What do you think?
Rate this book
Efficient and Divine: Honey Locust
Small-Town Murder and Mayhem
Mason Mackay is at peace with his lust, but this newfound sanguinity is a deadly thing. With the aid of a charming mentor, Mason's discovered a class of victim that can be targeted, hunted, and eliminated with ease. With a new love and a new taste for boozy treats, Mason is enjoying a life of sweet indulgence. He's made some mistakes, though, unwilling to cut all ties to his past. Mason's former love Natalie Martinez is on his case, whether she knows it or not. A collision is coming, one that might claim both lives. The second volume in the Efficient and Divine series is fast-paced, lean, and mean. A mystery thriller that promises both broken hearts and broken bones.
Mason Mackay is at peace with his lust, but this newfound sanguinity is a deadly thing. With the aid of a charming mentor, Mason's discovered a class of victim that can be targeted, hunted, and eliminated with ease. With a new love and a new taste for boozy treats, Mason is enjoying a life of sweet indulgence. He's made some mistakes, though, unwilling to cut all ties to his past. Mason's former love Natalie Martinez is on his case, whether she knows it or not. A collision is coming, one that might claim both lives. The second volume in the Efficient and Divine series is fast-paced, lean, and mean. A mystery thriller that promises both broken hearts and broken bones.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 5, 2023
2 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
April 22, 2024
A fascinating look at the workings of a mass murderer who finds an amenable accomplice and rationalizes behavior as a vigilante in order to satiate a compulsion to kill.
I am unfamiliar with the first book in this series, which may have offered more insights about the characters (e.g., recognizing existing and significance of connections between characters sooner), but starting this book felt no different than being dropped into a scene in the middle of the action--it just took a moment to orient myself. Author Kendall starts his story with the faintest hints to tether this book to the previous one (Efficient and Divine: Almost Heaven), connecting them with a few slender threads rather than a cumbersome 10-lane overpass. Throughout the book references are made to further tighten the stitching between the two stories, to the degree that it felt the first book was a nebulous extension of this one rather than a completely separate work.
The story's ostensible main character, Mason, is an interesting one. He's a protagonist in the most basic sense of the word, but without the redemptive connotations. Mason is by no means a good guy, nor is his business partner, Sebastian. The two run a high-priced human hunting program that sells itself as an opportunity for people to pay to do what the justice system cannot: remove purported criminals from society in the most definitive way possible.
The scheme is not a new idea, as paying to kill humans is a familiar egalitarian sport has appeared in other forms of entertainment media criticizing how loosely rules apply to the extremely wealthy, but these are usually events that remove the participants from their regular venue to some remote wilderness and the victims know they are being hunted as part of some dystopian game show or private event. Kendall has chosen to place these hunts in the very environment where the criminals live and broadened their appeal to citizens interested in taking the law into their own hands in the form of small, lightning raids on individual residences.
These activities are nested within the dubious auspices of reducing crime, but there are inevitably innocent bystanders, and this is where the police (well, one, who has an intimate past with Mason) involve themselves.
Kendall avoids opining on the morality of his main character's compulsions or the excuses used to indulge them, or to encourage them in others (though Mason does view them with a cynical and exploitative eye). For the most part he lays out the scene and allows the reader to make that decision. As an author, Kendall cleaves to the Gustave Flaubert recommendation that authors in their work be "present everywhere and visible nowhere."
In all the book is a compelling and unsettling look into the mind of an intellectual murderer who takes pleasure in killing rather than publicity, his victims, a situation that allows him to survive, and the few forces arrayed against him. I can recommend this book and, even without having read it, the precursor as well in order to get a fuller understanding of the larger, and ongoing, story.
I am unfamiliar with the first book in this series, which may have offered more insights about the characters (e.g., recognizing existing and significance of connections between characters sooner), but starting this book felt no different than being dropped into a scene in the middle of the action--it just took a moment to orient myself. Author Kendall starts his story with the faintest hints to tether this book to the previous one (Efficient and Divine: Almost Heaven), connecting them with a few slender threads rather than a cumbersome 10-lane overpass. Throughout the book references are made to further tighten the stitching between the two stories, to the degree that it felt the first book was a nebulous extension of this one rather than a completely separate work.
