I've been sitting here, staring at this blank field, trying to figure out what to say about this book.

And I keep coming back to a shockingly singular thought: I've failed this book. It's interesting, because I've never had that thought before. If I've not been able to finish a book, then it's always been the book that's failed me, not the other way around.

The author, Ed Kurtz, and I have some history. Ed published the second novella I wrote. In fact, he actually reached out to me and requested a story which, for an author with exactly one publishing credit to his name (under a very tiny micropress, at that), it was flattering as hell. We've also been sparring partners on Facebook, before I finally walked away from that hellish swamp of hate and twisted facts and opinions. I've also read many of his previous works, and was amazed at the growth I saw in him as a writer from [b:Bleed|34525911|Bleed|Ed Kurtz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1489157670s/34525911.jpg|55660163] to [b:Control|17858572|Control|Ed Kurtz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1367185565s/17858572.jpg|25000538] to [b:A Wind Of Knives|18106787|A Wind Of Knives|Ed Kurtz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1371768354s/18106787.jpg|25427529] (a story he has yet to top, in my opinion) to [b:The Forty-Two|22523130|The Forty-Two|Ed Kurtz|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1420795261s/22523130.jpg|41970923]. Each story showed much more craft, much more style. Kurtz was, still is, an author to watch.

Which makes the fact that I simply could not get through this book all the more disappointing. I got more than half, about 140 pages, but it took 12 days to do it, and I'm a guy that pounds through three books a week.

And I can't put my finger on exactly why. The writing is certainly engaging enough. Maybe it was the characters. Maybe it was the pacing. Maybe it was me (a theory that seems to bear out, considering the number of five-star ratings).

Jojo didn't pull me into his world like I needed him to. The central mystery--at least for the first half of the novel--of what exactly was going on with those midnight shows didn't engage me like I needed it to. I don't know.

I love Ed, I love his work. But this one? Sorry brother, I just failed this book.

The Rib from Which I Remake the World is one of those books which doesn't fit neatly into any category. Is it Noir? Horror? Psychological Thriller? Occult? The list could go on, but truthfully, what Ed Kurtz's latest is, is a heluva read.

People came and went from circuses all the time, running away to join and then running back home when things got rough.

From the beginning, what really stood out about this book was the prose with a strong sense of noir.

Then the lady came in—floated in, more like—right by the cashier's cage and straight to the beat up chair like she's been sitting in it all her life.

Litchfield, Arkansas. Not a lot going on there, but it is a place rich in characters. The hotel detective, the local sheriff and his deputy, the local preacher and his daughter, the movie house owner and his wife and it's there that this story really comes to life.

A Road Show comes to town with film to play at the Palace Theatre Motherhood Too Soon. It's scandalous, purporting to show an actual childbirth at the end of the motion picture.

Then there's a mysterious, invitation only, midnight show which accompanies the main feature This is where Kurtz's tale goes from being a crime story to something more. Before long it warps into something completely metaphysical and becomes an unrelenting nightmare for those still alive.

One of the members of the road show is torn apart in his hotel room. The one witness says it was more like his arms and legs tore themselves off.

I get the feeling I may have already said too much, but in some ways, I've merely scratched the surface of this wonderful book.

The final reveal was wonderfully inventive and totally original. All of your questions will be answered. I've never read anything like The Rib from Which I Remake the World.

This was a read I will not soon forget.

From ChiZine Publications, The Rib from Which I Remake the World is available in both paperback and e-book formats.

From the author's bio - Ed Kurtz is also the author of Nausea, Angel of the Abyss, The Forty-Two, and A Wind of Knives, as well as numerous short stories. Ed resides in Minnesota. ( )