Hellhounds

Kenny, though still a boy, loved playing the Blues. Helping a couple of record execs, Kenny and his brother take the pair to the hospital to meet Blues Man Ernest Walker. While playing with Old Man Walker, Kenny changed. Becoming upset, Kenny fled, leading his brother on a chase across the state. Kenny’s brother found him at a speakeasy at the crossroads. Now possessed by the spirit of a dead blues man, Kenny’s soul is lost. His brother travels into the unknown, hoping the music of the living will bring Kenny back.

Hellhounds by David Sandner and Jacob Weisman is the follow-up to their first novella. This short, sweet, supernatural story touches on a few myths and legends surrounding blues music. Not being too long, Sandner and Weisman’s tale does not go too deep into the subject. It, however, focuses on the relationship between Kenny and his brother and of loss. Both authors being editors of fantasy collections is evident in their ability to paint a complete picture in a shorter format. Whether a run-down hospital or a dark smoky bar, the duo’s excellent descriptive style conveys hopelessness and despair. Hellhounds is a great book for those into the metaphysical side of the blues.