that is captivating from the first paragraph. Channing breaks the mold with The World Carried On by giving the reader multiple perspectives to unwind the mysteries and adventures that await. With each chapter, we bounce around the primitive post-apocalyptic environment learning about its inhabitants and interconnections. By seeing things from every angle we get a better understanding of the motivations of all the characters showcasing the ambiguous nature of human conflict. 

While the main characters are the twins Malin and Marek they are not the main focus. We root for them because they are the most innocent, brave and moral but by contrasting their innocence with the imperfections of the supporting characters we see humanity as it truly is, flawed. As we learn about what drives the conflicts between characters in the world we also get a glimpse into how the world ended up the way it is now, which is a world reborn from the ingenuity of humans but only made necessary by the cruelty of humans. 

This story does not have a clear good vs evil motif but instead paints a bipolar dichotomy of human nature as one marred by internal conflict, confusion, and motivated by survival. Throughout the book, each character is fully realized and vividly depicted giving depth and life to everything that happens. By revealing each side of the equation we are not allowed to easily cast aside any individual or group as simply evil but rather we see into the justifications that are generated when one is forced to decide whether to fight, run or submit. 

Nothing is wasted in the lines of this book. Channing's writing is both poetic and concise, which is a very difficult balance in such a long novel but there was no time where I wanted to skip a section or felt that it was meandering aimlessly. The story is full of intrigue and mystery as with each new piece of knowledge I learned I was left with more questions. Nearly every chapter left me wanting to know more and excited about what might happen next. The pacing is wonderful and builds subtly toward the climactic ending beautifully. Even while there is so much going on it never feels needlessly complicated or bewildering but instead, Channing guides you ever deeper into the rich world until soon you find yourself drenched in intrigue and adventure. 

Channing just gets better with each publication and I am genuinely impressed with The World Carried On. I  recommend it to anyone interested in a deep story that is both sophisticated and fun. 

Interested in reading it? Click here to get it from my affiliate link and thanks in advance!