In a split-second decision that will shatter his life, insurance salesman Jack Spinks stops to help a young woman walking alone down a back country road. After getting into his truck the mysterious young woman grabs the steering wheel and forces the truck off the road, sending it plunging over a cliff and into the woods. What begins as a simple act of kindness spirals into a nightmare as Jack finds himself trapped in a dark and perilous world, hunted by the woman’s cryptic pursuers. As he fights for survival, Jack’s journey uncovers a haunting connection to his own past—one that may hold the key to unraveling the mystery and escaping the deadly forces closing in on him. From the highly acclaimed author of A Single Shot, A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow is a pulse-pounding crime thriller that weaves together psychological suspense and a gripping mystery, where every step brings Jack closer to a truth he’s long buried—and forces him to confront who, or what, he can truly trust.

Matthew F. Jones is the author of seven critically acclaimed novels as well as a number of screenplays.  His novels have been widely translated and several times  have been named on best novels of the year lists. Three of his novels, A Single Shot, Deepwater and Boot Tracks, have been made into major motion pictures.  He has taught creative writing at a number of colleges and universities, including Randolph Macon College, Lynchburg College and the University of Virginia.  He grew up on a horse and dairy farm in rural upstate New York and currently  lives  in Charlottesville, Virginia.

Praise for A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow:

“A blistering tale of the human condition filtered through a rural lens and sealed with the kind of gut punch that only Jones can deliver. A novel both thought provoking and smart, yet brutally tense and paced faster than a bullet. For everyone that didn’t already know, Matthew F. Jones is the true heir apparent to the kingdom of Cormac McCarthy. Yeah, he’s that good.”
—Brian Panowich, author of Bull Mountain and Nothing But The Bones

“A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow is as fast-paced and unrelenting as any thriller you will find, but what makes Jones’s book so compelling is its psychological, at times metaphysical, journey into one man’s tormented soul. Reading the novel is like entering a clear mountain stream. You take a few steps and suddenly plunge into depths you’d not imagined. Matt Jones is an immensely talented writer, and this harrowing novel deserves a wide and appreciative audience.”
—Ron Rash, author of Serena and The World Made Straight

“A psychological thriller cut on the steepest grade with more switchbacks than a mountain haul road. A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow roars downhill with the brakes on fire. Jones sets a masterful pace.”
—David Joy, author of Those We Thought We Knew and When These Mountains Burn

“Haunted hills and dead ends and deep nights fill the pages of A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow, the latest from Matthew F. Jones, who is not afraid to go dark and dare you to look. Black Cat Hollow Road winds through a treacherous landscape, for a cast of characters who are caught somewhere between the real and the imagined, the truth and lies, and ultimately between what is right and wrong. A gripping, hardnosed tale told with balance, beauty, bleakness.”
—Michael Farris Smith, author of Salvage This World and Desperation Road

“Beginning with a chance encounter on a dark country road, and taking place over the course of a single brutal night, A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow is one of the most gripping, fast-paced crime novels you’re ever going to read. Jack Spinks is a fantastically complex character and A Reckoning Up Black Cat Hollow is a stunning read. I could easily see a sequel. Matthew Jones has proven once again that he’s one of the best and most original storytellers around.”
—Donald Ray Pollock, author of The Heavenly Table and The Devil All The Time

“Matthew F. Jones is a hard, wonderful and very powerful writer you might not know yet, but ought to soon. He will not spare your sensibilities should you be among those poor souls afflicted with such. He rakes you over the coals at a measured pace, unfurls rath from six angles and the amen he delivers will keep even twisted m...f’s… awake at night. Jones is major, he’s got the piss and vinegar and moral rigor that make books matter.”
—Daniel Woodrell, author of Winter’s Bone