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I have read The Midnight Road by Tom Piccirilli recently under the assumption that it is a horror novel. But it wasn't scary and I felt it is more of a mystery novel.
Anyway I liked the novel and really enjoyed it. I want to read more of Tom Piccirilli, I believe that I will enjoy his other novels but I don't want to start by reading his worst book.
So can anyone tell me what are Tom Piccirilli's best books?

I've only read three books by Piccirilli but the best by far was A Choir of Ill Children. I'd say it's a 'must read' for horror fans.

Oh, and first post for me so, hello everyone.

Agreed, Philhappy...that was going to be my top rec for a Piccirilli novel. My favorite by him. His Leisure titles are decent as well, but I wasn't a huge fan of Shards. I didn't dislike the book but it is not one of my favorites, either...

Hi, Philhappy. Welcome to HA. I read A Choir of Ill Children when it first came out years ago, and I must say it's different. For me it was an interesting read but didn't become a favorite of mine. I don't remember it being straight horror either, sort of bizarro instead.

I don't know about 'A Choir of Ill Children'. It's most definitely different, but I felt it more grotesque than horror. Maybe that's a thin distinction though.
I kind of think 'Hexes', 'Deceased' and 'A Lower Deep' are above average. Also, 'Headstone City' is good, one of my favorites actually.
Of course, if you do like 'A Choir of Ill Children,' you MUST read the sequel 'November Mourns.'

Hello Philhappy, it is an honor to have your very first comment in my post :)

I am not really sure about 'A Choir of Ill Children', I read a review of it in amazon and it was really discouraging. I dont think it is suitable to start with.
I want to read it, but not now. I should read his other books first and if I enjoyed all of them I will surly read 'A Choir of Ill Children'.

'Hexes', 'The Deceased' , 'A Lower Deep' and 'Headstone City' seem interesting. I may start with 'The Deceased' and 'Headstone City' since I liked their reviews in amazon. Thank you guys for your suggestions :)

How about "The Cold Spot" ? did anyone read it? is it good? I believe it is a crime fiction novel not horror.

Yeh you're right, 'A Choir of Ill children' is definetly diffent. Grotesque is actually a really good word to describe it, you could label it under Bizarro too, I guess but it's usually classed as 'Southern Gothic' and that title suits it just fine :)

Thanks for the heads up on 'November Mourns' I didn't know that was a sequel, I'll be picking up a copy right away.

'The Cold Spot' is ok, it's a bit predictable and yes, it's a straight crime novel. It's a fast paced and short read though and has a great opening. I have the sequal lying around somewhere but haven't got around to reading it yet.

A Choir of Ill Children
November Mourns (not a sequel to anything)
The Deceased
Night Class

Avoid A Lower Deep. It is made up of a lot of interesting bits, but the whole thing doesn't make any sense put together.

Yes, sequel may be the wrong word for November Mourns, but...it IS considered to be a follow-up to A Choir of Ill Children.

It is set in the same place as A Choir of Ill Children but 2 years later and deals with Maggie whom we remember from A Choir of Ill Children.

So, direct sequel...maybe, maybe not, but it definitely is a follow-up book.

I didn't notice any connection to the earlier book, but maybe too much time had gone between my readings.

And I don't have my copy, loaned and never returned, so I really hope I'm not mis-remembering! -grin-
That's happened maybe once or twice ya know.

I liked Deceased...haven't read The Night Class yet...or A Lower Deep. A Choir of Ill Children was simply amazing...

So you think I can read 'November Mourns' without first reading 'A Choir of Ill Children'? I will not feel like am missing something?

Personally, I think you should read 'A Choir of Ill Children' first. It introduces you to a character that is then the main topic in November Mourns.
I imagine it doesn't matter if you only read one of them, but if you plan to read both books, they should be read in order.