The story's ostensible main character, Mason, is an interesting one. He's a protagonist in the most basic sense of the word, but without the redemptive connotations. Mason is by no means a good guy, nor is his business partner, Sebastian. The two run a high-priced human hunting program that sells itself as an opportunity for people to pay to do what the justice system cannot: remove purported criminals from society in the most definitive way possible.
The scheme is not a new idea, as paying to kill humans is a familiar egalitarian sport has appeared in other forms of entertainment media criticizing how loosely rules apply to the extremely wealthy, but these are usually events that remove the participants from their regular venue to some remote wilderness and the victims know they are being hunted as part of some dystopian game show or private event. Kendall has chosen to place these hunts in the very environment where the criminals live and broadened their appeal to citizens interested in taking the law into their own hands in the form of small, lightning raids on individual residences.
These activities are nested within the dubious auspices of reducing crime, but there are inevitably innocent bystanders, and this is where the police (well, one, who has an intimate past with Mason) involve themselves.
Kendall avoids opining on the morality of his main character's compulsions or the excuses used to indulge them, or to encourage them in others (though Mason does view them with a cynical and exploitative eye). For the most part he lays out the scene and allows the reader to make that decision. As an author, Kendall cleaves to the Gustave Flaubert recommendation that authors in their work be "present everywhere and visible nowhere."
In all the book is a compelling and unsettling look into the mind of an intellectual murderer who takes pleasure in killing rather than publicity, his victims, a situation that allows him to survive, and the few forces arrayed against him. I can recommend this book and, even without having read it, the precursor as well in order to get a fuller understanding of the larger, and ongoing, story.
February 24, 2024
As soon as I read the first paragraph, I became hooked by the gripping writing style of new-to-me author Gene Kendall. This comprises the prose, the three-dimensional characters, the dialogue, and the way he turned the Honey Locust setting into a character of its own.
The gritty, very atmospheric tone of the story also impressed me. Author Kendall is a highly talented author with a knack for storytelling.
The gritty, very atmospheric tone of the story also impressed me. Author Kendall is a highly talented author with a knack for storytelling.
August 9, 2023
Mason Mackay is a very sick puppy who enjoys killing people. He slakes his lust killing 'bad guys' - as a vigilante killing criminals. Unfortunately for him, his ex-girlfriend, Natalie Martinez, happens to be a police officer. When a young boy just being drawn into the world of crime and who she had been trying to save from it, is shot she is determined to find out who killed him.
This is a fast-paced and gripping thriller in which I was rooting for Natalie throughout. I loved some of the side characters too like the jaded Fripp. The issue for me was that I felt zero sympathy for Mackay and wanted him to come to a bad end and I think a lot of the tension in the book actually depends on a reader giving a bit of a damn about him and I really couldn't. He's sick and nasty.
The writing style is classic Gene Kendall, edgy and rule-breaking, usually in a good way. I personally dislike inserting present-tense first-person sections in a third-person past-tense book, but that's where the literary leading edge seems to be today and I can't fault the taut execution of it.
It's a rollercoaster thriller and if you are someone who loves edgy noir, or enjoyed the TV series Dexter, this is going to be a book you will not want to miss.
This is a fast-paced and gripping thriller in which I was rooting for Natalie throughout. I loved some of the side characters too like the jaded Fripp. The issue for me was that I felt zero sympathy for Mackay and wanted him to come to a bad end and I think a lot of the tension in the book actually depends on a reader giving a bit of a damn about him and I really couldn't. He's sick and nasty.
The writing style is classic Gene Kendall, edgy and rule-breaking, usually in a good way. I personally dislike inserting present-tense first-person sections in a third-person past-tense book, but that's where the literary leading edge seems to be today and I can't fault the taut execution of it.
It's a rollercoaster thriller and if you are someone who loves edgy noir, or enjoyed the TV series Dexter, this is going to be a book you will not want to miss.
August 12, 2025
I never read the first book, but had no problem reading this one. I didn't feel as if I missed out, but looking at the reviews, I'm thinking I should consider going backwards and reading the first book just to see what is there.
