Incident at Twenty Mile

That wrote Shibumi and Eiger? Impossible, pass on this.

Trevanian, that one-named author that dazzled us with The Eiger Sanction and Shibumi, has returned from a fifteen year hiatus with a powerful novel set in the American West. One can hardly call this a typical western, however. The protagonist is a youth with a lying tongue and a secret past. The villain is a psychotic serial killer with megalomaniacal tendencies. Neither plays with a full deck, and as both wander into the long decayed town of Twenty- Mile, you know it's not big enough for the both of them. Every townsman is warped in some way, or they would have left long before, and the air of menace in Trevanian's writing foreshadows the violence that finally explodes, leaving nobody unscathed. The ending is almost Shake- spearian in its slaughter. Yet, that eternal trickster, the writer who hides behind the moniker, Trevanian, still has a few tricks up his sleeve. Don't miss the epilogue to this story. A real page turner, deserving a pot of coffee, an all-nighter, and a call-in sick the next morning. What more do you want?

On holiday in America I came across Trevanian's newest novel-this time a Western, of all things!-and I was delighted. Like several of my colleagues, I use Trevanian's books when trying to illustrate the concept of `style to classes in literary criticism, for there is no other writer capable of changing style, point of view, and even the experiential persona of the writer as he moves from one genre to another. Incident at Twenty-Mile is a mature example of his unique ability to wrap philosophical and social comment within the cloak of a popular genre, while always offering fast-moving action, fascinating characters, wit and humor, and brilliantly conceived and described settings, making his comments on contemporary America not only palatable, but delicious. Glancing through the readers comments I found a typical response to Trevanian's work: a majority of five-star praises diluted by a handful of angry, vitriolic criticisms, some from the culturally unsophisticated who don't `get' what Trevanian is up to but sense that they are not included in his elitist readership, and some from those sub-cultural elements of the American ragout he attacks and ridicules in his books. His principal targets in Incident at Twenty-Mile were anti-intellectual Fundamentalists and the xenophobic, sexually morbid madmen of the `Militia' movements, both of whom struck back from the cover of anonymity by giving low ratings to this book. Among the many benefits of the internet is the unfortunate disadvantage that it provides cover for the enraged, the stupid, the frustrated of this world.

I've been looking for anything by Trevanian for years....ever since the Summer of Katya and suddenly, unbeknownst to most of us, I suspect, this shows up in the bookstore...no fanfare on the net or in the papers..nothing!! Well most avid readers are missing a treat here, the best kept literary secret in town, a bizarro western. This is Hannibal Lecter at the Ponderosa Ranch..I found it interesting that the sadistic killer was named Leider(Lecter-Leider, get it??)The story moves very quickly, yet not at the expense of thorough character development...and there are plenty of characters to keep track of...the tension and horror which arises in this poor town when Leider arrives is so thick you can cut it with a knife and the pages fly by as the carnage worsens. The climax occurs in somewhat of a contrived wicked storm (which I could have done without), afterwhich the story ends abruptly, only to be salvaged to a small degree by Trevanian's postscript of the final travails of each of our main characters, supposedly rooted in some degree of reality..go figure. All in all a superior, rapid read, very satisfying and thought provoking days after you've finished.

As a long-time Trevanian fan I felt this book to be as satisfying as any of his other works but with a much simpler story line. Don't let the western theme of the story discourage you from reading the book--I have no interest in novels of the old west yet this turned out to be one of the most satisfying, impactful books I have ever read. The story is simple, direct and fleshed as only Trevanian's--in his own word, "sesquipedalian" style--can. Particular attention to the epilogue and prologue is important to reap the rewards of this novel. It will be unlike any book you have ever read. As one flies through the pages the story itself holds your interest keenly but actually climaxes in the extremely satisfying epilogue. As is mentioned in other reviews, I too experienced a chill of satisfaction upon reading the final paragraph. This is a book that will stay with you for months after the reading. HINT: especially satisfying for those having an interest in the colorful history of Seattle, WA (although the story takes place in Wyoming).

It never occured to me that I might be blessed with another book by Trevanian. Wow, was I happy when I spotted it in a bookstore. And it is new, not an older book. I am half-way through it, wish I could read slower. This author knows how to please a reader. No cookie cutter fill in the blanks here! My hat is off to Trevanian. He is on the short list of people I would really like to have a cup of coffee with.