The Door that Faced West - Softcover

Clark, Alan M

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0998846678 ISBN 13: 9780998846675

Publisher: IFD Publishing, 2017

Synopsis

The story in The Door that Faced West is a little known piece of history that takes place in the American South as the 18th century ends and the 19th century begins. At the time, the western frontier still occupied territory east of the Mississippi. The novel is based on actual events involving the early American serial killers, the Harpe brothers, Wiley and Micajah. The Harpes are often considered America's first serial killers. They were land pirates who prowled the wilderness of Tennessee and Kentucky looking for victims.

Although a character-driven fiction novel, it is also something of a true crime book. The story is an Early Western, distinguish from traditional westerns by the technology of the period. At the time, firearms were single shot weapons and hand-to-hand combat was much more common.

The story unfolding from the point of view of the brothers' third wife, Sadie Rice, the 16 year old daughter of a minister, it provides some education about the limitations of women's rights of the time. As Sadie endures life on the trail in their company, she benefits from the Harpes' ability to defend their own with extreme violence. The deeper into the savage wilderness they travel, the more dependent upon the brothers she becomes. Too late, she realizes that their capacity for violence is, in truth, a ravenous hunger.

The novel has numerous illustrations.

About this title

About the Author:

Alan M. Clark, fine arts painter, illustrator, and author hails from Tennessee, where he grew up in a house full of human bones and old medical books. At present, he lives in Eugene, Oregon with his wife, Melody. In his 33 year freelance career, he has created illustrations for hundreds of books, including works of fiction of various genres, nonfiction, textbooks, young adult fiction, and children's books. He is the author of 17 books, including eleven novels, a lavishly illustrated novella, four collections of fiction, and a nonfiction full-color book of his artwork. The World Fantasy Award and four Chesley Awards are among the honors he's received for his work. Mr. Clark's company, IFD Publishing, has released 39 books, including hardcovers, paperbacks, ebooks, and audio books. IFD Publishing's authors include F. Paul Wilson, Elizabeth Engstrom, and Jeremy Robert Johnson. www.alanmclark.com

Review:

"It is not hyperbole to say that Alan M. Clark's The Door that Faced West left me absolutely stunned. A thoughtfully haunting blend of historical fiction and thriller, this is one of Clark's best works to date, across any medium. Simply amazing, and undoubtedly one of the best books you'll read this year.”

—Brian Keene, bestselling author of The Rising and Ghoul

“The Door That Faced West opened, and I was fast on the trail with savage murderers, the Harpe Brothers. In the Post-Revolutionary War Era, they were infamous marauders attacking and killing travelers between towns on their way to “The Wilderness” – The West. Through the eyes of the downtrodden women who followed them willingly to escape the abuse from their fathers, Alan M. Clark tells a powerful tale of choosing the lesser of two evils and does it to perfection.”

—Rena Mason, author of The Evolutionist and East End Girls

About this edition

• Publisher: IFD Publishing
• Publication date: 2017
• ISBN 10: 0998846678
• ISBN 13: 9780998846675
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 192
• Illustrator: Clark Alan M