If you like Nelson DeMille, or Lee Childs, you should check this author out. The story reads a bit like a detective story, but you get inside the minds and see the perspective of the "bad guys" even more than those on the side of good. The story is real. There is no clear line between what is right and what is wrong and sometimes the characters aren't even sure which side they are on. It doesn't take long to realize the author has knowledge of police/military procedure. Descriptions of firearms and the way characters hold them and manipulate them in the story are believable and add to the overall enjoyability of the book.
The characters in this story are morally gray. I know that term has become popular, but these people really are...like real-life people, nothing is black and white. It took about 40 chapters before I was even sure how all the characters were related and ended up in the same story. That added to the small-town feel while I was reading.....again, believable! Also, quite fun with a slightly malicious (or maybe kind?) ending.
If you like Nelson DeMille, or Lee Childs, you should check this author out. The story reads a bit like a detective story, but you get inside the minds and see the perspective of the "bad guys" even more than those on the side of good. The story is real. There is no clear line between what is right and what is wrong and sometimes the characters aren't even sure which side they are on. It doesn't take long to realize the author has knowledge of police/military procedure. Descriptions of firearms and the way characters hold them and manipulate them in the story are believable and add to the overall enjoyability of the book.
The characters in this story are morally gray. I know that term has become popular, but these people really are...like real-life people, nothing is black and white. It took about 40 chapters before I was even sure how all the characters were related and ended up in the same story. That added to the small-town feel while I was reading.....again, believable! Also, quite fun with a slightly malicious (or maybe kind?) ending.
August 9, 2023
EFFICIENT AND DIVINE's premise promises "broken hearts and broken bones" -- and it delivers both. In the heart of Honey Locust, Mississippi, we meet Mason, a wanted vigilante with flighty and foolhardy tendencies and a disquieting past who's seeking a cleaner future. He's flawed, all right -- and plenty interesting.
In fact, there's a well-rounded cast here of complex and nuanced characters (I especially liked Natalie, especially when she showed spunk and humor), which I really liked. What tripped me up was the head-hopping, as in Chapter 4, when we're whisked from 3rd to 1st person (and quickly back to 3rd) after already being introduced to a handful of main characters.
Though this is a sequel to another book I haven't yet read, this book could work as a stand-alone novel; it also ends with the potential of a third book to follow. With snappy dialogue, a quick pace, and good action sequences, it makes for a satisfying read -- overall, realistic and well-written.
In fact, there's a well-rounded cast here of complex and nuanced characters (I especially liked Natalie, especially when she showed spunk and humor), which I really liked. What tripped me up was the head-hopping, as in Chapter 4, when we're whisked from 3rd to 1st person (and quickly back to 3rd) after already being introduced to a handful of main characters.
Though this is a sequel to another book I haven't yet read, this book could work as a stand-alone novel; it also ends with the potential of a third book to follow. With snappy dialogue, a quick pace, and good action sequences, it makes for a satisfying read -- overall, realistic and well-written.
May 8, 2024
Gene Kendall does an excellent job of sucking me in to rooting for the bad guy and he’s done it again in Honey Locust. What I really enjoy is being let into the POV of the antagonist, understanding what’s going on in his head and why he does what he does makes for a really interesting story and character development.
I find I never know where the story is heading and I couldn’t even try to predict what would happen next. I especially enjoyed the ending and the little twist with Ryder.
All in all an enjoyable and unexpected story where I tended to like Mason so much more because he had decided to use his lusts and talents for a better? purpose, though I tend to be more on Natalie’s side about everything.
I also love all the pop culture references and sayings he uses throughout his books.
I’m just not in love with the narrator’s voice, I’ve discovered it’s probably the way he does women’s voices that really bothers me but despite that it was still very listenable.
I find I never know where the story is heading and I couldn’t even try to predict what would happen next. I especially enjoyed the ending and the little twist with Ryder.
All in all an enjoyable and unexpected story where I tended to like Mason so much more because he had decided to use his lusts and talents for a better? purpose, though I tend to be more on Natalie’s side about everything.
