Three Sixes and a Forked Tongue, or Cold Medicine and a Liar by James Tyler Toothman
ISBN: 979-8987763216, $19.95
Publisher: Millions of Colors
Three Sixes and a Forked Tongue by James Tyler Toothman is an ambitious horror novel that explores witchcraft, violence, and poverty in rural West Virginia in the early 1970s.
Toothman’s novel focuses on two teenage protagonists, 16-year old Joseph and 15-year old Priscilla, as they navigate their way into adulthood, around Priscilla’s abusive father and alcoholic mother, and a foray into dark powers brought on by Priscilla’s study of a book of witchcraft, given to her by a blind moonshiner who lives in the woods of West Virginia. The picturesque backdrop, the small-town charm, and the charmingly loyal friendship between Joseph and Priscila serve as a stark contrast to the ever-growing demonic forces unleashed by the book of witchcraft and Priscilla’s continued development as a powerful young witch.
Toothman touches on classism, racial issues, and the dirt underneath the surface of the idyllic while simultaneously exploring religion, power, and obsession. While some of the tropes Toothman includes in his novel are tired images of witches on brooms with black cats and potions in bathtubs, and cliches of West Virginia moonshiners living in hillsides, his linguistic talents keep the reader engaged and curious about what new devilry will come about from Priscilla and her Satanic book.
Betsy Lepchitz
@horror_momma_betsy
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