Jacob Hinkson
Find Him (2022)
by Jacob Hinkson
A stubborn teenager and her estranged uncle descend into the Arkansas underworld to track down her missing fianc茅, in a riveting literary noir perfect for fans of Daniel Woodrell and "Mare of Easttown". Up until now, 18-year-old Lily Stevens has always been the perfect daughter of a Pentecostal preacher, but her insular Arkansas congregation is scandalized when Lily announces she鈥檚 pregnant with the baby of Peter Cutchin, a young man in the church. When Peter disappears before they can get married, Lily鈥檚 life is thrown into even greater turmoil. Everyone in their small town, including Peter鈥檚 furious mother, thinks the boy has simply run off and abandoned her, but Lily, furiously headstrong and determined to find the father of her child, refuses to believe it. Help comes in the unlikely form of Allan Woodson, an uncle that her family will not acknowledge but a man who may know where to begin looking for Peter. Their search will lead them out of Lily鈥檚 safe world of the church and into the darkest corners of the criminal underworld on the Arkansas/Tennessee border, where neither Allan nor Lily can foresee the unsettling secrets they will uncover.
Dry County (2019)
A dark vision of American religion and politics, Dry County is a portrait of a man willing to do anything to hold on to his power鈥攊ncluding murder.
Richard Weatherford is a successful small-town preacher in the Arkansas Ozarks. He鈥檚 a proud husband and father of five, and has worked hard to grow his loyal flock with strong sermons and smart community outreach. But while Weatherford is a man of influence and power鈥攊ncluding a big force in local politics鈥攈e鈥檚 also a man with secrets.
In the lead up to the 2016 presidential election, Weatherford鈥檚 world is threatened when he鈥檚 blackmailed by a former lover. Collecting the money the blackmailer demands will be a nearly impossible feat, especially over Easter weekend, when all eyes are on him. So Weatherford will have to turn to the darkest corners of their small town in a desperate attempt to keep his world from falling apart.
Exploring a divided country and a cracked fa莽ade through the alternating perspectives of Weatherford, his wife, his lover, and other town residents, Dry County is a powerful story about how far some will go to keep hold of all they know鈥攁nd all that others think them to be.
Richard Weatherford is a successful small-town preacher in the Arkansas Ozarks. He鈥檚 a proud husband and father of five, and has worked hard to grow his loyal flock with strong sermons and smart community outreach. But while Weatherford is a man of influence and power鈥攊ncluding a big force in local politics鈥攈e鈥檚 also a man with secrets.
In the lead up to the 2016 presidential election, Weatherford鈥檚 world is threatened when he鈥檚 blackmailed by a former lover. Collecting the money the blackmailer demands will be a nearly impossible feat, especially over Easter weekend, when all eyes are on him. So Weatherford will have to turn to the darkest corners of their small town in a desperate attempt to keep his world from falling apart.
Exploring a divided country and a cracked fa莽ade through the alternating perspectives of Weatherford, his wife, his lover, and other town residents, Dry County is a powerful story about how far some will go to keep hold of all they know鈥攁nd all that others think them to be.
No Tomorrow (2015)
It's 1947, and Billie Dixon has just talked herself into a new job. As the distribution agent for Hollywood's shoddiest movie studio, she travels to rural Arkansas peddling B-grade Westerns to poor theaters. When she meets Amberly Henshaw, the unhappy wife of a preacher on a crusade against the evils of motion pictures, she senses an immediate attraction. Billie knows it's crazy to get involved with Amberly, but she tells herself it will just be a quick fling. Once Amberly's fanatical husband finds out about their affair, however, Billie Dixon finds herself in a spiral of betrayal and murder...