I also love all the pop culture references and sayings he uses throughout his books.
I’m just not in love with the narrator’s voice, I’ve discovered it’s probably the way he does women’s voices that really bothers me but despite that it was still very listenable.
August 2, 2023
Honey Locust is a sequel to the tale of Mason MacKay. Having read the first book quite recently, the plot flows without any hiccup for me as most details are still fresh in my mind.
I like this book better than the first one, although I still feel indifferent to the main characters. Imho, all the side characters have better developments, while the main character remains almost the same throughout this book. However, all characters are more consistent and feel more personal, well rounded with clear motivations and their own personal struggles.
The story intertwines and is slowly woven together. There are no dull moments, and the will to pick up the book again between reading remains high. Maybe because this is the second book, everything feels familiar since the beginning, or it is well-written and keeps up with the pace and revelation. The subplot and switching between characters' PoV work well and believable. Some are annoying with the purpose of exactly that, so they do the job. I wish to feel more attached to the main characters, but instead, side characters steal the show for me; unfortunately, they only exist as plot devices. Not so much a fan of some references, too, sometimes it disrupt the story, but overall, I enjoy this book. This is the third book I have read from this author, and this is my favorite out of three.
4 out of 5 dry Mormon's birthday party
I like this book better than the first one, although I still feel indifferent to the main characters. Imho, all the side characters have better developments, while the main character remains almost the same throughout this book. However, all characters are more consistent and feel more personal, well rounded with clear motivations and their own personal struggles.
The story intertwines and is slowly woven together. There are no dull moments, and the will to pick up the book again between reading remains high. Maybe because this is the second book, everything feels familiar since the beginning, or it is well-written and keeps up with the pace and revelation. The subplot and switching between characters' PoV work well and believable. Some are annoying with the purpose of exactly that, so they do the job. I wish to feel more attached to the main characters, but instead, side characters steal the show for me; unfortunately, they only exist as plot devices. Not so much a fan of some references, too, sometimes it disrupt the story, but overall, I enjoy this book. This is the third book I have read from this author, and this is my favorite out of three.
4 out of 5 dry Mormon's birthday party
May 16, 2023
Once again, I thought I had an idea of where this book was going to go and was sooo wrong, in a good way. From the ending of the last book, I expected this to pick up basically where it left off, but we were propelled a bit farther into the future.
Things have settled with Mason. He’s seemed to found a “path” and “purpose” that felt comfortable and some stability, despite still laying low and being wanted for multiple murders. Natalie has also lived through a few life speed bumps by the time we catch back up with her. She’d left the partner mentioned at the end of the last book and is now basically a live in caretaker for her aunt in a town called Honey Locust. Ironic Mason is in the same place. Mason gets taken in by a business mogul of the area, but they’ve got a dark secret. The hunt drug dealers. Things begin to unfold, why they hunt who they do, Mason’s new friends past, and how Natalie once again gets tied into all of this. Mason’s new love interest, the business man’s daughter, who, through her unnerving art, helps connect the characters.
This was a very different read from the first book. There was almost a fantasy element in Almost Heaven, and this is more of a straight shooter mystery/suspense story. I thoroughly appreciate the dialogue shifts as different characters narrate their chapters. They all have such different internal monologues directing how they go about their paths and navigating out of the messes they’ve caused. We’re given tidbits of clues to piece the story together, eventually just watching how it all plays out, but the suspense never seems to lessen. A recurring theme seems to be characters moral code, and how they all are challenged with what’s “right” and “wrong” and how far they’ll push those limits.
Things have settled with Mason. He’s seemed to found a “path” and “purpose” that felt comfortable and some stability, despite still laying low and being wanted for multiple murders. Natalie has also lived through a few life speed bumps by the time we catch back up with her. She’d left the partner mentioned at the end of the last book and is now basically a live in caretaker for her aunt in a town called Honey Locust. Ironic Mason is in the same place. Mason gets taken in by a business mogul of the area, but they’ve got a dark secret. The hunt drug dealers. Things begin to unfold, why they hunt who they do, Mason’s new friends past, and how Natalie once again gets tied into all of this. Mason’s new love interest, the business man’s daughter, who, through her unnerving art, helps connect the characters.
