by Bentley Little

Cemetery Dance, out now

A new bank opens its doors – and of course there are opening offers. But The First People’s Bank has plenty of ways to get business from the people of Montgomery…

Richard Chizmar at Cemetery Dance kindly sent me an ARC of one of Bentley Little’s earlier books, and it’s provided me with another author whose backlist I will be working through slowly but surely. Little’s latest novel brings his eye for the details of small town America to the fore – we get to know the people of Montgomery, Arizona, as the First People’s Bank opens its door in a less well-traversed part of town and then proceeds to act in a way which would give the vapours to the Governor of the Bank of England!

There’s a very sharp satirical side to this, along with some quite graphic horror moments – some of which aren’t necessarily gory but show the horrific side of human nature, and the ease with which some people can be caressed towards the darker side of life. There’s a certain feel of Stephen King’s Needful Things to it – but viewed through a corporate prism. Anyone who’s ever dealt with an uncaring bank (“Computer says no” to quote Little Britain) will empathise with the characters, particularly as the bank’s nature becomes ever clearer.

Verdict: A dark and gripping tale. If you’ve not read any Bentley Little before, this is a fine place to start. Just don’t get a mortgage to buy it… 8/10

Paul Simpson

Click here to order from Amazon.co.uk