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The book's title is a play on an anti-environmental ad of 1970 appearing in Eastern Kentucky papers. The novel itself is centered on the plight of George Landsetter, an agent for the Reclamation Bureau and owner of 500 acres of pristine forest. Finding himself constantly harassed by the miner and all-around villain Dave Blackmun to sell the mining rights to his land, he increasingly faces danger from Blackmun, who is suspected of murdering others who have crossed his path. Landsetter, intent on stopping Blackmun, works with the FBI in their quest to stop the illegal activities of cockfighting, dogfighting, and prostitution, which are controlled by Blackmun and his partner, Dab Whacker. Will the FBI manage to build a case against these criminals before it's too late for the protagonist?
This novel is reminiscent of the writings of Elmore Leonard, whose Fire in the Hole is the basis for the drama series Justified. Dealing with such graphically violent criminal activities as cockfighting and dog baiting, the book is, at times, a hard work to read. Peake uses these episodes to explain the mindset of the people who participate in such events and how they are embedded in the culture. The juxtaposition of the beauty of the Appalachians and the horror of such activities is both interesting and unsettling. Peake's grasp of his subject and the nuanced language and customs of his characters is spot-on. His descriptions of the beauty of the Appalachians with their plethora of wildlife contrast well with those of the baiting of animals. At its core, however, this is a crime novel dealing with the unsavory characters that frequent such spectacles. Readers who are fans of the genre will find much to like about this offering.