This was a very different read from the first book. There was almost a fantasy element in Almost Heaven, and this is more of a straight shooter mystery/suspense story. I thoroughly appreciate the dialogue shifts as different characters narrate their chapters. They all have such different internal monologues directing how they go about their paths and navigating out of the messes they’ve caused. We’re given tidbits of clues to piece the story together, eventually just watching how it all plays out, but the suspense never seems to lessen. A recurring theme seems to be characters moral code, and how they all are challenged with what’s “right” and “wrong” and how far they’ll push those limits.
July 19, 2023
'Honey Locust' is the second in Gene Kendall's 'Efficient and Devine' series. The story tracks MC Mason MacKay as he follows his ex-fiancé Natalie Martinez to Honey Locust. Trailing Natalie was a mistake for various reasons, but Mason finds a new life purpose in Honey Locust after meeting Sebastian Temple and his daughter Ryder. Sebastian learns of Mason's past and recruits him for his vigilante gang that hunts down and kills criminal thugs in the style of the television series Dexter. Mason relishes this new lifestyle and develops a forbidden relationship with Ryder. All goes well for the hunting party until Ryder and Mason get mixed up with Natalie, following some bad choices by the former two and Sebastian. Like in the prequel, Kendall's writing is smooth, the dialogue is edgy but crisp, and the plot is fast-paced for the book's second half. The book's first half, however, suffers from too many telly descriptions, which slow the tempo. Also, now that Mason's character arc has been entirely bent out of shape in Book 1, his new persona is flatter and less interesting. The reader has fewer reasons to care about Mason, except perhaps to hate his new lifestyle. His relationship with Ryder never really develops to the point that it captures our interest, and the first-person POV attributed to Ryder seems out of place, given her relatively minor role until later in the book. The plot picks up in the book's second half, and the story becomes a page-turner that is difficult to put down with non-stop action. Despite a slow start, Kendall has once again produced a powerful book that will draw the reader into the MC's dark personality that repeatedly attracts undesirable characters and lures thrilling scenarios.
October 19, 2023
Although the storyline was more captivating and had a better flow, the ending left much to be desired. Firstly the secondary characters did a much better job adding to the story and made the story more captivating. Natalie was back, which was great, but she made some questionable decisions near the end that felt out of character. That being said, her and her Victoria were a very important way to ground the story. Also the voices changed in style between characters. Which was a little odd at times, but it did give them a fuller voice. Mason was the same but his tug of war was much more diverting then the first book. The way he seemed to swing back and forth, not sure what he wanted, but realizing he couldn't have it all. Overall I'd say a better read than the first but the last few chapters really let me down. That being said, I would read more in this series.
Rating
3.5 (rounded down)
Expect violence, morally gray characters, heartbreak, and chaotic twists. The question is, will everyone survive this latest installment?
Rating
3.5 (rounded down)
Expect violence, morally gray characters, heartbreak, and chaotic twists. The question is, will everyone survive this latest installment?
August 2, 2023
Efficient and Divine: Honey Locust is a story about Mason, a man with a sordid past, and his ex, Natalie Martinez, a detective whose career was negatively affected by their relationship. This is book two of a series and I didn't read book one, but it didn't matter. Everything is described and I could jump right in.
Natalie, a goodhearted detective, signs up to mentor a young boy to keep him out of trouble, but the boy gets caught up in a drug ring. Natalie cares more about the young man than his mother and thinks she can save him without busting him. Unfortunately, things don't go so well for the boy and Natalie is determined to find out what happened. The problem is Mason, her ex, is a vigilante who is trying to rid the place of drug dealers.
This book is very well written and will definitely keep you turning the pages. I read it in two days! It was so good, I want to go back and read book one, even though I know how it ends. Highly recommended.
Natalie, a goodhearted detective, signs up to mentor a young boy to keep him out of trouble, but the boy gets caught up in a drug ring. Natalie cares more about the young man than his mother and thinks she can save him without busting him. Unfortunately, things don't go so well for the boy and Natalie is determined to find out what happened. The problem is Mason, her ex, is a vigilante who is trying to rid the place of drug dealers.