The Blind Alley: Exploring Film Noir's Forgotten Corners (2015)
鈥淣ewcomers to noir and connoisseurs alike can both revel in Jake Hinkson鈥檚 riffs on the subject. He brings to the films a wealth of insight, valuable context, and鈥攎ost vitally鈥攔eal passion and a sense of fun. It was a privilege to publish many of these pieces the first time around, and it鈥檚 a pleasure to read them again in this smart and savvy collection.鈥� 鈥� Eddie Muller, author of Dark City and president of the Film Noir Foundation
Find Him (2022)
by Jacob Hinkson
A stubborn teenager and her estranged uncle descend into the Arkansas underworld to track down her missing fianc茅, in a riveting literary noir perfect for fans of Daniel Woodrell and "Mare of Easttown". Up until now, 18-year-old Lily Stevens has always been the perfect daughter of a Pentecostal preacher, but her insular Arkansas congregation is scandalized when Lily announces she鈥檚 pregnant with the baby of Peter Cutchin, a young man in the church. When Peter disappears before they can get married, Lily鈥檚 life is thrown into even greater turmoil. Everyone in their small town, including Peter鈥檚 furious mother, thinks the boy has simply run off and abandoned her, but Lily, furiously headstrong and determined to find the father of her child, refuses to believe it. Help comes in the unlikely form of Allan Woodson, an uncle that her family will not acknowledge but a man who may know where to begin looking for Peter. Their search will lead them out of Lily鈥檚 safe world of the church and into the darkest corners of the criminal underworld on the Arkansas/Tennessee border, where neither Allan nor Lily can foresee the unsettling secrets they will uncover.
Dry County (2019)
A dark vision of American religion and politics, Dry County is a portrait of a man willing to do anything to hold on to his power鈥攊ncluding murder.
Richard Weatherford is a successful small-town preacher in the Arkansas Ozarks. He鈥檚 a proud husband and father of five, and has worked hard to grow his loyal flock with strong sermons and smart community outreach. But while Weatherford is a man of influence and power鈥攊ncluding a big force in local politics鈥攈e鈥檚 also a man with secrets.
In the lead up to the 2016 presidential election, Weatherford鈥檚 world is threatened when he鈥檚 blackmailed by a former lover. Collecting the money the blackmailer demands will be a nearly impossible feat, especially over Easter weekend, when all eyes are on him. So Weatherford will have to turn to the darkest corners of their small town in a desperate attempt to keep his world from falling apart.
Exploring a divided country and a cracked fa莽ade through the alternating perspectives of Weatherford, his wife, his lover, and other town residents, Dry County is a powerful story about how far some will go to keep hold of all they know鈥攁nd all that others think them to be.
Richard Weatherford is a successful small-town preacher in the Arkansas Ozarks. He鈥檚 a proud husband and father of five, and has worked hard to grow his loyal flock with strong sermons and smart community outreach. But while Weatherford is a man of influence and power鈥攊ncluding a big force in local politics鈥攈e鈥檚 also a man with secrets.
In the lead up to the 2016 presidential election, Weatherford鈥檚 world is threatened when he鈥檚 blackmailed by a former lover. Collecting the money the blackmailer demands will be a nearly impossible feat, especially over Easter weekend, when all eyes are on him. So Weatherford will have to turn to the darkest corners of their small town in a desperate attempt to keep his world from falling apart.
Exploring a divided country and a cracked fa莽ade through the alternating perspectives of Weatherford, his wife, his lover, and other town residents, Dry County is a powerful story about how far some will go to keep hold of all they know鈥攁nd all that others think them to be.
No Tomorrow (2015)
It's 1947, and Billie Dixon has just talked herself into a new job. As the distribution agent for Hollywood's shoddiest movie studio, she travels to rural Arkansas peddling B-grade Westerns to poor theaters. When she meets Amberly Henshaw, the unhappy wife of a preacher on a crusade against the evils of motion pictures, she senses an immediate attraction. Billie knows it's crazy to get involved with Amberly, but she tells herself it will just be a quick fling. Once Amberly's fanatical husband finds out about their affair, however, Billie Dixon finds herself in a spiral of betrayal and murder...
The Blind Alley: Exploring Film Noir's Forgotten Corners (2015)
鈥淣ewcomers to noir and connoisseurs alike can both revel in Jake Hinkson鈥檚 riffs on the subject. He brings to the films a wealth of insight, valuable context, and鈥攎ost vitally鈥攔eal passion and a sense of fun. It was a privilege to publish many of these pieces the first time around, and it鈥檚 a pleasure to read them again in this smart and savvy collection.鈥� 鈥� Eddie Muller, author of Dark City and president of the Film Noir Foundation