VIGILANT

by Will Bowron ‧ RELEASE DATE: May 31, 2022

In this debut novel, a TV reporter looks into a well-known vigilante who inspired a city.

West Hamington’s citizens may be rooting for all those masked and costumed vigilantes: They’ve got people thinking twice about committing any sort of crime, and there are even rumors that local cops have been funding these amateur law enforcers. But Taylor Gardner sees the downside, having lost his young fiancee, Alice, in vigilante crossfire. Now, he has the chance to talk to Timothy Hudson, the city’s original and now retired (and identified) vigilante. Taylor’s boss at Action News 3 OKs his interview at Hudson’s “majestic mansion,” where the battle-scarred crime fighter, who relies on a wheelchair, has become a recluse. He’s not exactly cooperative, as he doesn’t allow a camera in his house, and Taylor suspects that Hudson sprinkles lies throughout his stories. Though as a child he looked up to Hudson, Taylor blames the ex-vigilante for Alice’s death. But he soon sees the merit in all the things Hudson has done when the reporter himself is a victim of crime. Meanwhile, Sam DeWitt, a former heroin dealer who was “always using his own supply,” now lives on West Hamington’s streets. It seems that he’s on his way to becoming a full-blown villain, as his constant need for money ignites a string of increasingly violent crimes. Things look even grimmer once he gets his hands on a gun, which he’s ready to point at any vigilante standing in his path.

In this engrossing series opener, Bowron deconstructs the superhero origin story, as Hudson shares similarities with Batman, who’s also a vigilante. Taylor even hungers for a “catalyst” behind Hudson’s secret identity journey. This tale shows the valor of crime fighting getting lost when an innocent bystander like Alice dies. All of the city’s vigilantes put themselves and others in danger when they roam the streets without adequate training. Perhaps unsurprisingly, action scenes are nominal, as the story skillfully zeroes in on characters, motives, and consequences. It’s likewise straight-faced despite a handful of silly vigilante names, such as Killa Fist, the yellow raincoat–donning Big Bus, and Church, supposedly a former nun who fights crime in a habit. As the narrative progresses, it’s clear Hudson has an agenda beyond his recorded biography, one that most readers will guess. He’s otherwise a curious enigma; Hudson combatted criminals with a baseball cap concealing his face, and he still keeps his head down, figuratively, with his apparent evasiveness during Taylor’s interview. But there are plenty of other characters headlining their own chapters. Sam is particularly memorable; his brutality zaps readers’ potential sympathy and may stem from something deep within his psyche, not from his circumstances or environment. There’s also a striking character who joins the others as a vigilante as well as a couple of police officers who are less than squeaky clean. The ending foregoes resolution in favor of leaving subplots open for the sequel. This is quite effective; all of the characters—bad and good—have drastically new directions awaiting them.

An absorbing crime tale fused with an intriguing take on superhero origins.

Pub Date: May 31, 2022

ISBN: 979-8985482300

Page Count: 346

Publisher: Self

Review Posted Online: Oct. 20, 2022

Review Program: Kirkus Indie

Categories:

THRILLER | CRIME & LEGAL THRILLER | GENERAL THRILLER & SUSPENSE