This book is very well written and will definitely keep you turning the pages. I read it in two days! It was so good, I want to go back and read book one, even though I know how it ends. Highly recommended.
December 17, 2024
This is the next book in the Efficient and Divine Series, and while this book wasn't necessarily anything extra, it is a pretty solid addition to its predecessor. Basically, Mason's story continues, as he goes around on his quest like Dexter from the TV show, doing what he thinks is right and cleansing some of the dirt from a nasty world of bad people. There is some interesting exploration with more activity from the female characters, and it is funny that Mason's ex-girlfriend is a cop, which adds a whole different angle and conflict here. As some readers have mentioned, it is somewhat difficult to sympathize with Mason at times, but I think most of us can understand at least a little bit of the desire to be a vigilante or control the levers of power or justice. This is different from my usual reads in some ways, but I think anyone who likes good writing, twists, and crime thrillers or Dexter will enjoy this.
September 7, 2025
A Gritty Thriller
I am unfamiliar with the first book in this series, which would have offered a deeper insight into the background and characters. However, once I became engaged, I found it worked well as a stand-alone. Mason Mackay hooks up with Sebastian and embarks on an underworld adventure, where he is introduced to a sport to satiate his pathological hunger for killing – human hunting. Because the victims are drug dealers, this time around, he can justify the killings, believing them to be a service to mankind.
Written with precision, grit and edge, this thriller takes some surprising twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing as to how it will all end. The characters are well-formed, and I was particularly impressed with the way that Kendall managed to portray Mason as so much more than a one-dimensional sociopath. There is a complexity to him, a man women can fall for, a man who is a killer, but has feelings, making it a thought-provoking read.
I am unfamiliar with the first book in this series, which would have offered a deeper insight into the background and characters. However, once I became engaged, I found it worked well as a stand-alone. Mason Mackay hooks up with Sebastian and embarks on an underworld adventure, where he is introduced to a sport to satiate his pathological hunger for killing – human hunting. Because the victims are drug dealers, this time around, he can justify the killings, believing them to be a service to mankind.
Written with precision, grit and edge, this thriller takes some surprising twists and turns, keeping the reader guessing as to how it will all end. The characters are well-formed, and I was particularly impressed with the way that Kendall managed to portray Mason as so much more than a one-dimensional sociopath. There is a complexity to him, a man women can fall for, a man who is a killer, but has feelings, making it a thought-provoking read.
February 16, 2025
Thrillers aren't my thing, but people who do like them will like this book. It is definitely full of twists and sudden surprises.
Most of the characters are unsympathetic--even morally ugly, though not in their surface behavior. The main character likes to kill people, and a lot of the plot is centered on his hobby/business of killing other reprehensible people. Things so not go as planned. The women who enter his life cause problems.
One, a female cop, is the closest thing to a moral center to the story.
Gene Kendall's books are always interesting reads. His characters are often weird--not stereotypes or cartoons, but just off-center enough to be interesting. His writing is deft, clear, and engaging, and his dialog authentic.
If you like thrillers, this unusual book might be just what you are looking for.
Most of the characters are unsympathetic--even morally ugly, though not in their surface behavior. The main character likes to kill people, and a lot of the plot is centered on his hobby/business of killing other reprehensible people. Things so not go as planned. The women who enter his life cause problems.
One, a female cop, is the closest thing to a moral center to the story.
Gene Kendall's books are always interesting reads. His characters are often weird--not stereotypes or cartoons, but just off-center enough to be interesting. His writing is deft, clear, and engaging, and his dialog authentic.
If you like thrillers, this unusual book might be just what you are looking for.
August 11, 2023
Mason Mackay is a wanted man who’s turned over a new leaf. His new job is a hired vigilante in Honey Locust, Mississippi. Now he only kills the bad guys. He loves the job but even more he loves the killing. And in his own way he still loves Natalie Martinez his ex-fiancée. The irony is that Natalie is a police officer and there is no hope of reconciliation. She’s assigned a new case. A young teen boy has been murdered. Natalie feels driven to bring the boy’s killer to justice. It seems it’s only a matter of time before Mason and Natlie’s paths will cross.
