Dr. John A. KingIndigenous Australian. 100% Human. Neo-Noir Novelist. Poet. Speaker. Performance coach. More than a Survivor. Terrible Golfer, Awkward Dancer🕺

Review : Country Dark by Chris Offutt

26 Jul 2026 · 1 min

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1:15

In this brief spoken review, Dr. John A. King evaluates Chris Offutt’s novel Country Dark. He places the book at the top of his “Brilliant to Bollocks” rating scale, calling it “straight up brilliant.” He outlines the novel’s setting—a prohibition‑era, moonshining crime world—centered on a criminal father who cares for a large brood, many of whom are disabled. The reviewer notes the dark noir tone, the emotional focus on a father’s love for his children, and the mystery surrounding the children’s disabilities, while deliberately avoiding spoilers. He concludes with a strong recommendation, saying he couldn’t put the book down and urging listeners to give it a chance.

Chapters

Country Dark by— well, it's hard to say— Offutt, Offutt, Offutt, Chris, by Chris. Country Dark. So yeah, righto, first up, most importantly, where would I place Country Dark on the Brilliant to Bollocks Meter? I'm just going to have to give you another straight up brilliant. Okay, so a prohibition, running alcohol, criminal, With disabled kids. Like, one of them's got a massive melon. And so you've got this criminal, and okay, noir, very dark, very sort of in the trope, but this criminal's got a whole bunch of disabled kids. And it's a story about a father's love for his kids and what he would prepare to do, wrapped up in the middle of this noir thing. Now, you don't get a lot of information on why the kid's disabled. Why are, like, I think it's 3 out of the 5 kids disabled? I won't ruin it for you. I don't want to give you spoilers. But, um, take a chance on Country Dark. It is absolutely worth it. Again, I just read the thing from woe to go. Couldn't put it down. On the 1-minute review brilliant to bollocks meter. Brilliant.