David Bridges's Reviews > Pike

I really wanted to read something that satisfied my taste for dark, depressing, and captivating literature. Pike hit the spot on all three fronts. I have no complaints about the book at all. The story is written in short 1-3 page chapters that flow nicely. The dialog is pretty stripped down but these are the type of folk we are dealing with here, those that only say what they mean. Whitmer's pensive prose and desolate descriptions of Cincinnati and other parts of rural Ohio give the book a melancholic vibe that is unsettling yet comfortable.

Pike is a great character. When we meet Pike, he has just been informed that his estranged daughter is dead and he has a granddaughter named Wendy that has nowhere else to go. Pike has a violent and mysterious history that you learn more about as the book moves along. Pike is a complicated man and his desire to reconcile his history with his current situation is what makes the story move. Pike's daughter's body was discovered by a crooked killer cop named Derrick, who gets Pike's attention when he starts harassing Wendy. Pike decides to get to the bottom of everything for himself and the safety of his granddaughter.

I read Whitmer's more recent release Cry Father when it first came out and really enjoyed it which is why I picked up Pike. I liked both, but Pike is my favorite of the two books. I will definitely be checking out Whitmer's future work as well. If you like stripped-down noir that is equal parts family drama and vicious pop a cap in your ass violent then Pike if your book. Also, recommended to fans of Donald Ray Pollock or William Gay.