The Thicket is the relatively straightforward story of 16 year old Jack seeking revenge on the men who killed his grandfather and kidnapped his sister. From the get-go, Lansdale doesn’t offer up any illusions as to the gravity of the trouble the sister is in. These are seriously bad dudes. Incapable of going after this gang of outlaws on his own, Jack looks to round up a posse of very unlikely heroes.

We have Shorty, a man who more than makes up for lack of stature with a sharp tongue and some non-traditional fighting methods. Eustace is an African-American bounty hunter and makes for quite an interesting odd couple with Shorty. Accompanying them on their journey is Hog, a large, well, Hog that Lansdale manages to inject personality into, making for one of my favorite characters. As we travel, we round out the cast with some more interesting characters, and even feel like part of the crew ourselves.

During my first Lansdale read, Cold in July, I remember turning the pages in disbelief at just how good he was at writing dialogue. Here in a relatively different setting, the dialogue sparks just as brightly. I’d even go so far as to say it makes the story. The slick and hilarious back and forth repartee, going on for pages without going stale, had me thinking of Joseph Heller’s Catch 22.

The Thicket is a page-turner in what I’m starting to see is that trademark Joe R. Lansdale style. It reminds the reader of True Grit, in that it deals with heavy topics and storylines with an appropriate amount of levity, in a way letting us know that even in the darkest of times, it’s okay to laugh.