Mr. Hands
A silly title belies the maturity and power of Gary A. Braunbeck’s latest horror novel. Instantly, the MR. HANDS moniker brings to mind the five-fingered nemesis of Mr. Bill from those old, darkly comic SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE shorts. There’s nothing comic about this novel – but, boy, is it dark.
After a too-long prologue in which the framing story is set up – a mysterious guy in a bar tells the tale we read to the town sheriff and reverend – we’re introduced to Ronald James Williamson, aka never-captured serial killer Uncle Ronnie. Branded a “retard” by his unloving father, Ronnie discovered at a young age that he had a most peculiar gift: sensing and taking away the pain of children, simply by touching them. Of course, that touch can kill.
He first realizes this when when he feels the bloated belly of Lucy Thompson, pregnant from a one-night stand. He sees a bleak future for the fetus, and as an act of mercy, his touch forces her to miscarry.
This kind of thing continues as he gets older, willing away the lifeforce of kids who have it particularly rough, whether health- or abuse-related. It always saddens him and makes him cry, but their spirits thank him for his kindness.
Through an event I won’t reveal, his paths again cross with Lucy’s decades after their first accidental meeting. And in her own bizarre way, she carries on Ronnie’s work with the help of a possessed doll with a tiny head and giant claw hands. Only her targets are the adult assholes who hurt the kids, rather than the wounded.
Although I was not a fan of Braunbeck’s recent KEEPERS, the premise of MR. HANDS convinced me to try it out. Thankfully, this was a big improvement in my eyes, and his prose read stronger this time around. When an author has you sympathizing with a child killer, you know he’s doing something right. Clearly, it’s a grounded work of horror that bothers as it entertains.
Leisure also saw fit to include a bonus novella at the end, the Stoker Award-winning KISS OF THE MUDMAN. Not merely another Braunbeck work, it’s directly related to MR. HANDS, with several characters appearing. It has nowhere near the kick of the lengthier work, but those with a jones for classic rock sung by dead people will dig it the most. I love it when the throw the extras on, anyway. –Rod Lott
OTHER BOOKGASM REVIEWS OF THIS AUTHOR:
• KEEPERS by Gary A. Braunbeck
Little extras are always nice in a book. I love it when an author throws in a short story or even a bit of background on the world in which their adventure took place. Makes me feel like I’m more involved with the story and the characters.
Gal
Extras are awesome in books. In fact, they can be the factor that pushes me over the edge if I’m on the fence in deciding whether or not to buy it. More times than not, though, it’s the publisher to thank rather than the author. I think with DVD such a household thing, we can see the comparatively thinning book market relying more on extras to help move copies. Works for me!