Author Andrew Toth’s Inbred! is a meandering tale about a salesman who is trying to figure out his path. While the locals make only a few brief appearances in the novel, most of the story explores Tom Paxton’s dive into Buddhism and his general unhappiness with his life.

As a failed farmer and husband, Tom wanders through the local “inbred” town of Woolen, getting into drunken bar fights. Finally, he leaves that life to become a traveling salesman, who’s apparently good at his job while exhibiting few redeeming qualities. Unhappy, he turns to Buddhism and joins a temple on the outskirts of the same “inbred” town from his farming days. Tension builds as he trains himself for the inevitable confrontation between the monks and the locals.

Toth has a smooth and easy-to-read style. Most of the story takes place from the point of view of Tom. Depending on the circumstances, the main character’s tone shifts from worldly to over-confident to self-loathing. Side characters earn his respect or contempt depending upon their mood. We see him struggle. We see him succeed. We also see him as a mentor in sales and a student of Buddhism. The problem is that Tom isn’t very likable. He doesn’t even seem to like himself through much of the story.

Inbred!, at times, is reminiscent of action movies of the 80s and 90s. The action scenes harken back to old country fighting movies like Road House or Walking Tall. The story maintains orbit around a sales competition and the events at the temple. Where Toth shines is in his attention to detail. His narrative picks up on the smallest details, so readers have a strong visual of the situation in front of them. His ability to bring dialog to life in a manner that is realistic and believable.

INBRED!: Welcome to Woolen. Population 2500 inbreds is a story about a man trying to find his way in life, working with a mediocre hand that fate has dealt him, and the author makes readers want to hear this profound story. Readers will find the unexpected in this suspenseful character-driven novel.

Pages: 205 | ASIN : B0089ME214