November Mourns takes place in the same place but 2 years later as 'A Choir of Ill Children'

Here is what I found on Tom's sites;

For a native New Yorker presently living in the Pacific Northwest, Tom Piccirilli really knows his Southern Gothics. NOVEMBER MOURNS, his follow-up to the amazing A CHOIR OF ILL CHILDREN, continues to demonstrate Piccirilli's mastery of the form. While the book starts off as something akin to a mystery, it slowly branches off into a strange journey into the other world just over the rise, while once again evoking the author's favorite motifs of ghosts, memory, and belief.

Then go here-



To get a more in depth review. No spoilers. Just info.

I also think that I should read the books in order. It seems that most of you recommend 'A Choir of Ill Children'. I need to read it so I can form my own opinion about it :)

Brett, thank you very much for URL for the book's review. But there is a problem in the page, it cant be loaded I don't know why.

The URL has finally worked, the key is to wait for an hour for the page to load :)

Thank you Brett, it is a very helpful review. But it gave me the impression that the book maybe too complicated for me. I don't know if i will be able to follow it since English is not my native language.
The Midnight Road wasn't very complicated and I was able to follow it and I really enjoyed it, so I don't know how 'November Mourns' and 'A Choir of Ill Children' will be .

It's very well written but I don't think its too complicated, you can read the first chapter on Amazon and see what you think.

I agree with Philhappy, but then I don't know how comfortable you are with English. But if you got through 'The Midnight Road,' you should not have any problems with 'A Choir of Ill Children.'

From what I remember, the complication may be in the relationships of the characters. They are quite different, but then, ALL relationships are complicated! -grin-

I'd like to see you read it and enjoy it. Let us know what you decide.

I've only read three of Pic's novels but the one thing I can say is that he writes almost darkly beautiful prose. His stuff stands out. Maybe not for everyone but I can appreciate what he does and grateful for it.

I have read the first 6 pages of 'A Choir of Ill Children' in Amazon and I agree with you. The language is not complicated but the complication is in the characters. It seems to be a very weird book and I haven't read anything like it. It reminded me a bit of Gabriel García Márquez and his magical realism.
It is intriguing and I will definitely read it but am not sure that I will love it :)

Fatma, I have never read Marquez but as a bookseller I am very familiar from others of his "magical realism." You nailed it when you spoke of Pic's complicated characters and I think that's why Choir was such a powerful book for me. I was reminded of Faulkner, in a way, and not just because Choir being touted as a modern southern gothic (which it was). There was this underlying layer of dread throughout the whole story, this sense of desparate lonliness and utter despair that made it such a powerful read.

Yes, there is a great deal of genuine emotional content in his stories, which is rare in horror.

I have finally read 'A Choir of Ill Children' :)

I want to thank everyone who recommended this book to me. Thank you guys, without you I would have never read it and I wouldn't know what I was missing.

I enjoyed reading this book and I actually finished it in one day because it was so intriguing. The amazing thing that I really hate English books that are written in first person but I actually liked it in this book. I felt more close to the main charcter who was narrating.

This is my first Southern Gothic book and it took me to an America I never knew much about. Tom Piccirilli has brilliantly painted a very vivid picture of the south in my mind, even though it may not be entirely true.

But I want to admit that I didn't get everything that was going on, I felt a bit lost. I didn't know what was the creature with the red hair supposed to be? and also I didn't understand Maggie at all, who does she love exactly?and why did she stay with Thomas the father all that time?why did she have an affair with him in the first place?and why the hell did Thomas marry her?isn't she a reason that led to his mother's death?

Also the end was a bit disappointing,there were many things that were going on like the lost child Eve and the death of the nun. We were lead to believe that they are related to the main storyline but they weren't. So I wonder why are they even mentioned with such emphasize.

Over all I enjoyed the book and I will read more of Tom Piccirilli.

I've read almost everything he has written. I would recommend A Choir of Ill Children, The Night Class, The Dead Letters, The Cold Spot and The Coldest Mile, and The Fever Kill. The last three would be categorized as Crime Noir and are excellent.

The only one I've read is The Night Class and I enjoyed it.