Charlie Wesley escapes from a mental institution and the story follows life after escape. I enjoyed the book and the action and troubles that took place. Most of the story line was good and had me interested however the strange glowing hands and supernatural healing powers were never discussed or explained. That part of the story, although integrated in the story line, at times seemed out of place in the overall story. ( )

Heath Lowrance is a hell of a writer, and he proves it throughout his debut novel, The Bastard Hand. The book’s sprawling plot follows a young man, who we soon find out has escaped from a Washington mental hospital, as he joins up with a Baptist preacher he meets in Memphis and follows him to a small Mississippi town. Along the way, he hears the voice of his dead brother in his head, and gets into a lot of violent situations. Luckily, he discovers he has a strange ability to recover from gunshot wounds! The action is fast and furious, and the cast of characters is large, memorable, and well drawn. Lowrance writes highly descriptive prose, which can be a trap for a writer whose ability isn’t up to his imagination, but it isn’t a problem at all for Lowrance, who is definitely a writer to watch.

The book does have a few faults, such as trying to jam in a little too much plot, not all of which fits together with complete logic. This isn’t your pared-down 1950s Gold Medal paperback. It is more of an epic tale that leaves quite a few questions unanswered at the end. Nevertheless, the ending is very well done and the book ends on a high note. Not sure if Lowrance is setting up a sequel or not. It would be interesting to see where he could take the story from where it leaves off.

There isn’t really a good way to describe this book without giving too much away. I highly recommend it. Reading it is an immersive experience that will leave you very satisfied. ( )