Hell at the Breech

By: Tom Franklin

Narrated by: Larry Pine

In 1897, an aspiring politician is mysteriously murdered in the rural area of Alabama known as Mitcham Beat. His outraged friends - mostly poor cotton farmers - form a secret society, Hell-at-the-Breech, to punish the townspeople they believe responsible. The hooded members wage a bloody year-long campaign of terror that culminates in a massacre where the innocent suffer alongside the guilty. Caught in the maelstrom of the Mitcham war are four people: the aging sheriff sympathetic to both sides; the widowed midwife who delivered nearly every member of Hell-at-the-Breech; a ruthless detective who wages his own war against the gang; and a young store clerk who harbors a terrible secret.

Based on incidents that occurred a few miles from the author's childhood home, Hell at the Breech chronicles the events of dark days that led the people involved to discover their capacity for good, evil, or for both.

©2008 Sandi Ault (P)2008 Recorded Books, LLC

Rawness of the reality

It was a great depiction of life in that place at that time but those alive today who are familiar with this area of Clarke County can draw easily from the realism. Very near Southern Grotesque in style. A great read or the audio is awesome!

I would classify as an epic

The narration was stellar. Story was authentic and tragic. I’ll be looking for more from this author

Pull up them breeches, son

This novel transports you to the turn of the 20th century (late 1890s) in backwoods lower Alabama in a story of a small-time alcoholic sheriff, a borderline psychopath vigilante, a recently-rich redneck with daddy issues on an ego trip and a class conflict involving a gang of country rubes who don't care for them cityfolk from Grove Hill.

All started by a teenage boy who fancied a bite of the forbidden fruit and, as a consequence, made a mistake with such far-reaching, dreadful consequences.

It's really good but it never grabbed hold of me.

Interest holder !!!!

Really great southern book that held my interest through the entire story. Narration was as good as I’ve ever experienced…. Thanks

The whore.

I love this kind of country noir.
Killing and whisky and double crossing between illiterate hillbillies!
5 stars!

Told in a terrific Southern style

Great story connecting with the attitudes and emotions of the two size of a local war between classes and a sherif in the middle. Amazing character building and terrific story telling.

Well written, but violent

There is a tremendous amount of killing of people and animals in this book, but it is well crafted and skillfully worded.