Rating: 3 1/2 stars

Geoff Conover is a high school English teacher. In his own words, he is an "unremarkable man." But, in the recent past, something has been discovered that changes his life. Over three decades ago, a boy of seventeen went on a massive killing spree. When Andy Leonard was done, 32 were dead, including most of his family, and 36 were wounded.

In an unexplainable act, he left his nephew, Joey Hamilton alive. Joey instantly becomes the most famous baby in the country until his adoption, when he is renamed Geoff by Mr. and Mrs. Conover.

Now, a short distance from Cedar Hill; where Andy snapped, another teenager goes on a killing spree. Shortly after, the police arrive at the Conover household in the middle of the night with a strange request. The shooter, Bruce Dyson, is conscious after his suicide attempt. He will only speak to Geoff. The police rush him to an awaiting helicopter, poised to fly him back to the town where he was born. The police need to learn whatever they can before his final breath. At the airport, a detective passes a cryptic message to Geoff -- "Hoopsticks" -- that puts a cold into him like nothing else can.

However, we never meet Bruce Dyson, or hear anything beyond this cryptic message that is partially explained throughout the book. The story moves from the airport to Geoff's classroom. Here, as part of the school's 'healing plan', he shares with his students all the information about the previous case, hoping to help them open up. The first person narrative brings us through the entire first spree and Geoff's first visit back to Cedar Hill. We learn about the bizarre nature of the town itself and get a glimpse at the many secrets hidden. As the locals say "This is Cedar Hill, weird shit happens here."

I admit, this book lost my interest quickly. Though not clearly marked, I believe it is part of a series of novels; there were many things not fully explained and many loose ends were left hanging. There is no doubt that the author can write, and write well; the characters are believable, easy to relate to and there are many great passages and prose throughout the book. However, there are also some places that are incredibly frustrating! For example, near the end of the book, there is a two-page section without paragraphs or periods. While I do understand the methodology of the technique making it seem dizzying, it is extremely irritating to read, and make sense of, especially after being interrupted. I was actually pulling my hair out while reading this book.

All in all, I felt like I was missing something throughout the book. Fans of the series will likely be pleased, but I highly recommend reading the other books before tackling Far Dark Fields.
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Dorchester Publishing
ISBN-10: 0-8439-6190-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-8439-6190-4
August 2009