Customer Reviews

Michael McDowell's Blackwater V: The Fortune

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Since Amazon deleted my previous review of Blackwater V: The Fortune, I had to rewrite my review from scratch. Here it is:

The Caskey clan has now become the leading family of Perdido, millionaires many times over. Elinor's mysterious foreknowledge of the existence of oil on swampland held by the family is confirmed by geologists - another proof of her uncanny kinship with the watery world - and she and daughter Miriam lead the family into a period of unparalleled wealth.

Frances - Elinor's second and favored daughter, discovers to her alarm that she is pregnant. Though Elinor tries to reassure her about the strange differences that set them apart from the rest of the family, nothing can adequately prepare Frances for the horrors of the childbirth bed. As Elinor predicted, twins are born: one named Lilah, who will be greeted with joy by the rest of the family; the other, Nerita, Frances's "river daughter", whose existence must remain a secret from all and who will eventually lure her mother away.

Meanwhile, Sister Haskew, sister of Elinor's husband Oscar, wills herself into invalidism to prevent the return of her husband, Early. Queenie Strickland's long-lost son Malcolm, who had left town in disgrace many years before, is discovered in a small-town barbecue joint by Miriam and is dragged home to rejoin the family; and, in a horrifying resumption of a pattern of inexplicable deaths by drowning, the town of Perdido again loses one of its young to the river.

Michael McDowell's 'Blackwater' series is so far one of the best, and creepiest, horror stories I've ever read. You "live" the characters, become part of the clan, and feel the heat and humidity of backwoods Alabama. By now you feel the young family aging, and their past becomes mingled with your own. Only one more book in the series and I simply can't wait to see how it ends. Enjoy this 10 star series!

What a wonderful, belated, surprise this 6 part series is! Stephen King gives credit to Michael McDowell's Blackwater books for inspiring his series "The Green Mile". What a pity McDowell is deceased, and can no longer dazzle us with more delightfully written, creepy, books. Be sure to begin with "The Flood" as it is the first in the series.

I bought I-VI as used. I read the first 2 years ago, and was surprised to see there were more. I got them all again, this time as used. I,III,V, and VI were in great shape. As I remember the story was creepy and very memorable. That is why I want to read it again---all of it.