This is a rollercoaster thriller. The writing is edgy and sophisticated. The story is a little off-beat, in a good way if you like dark humor. But it’s not for the faint hearted.
This is a rollercoaster thriller. The writing is edgy and sophisticated. The story is a little off-beat, in a good way if you like dark humor. But it’s not for the faint hearted.
March 5, 2024
I haven’t read the first book in this series, but it didn’t matter. The story pulled me in immediately and held my attention throughout. I liked the short chapters, realistic dialogue, and fast pacing — the story moves forward with every chapter. The characters were multilayered, and although most of them were far from likeable, the author managed to make them human. I wanted to know more about the past relationship between the protagonist Mason Mackay and his former girlfriend, narcotics cop, Natalie (might have to buy the first book!) The various plot-lines built steadily, layer by layer, slowly weaving together towards the end.
My only criticism is that some of the descriptions of the females in the book felt a little cliched. Overall a slick, well-written and entertaining read!
My only criticism is that some of the descriptions of the females in the book felt a little cliched. Overall a slick, well-written and entertaining read!
April 3, 2024
It's been a long time since I've read a book in this genre, and this was a very good reintroduction to grittier contemporary fiction that I don't really reach for anymore. Though at time the prose feels overly wordy, it fits into the world it describes, it feels like a photograph with the contrast setting turned blindingly up (in a good way, to be clear). The dialogue flows well and the characters feel like real people. I was very quickly invested, and the investment stayed all the way through.
August 10, 2025
Efficient and Divine: Honey Locust delivers a dark, propulsive narrative that immerses you in its tense, morally gray world. Gene Kendall’s strength lies in atmospheric storytelling, lean pacing, and a stark embrace of ethical complexity. His characters are unsettling, flawed, yet undeniably captivating. While the ending may not land for everyone, the journey is gripping enough to make the return worthwhile.
June 13, 2023
MILD SPOILERS
Very cool work! I’m trying to sum up my feelings about the experience of reading this book, and an odd idea keeps coming to mind. Imagine you are with some friends in the woods. You’ve taken the engine out of an old car and placed it at the top of a mountain path. You put on a helmet, get in the car, and your friends give the car a push. That ride is what this terrific book felt like to me — only the book is safer for your bones. This is a wild, sun-lit noir. It’s the second book in a continuing series (maybe just a trilogy? IDK). I haven’t read the first novel in this series. I just came in cold. The main character almost does as well—he comes into town with no real plan, something compels him to stay (I won’t tell), and then the car goes down the hill, well, not literally. No car goes down the hill. The book starts rolling. Kendall seems to have done a lot of work behind the scenes—every junction point comes around from choices the characters make. The results are plausible but unexpected. The book is set up with very small chapters, and every collision point causes you to consider the upcoming trouble that will result—and it’s almost NEVER what you thought it might be. But with chapters so brief, you just want to gallop along and see where things go next. The book is a lot of fun - it’s dark fun - emotionally harsh fun - but great reading.
Here is something I hope Kendall knows he can brag about—even with chapters so brief, and a story structure so propulsive and economically achieved, he still manages to give the reader great character moments. He has a detective with a quirk about salty and sweet snacks, and its inclusion in the novel is like a master class for other writers. He has one character who he allows to break the whole structure of the book. The book is written in third person, but when the text is about this character, she speaks directly to the reader in first person. She’s emotionally detached from the world and interested in unvarnished truth. For her part, she attempts to deliver it. The book doesn’t suffer from this at all. Well, except for one scene. The character, Ryder, has to make her way across a parking lot. The scene would definitely be featured in a movie trailer, but there is no good way to have Ryder tell you about it while it is happening; it gets mentioned later, but it’s just another wild bit of business in a book that swings from one wild bit of business to another.
The book is so intense that one chapter that opened conventionally had me panic—I didn’t want a description of a locale or the weather; I wanted more of the STORY! IMMEDIATELY! (The next sentence got right back to story events, so I was able to relax.)
