By Matthew J. Barbour
coverJack Ketchum’s novel The Last of the Last is first and foremost a mystery novel. As Jack Ketchum gained notoriety for writing Off-season and The Girl Next Door, cover Often categorized as a horror novel. The novel does have horror elements, including gore and nonconsensual sex, but these are given far less detail than in Ketchum’s other works. cover It’s not about those things, it’s about the interactions between the characters.
The story follows a group of campers who are away on a weekend getaway. In the woods, they stumble upon a large patch of marijuana and decide to pick it themselves. Unbeknownst to them, the patch is guarded by a mentally unstable Vietnam veteran named Lee Moravian. Lee’s connection to reality has been lost for a while, but the thefts and gunfire drive his mind deeper into the war he’s been through and the nightmares he’s witnessed. He becomes a prisoner of his memory.
Lee decides that these invaders must be killed, but the question is how. They outnumber him and outgun him. At least one of the campers shows signs of military training. Lee will need all his superior skills to accomplish his mission. They are unaware of his presence, but how long can this last?
While the plot setup is somewhat predictable, the presentation is anything but typical. Both the campers and Madman Lee are distinct characters with smart behavior. Both have advantages that the other knows about. Lee is not a serial killer hungry for human flesh. He is a former soldier, albeit one with PTSD, armed only with a crossbow. The campers are not city folks who don’t love the outdoors. They are experienced woodsmen, physically fit, equipped with shotguns, axes, hatchets, etc… These characters all have their flaws, but equally, they are not cannon fodder to increase the kill count.
With this setup, the story is like a game of cat and mouse. As a horror novel, it fails. Lee Moravian is not a monster. He is a man who had to witness some pretty brutal acts. He escaped into the woods to escape from reality. However, escape is simply not possible. You sympathize more with the murderer than with his victims. Moreover, the plot keeps you guessing. It is not at all clear who will win in this situation, or even if there is a chance of winning.
If you like suspense novels, cover It’s a good choice. The story is direct and to the point. Is it Jack Ketchum’s best work? No, but it does tell a good story from a slightly odd perspective.
Order yours here.
score: 3/5
