As always, Floyd Betts rides into town alone. He arrives for his father’s funeral, but he is returning to Galveston, Texas, with two orphaned siblings he has rescued. Nellie, who is descended from a long line of witches, has visions from other people’s minds. Hank, her impulsive younger brother, just wants to break out his outsized revolver.
Along the way home, Floyd, Nellie, and Hank encounter a dubious traveling salesman, Professor Finn, and his henchman, Kentucky Jim. They are struggling to capture a fish-man in order to put him on cruel display. When Nellie taps into the peril of the gentle Charlie Fish, Floyd’s makeshift family expands to include the lost, two-legged amphibian.
With the circus charlatans in pursuit, ominous winds are picking up from an impending hurricane. Meanwhile, all Charlie Fish wants is to return to his home at sea.
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I laid awake in the dark, listening to ghosts.
– PROLOGUE, 1932
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(Tachyon Publications, 25 July 2023, e-book, 192 pages, ARC from the publisher via NetGalley)
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I thoroughly enjoyed The Legend of Charlie Fish. It’s well-written and hugely entertaining. I really enjoyed the mesh of western and fantasy. This works well. Each chapter is told from the viewpoint of different characters who get caught up in the quest to stop Finn and save Charlie. This is a very short book and I enjoyed it so much I never wanted it to end. I’d have loved another 200 pages. This is a well-written, entertaining, and hugely original book. I thought it was great.
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