But even with a maverick level of intensity, Kendall still manages to offer riffs on art, parenthood, love, obligation, self-sustainability, self-delusion, wealth and poverty, loss, emotional scars, and more as well. The writing is very lean, but beautiful lines find their way to the surface throughout the work anyway. This one stopped me in my tracks — a police officer is standing at the side of a hospital bed, questioning a junkie who was on the scene of an illegal situation. Here’s the line.
“Officer Martinez,” she said as introduction, staking out the left side of the bed while Fripp took the right. Leon, with his electroshock hair and iguana eyes, looked as if he’d been left in the rain for a week. His eyes latched onto Natalie’s, searching as if she possessed some grand truths denied him.
That last line kills me.
Art sneaks into this book—in some cases overtly and deliberately (you’ll see)—and in cases like this, just from sheer talent. If you are a Neo-Noir fan—if you enjoyed Fargo, Hell or High Water, maybe even Dexter—don’t wait. Start checking out Kendall’s work now.
Very cool work! I’m trying to sum up my feelings about the experience of reading this book, and an odd idea keeps coming to mind. Imagine you are with some friends in the woods. You’ve taken the engine out of an old car and placed it at the top of a mountain path. You put on a helmet, get in the car, and your friends give the car a push. That ride is what this terrific book felt like to me — only the book is safer for your bones. This is a wild, sun-lit noir. It’s the second book in a continuing series (maybe just a trilogy? IDK). I haven’t read the first novel in this series. I just came in cold. The main character almost does as well—he comes into town with no real plan, something compels him to stay (I won’t tell), and then the car goes down the hill, well, not literally. No car goes down the hill. The book starts rolling. Kendall seems to have done a lot of work behind the scenes—every junction point comes around from choices the characters make. The results are plausible but unexpected. The book is set up with very small chapters, and every collision point causes you to consider the upcoming trouble that will result—and it’s almost NEVER what you thought it might be. But with chapters so brief, you just want to gallop along and see where things go next. The book is a lot of fun - it’s dark fun - emotionally harsh fun - but great reading.
Here is something I hope Kendall knows he can brag about—even with chapters so brief, and a story structure so propulsive and economically achieved, he still manages to give the reader great character moments. He has a detective with a quirk about salty and sweet snacks, and its inclusion in the novel is like a master class for other writers. He has one character who he allows to break the whole structure of the book. The book is written in third person, but when the text is about this character, she speaks directly to the reader in first person. She’s emotionally detached from the world and interested in unvarnished truth. For her part, she attempts to deliver it. The book doesn’t suffer from this at all. Well, except for one scene. The character, Ryder, has to make her way across a parking lot. The scene would definitely be featured in a movie trailer, but there is no good way to have Ryder tell you about it while it is happening; it gets mentioned later, but it’s just another wild bit of business in a book that swings from one wild bit of business to another.
The book is so intense that one chapter that opened conventionally had me panic—I didn’t want a description of a locale or the weather; I wanted more of the STORY! IMMEDIATELY! (The next sentence got right back to story events, so I was able to relax.)
But even with a maverick level of intensity, Kendall still manages to offer riffs on art, parenthood, love, obligation, self-sustainability, self-delusion, wealth and poverty, loss, emotional scars, and more as well. The writing is very lean, but beautiful lines find their way to the surface throughout the work anyway. This one stopped me in my tracks — a police officer is standing at the side of a hospital bed, questioning a junkie who was on the scene of an illegal situation. Here’s the line.
“Officer Martinez,” she said as introduction, staking out the left side of the bed while Fripp took the right. Leon, with his electroshock hair and iguana eyes, looked as if he’d been left in the rain for a week. His eyes latched onto Natalie’s, searching as if she possessed some grand truths denied him.
That last line kills me.
Art sneaks into this book—in some cases overtly and deliberately (you’ll see)—and in cases like this, just from sheer talent. If you are a Neo-Noir fan—if you enjoyed Fargo, Hell or High Water, maybe even Dexter—don’t wait. Start checking out Kendall’s work now.
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews