The prequel to J. Denison Reed’s Clifford’s War series details the dark journey of two brothers, Darius and Marcus Tye. Set in 1990s rural Kentucky, the boys’ controlling father, Colby, insists on an unnatural level of respect on the family farm. Sadistic and paranoid, disturbing aggressions abound, such as not giving the kids gloves when doing heavy farm work, or tripping them, presumably to toughen them up. The boys’ mother, Margaret, attempts to protect the boys while taking the brunt of her husband’s physical and sexual abuse. Colby, meanwhile, fantasizes about beating nearly every woman he meets into his version of acceptable female submission. At home, he realizes those fantasies in the form of raping, choking and whipping his wife. It’s a powder keg that ends one fateful night when the boys realize their father has finally taken things too far. Despite the eventual intervention of extended family members and foster care, the brothers – now physically and psychologically damaged beyond repair – drift into a life of crime. Reed pulls no punches as he depicts the teenagers’ struggle to survive through gritty, dark circumstances. The struggle becomes especially poignant as the foster system that is intended to help them becomes the enemy, and Reed succeeds wildly as he depicts their plight with both sympathy and horror. Reed holds the entry of his series hero, private investigator Clifford Dee, until the book’s final 20%. The intrepid PI begins his investigation by following a rumored killer to the edge of the woods before declaring, “I think this is how horror movies start out,” and wisely backing off. After collecting the proof his employer hired him to get, he’s offered a down payment on his next assignment — a truly indecent proposal that will leave readers turning the pages breathlessly until the book’s final shocker. While TYE shares thematic similarities to both American Psycho and Dexter, Reed’s depictions of domestic violence feel uniquely realistic. Expect Reed’s cinematic depictions of abuse to be seared into your memory longer after turning the last page.

Colby Tye isn’t winning any awards for Father or Husband of the Year, and he’s fine with that. He’s an unrepentant bully in his own home and isn’t afraid to let his menacing personality surface around his neighbors when they pry into Tye family affairs. A community church offers some assistance, but the gesture only fuels the flames of Colby’s violent nature. His sons, Darius and Marcus, are keen observers, and Colby’s behavior lodges deep within the young men. Soon enough, the threat of family violence is laid to rest, but ruthlessness begins to take shape in hideous new ways. The boys are orphaned, abandoned, mistreated, and harassed to the point of no return. Through the years, they realize they can’t rely on anyone except each other. This close brotherly bond saves their skin in many situations, but without good role models or sound guidance, the path they forge for themselves is littered with bad choices. Though Darius and Marcus resent their father for what he did to their family, these brothers doggedly trudge in his footsteps, embracing conduct vile enough to make Colby Tye look like a decent man in comparison. Times may change and the Tye brothers are no longer children, but they find out the hard way that history has an ugly way of repeating itself. A dark origin story for Marcus and Darius, TYE is a pulsating thriller that revolves around the same sun as Reed’s Clifford’s War series. The unfettered action in this high-octane, plot-driven story will satisfy readers looking for constant movement, frenetic energy, and disturbing drama. Men in the Tye family are masters at going from bad to worse, outdoing each other in crime every chance they get. There are some full-circle moments, but don’t expect any warm fuzzy feelings from this deeply dysfunctional family. As their gainful employment advances from trying out lucrative odd jobs to a pure adrenaline-fueled addiction, the suspense shifts into desperation and recklessness. Scenes of unrelenting abuse, torture, rape, robbery, and cruelty are the cement that glues the Tye brothers together and their descent into depravity is what fills the pages with inky darkness. Absurdly barbaric and wildly punishing, TYE is a traumatic tale of two brothers you’ll be glad to keep at arm’s length.