The Boarder
The Border
By Amy Cross
The Sexton’s musings (spoilers are likely)
So unfortunately you can no longer get a kindle copy of this book on amazon. The paperback is out of print but there are some options out there if you should be interested in reading it. The copy that I have is all eight parts put into one volume. The book was first released as a serial. Because it is all parts put together it is longer than Cross's typical book. It is damn near 600 pages with many characters. There is some strong language and definitely adult situations. Nothing overly explicit (or what I would consider explicit). The most explicit part would have to be the descriptions of the murders. There is a bit of gore involved. Below you will find that I have taken the most involved characters and kept track of them for you. You're Welcome!
Beth Hague (Jack and Ben's sister, mother to Lucy and wife of Bob)
She is actually a decent person. She is having a bad time with her husband as he decided to bonk some bimbo named Candy (who becomes the final victim of the Bowley Border) from his office. This is what plagues her. She is not aware of the Border and is not really involved with that part of the story. Honestly I understand why she contacted a hit-man. I mean her husbands a whiney little bitch who really is worth more to her dead rather than alive but she saves his idiotic behind.
Lucy Hague (Beth’s daughter)
Lucy, I thought in the beginning was going to be a bit more involved but in the end she really wasn't. There was one scene where she seemed to not be traumatized by some dark net videos her cousin had managed to get where her younger cousin got physically ill looking at it. I thought perhaps this was foreshadowing but I was wrong. She's a normal kid with a fucked up family.
Bob Hague (Beth’s cheating husband and loser asshat)
This guy makes bad decision after bad decision here. He really is a chump. He claims, while in bed with his mistress, that he loves his wife very much but that she describes herself as asexual and he needs sex. That's his excuse for cheating. He does realize that there is lotion and paper towel for that. No second party needed. Shit he could get a sex dummy and call it a day but no he has to cheat. He also thinks he is being discreet but I think everyone knows what is going on. This dude seriously needs to reevaluate his “need” for sex. It's going to get him killed. Almost did in fact! Honestly he's all surface, there's nothing deep in there. Oh and he got rejected by the application committee at the Border. Sorry dick no naked ladies for you.
Jack Freeman (Editor of the local paper and Janes husband, Beth and Ben's brother)
I really don't have a high opinion of Jack. Even though he has nothing whatever to do with the Border he has everything to do with what is wrong with the media. He goes as far as to break into his wife’s phone and the police departments site to get information that could fuck the case up. He claims his motivation is related to “the public have a right to know”. Which is fucking bullshit in itself. But he claims that it's because he has solved the murders and it's his brother Ben that is responsible. He has a laser focus on his Ben. Has done since his father put the idea into his head that Ben is simply a bad seen and should have been culled at birth. His mind is so obsessed with Ben that he dies thinking his brother was the one who kills him. This actually really gets to Ben because he knows that he is innocent and care more about Jack than he let on. Honestly it was kind of a relief that he died. A morally questionable reporter and a cop that actually give a shit being married is not a good combo. I'm just glad it was him and not her.
Ben Freeman (Jack and Beth’s Brother)
While he can be a complete and total asshole he is the most righteous person in the story. They call him weird but to me he was not. I will admit that there were times where I thought that he might be involved but the more you get to know him the more you will like him. For all of his flaws he really come through for that town and no one will ever know.
Jane Freeman (Police officer and Jacks wife)
This woman has very good instincts. She appears to be a very good police officer, even from the very beginning. The murder of Caitlin Somers happened damn near on her first day. Even way back then with no practical experience under her belt she was looking at all the right things. Plus she has intimate knowledge of what is going on at The Border. She used to work there after all. Before she was married to Jack and had two kids. We all do things that we are not proud of. Honestly I don't think there is anything wrong with the adult industry. This kind of club, on the surface, is really doing nothing legally wrong. Morally you could debate but adult people have the right to decide for themselves. Now once you get lower than level 2-3 then you get into illegal activity...you know like initiating people by making them kill as the stag-headed man. Jane is strong and imperfect just the way I like my female characters. She is not egotistic or a ball buster. She is a normal flawed person who stands up for what is right. I happen to like her and was glad that she played such a important part of the story.
Harry Freeman (Jack and Beth’s father)
This dude had no business having children. In fact I'm surprised that Audrey stayed with him long enough to have three children with him. He's a porn addicted, abusive, filthy, piece of shit. He tried to become a member of the Border but they rejected his membership. Honestly I'm not all that surprised. Plus he was equally obsessed with Ben in thinking that he was a bad apple. Influenced Jack to the point where Jack hated Ben as much as their father did. Henry didn't like Ben because Ben told him how it was, told him things about himself that made him feel pathetic (which he is). To say the man is a looser is being disrespectful the losers.
Joe Baldwin (Victim that survived, killer of Mel and Haley)
Joe knew nothing of the Border. He was killing because the day he was attacked and Caitlin killed, messed his mind up. He continued to see the Stag-Headed Man for 9 years until he could no longer resist it whispering to kill. So two women died because no one ever helped Joe cope with what happened to him. It’s really very sad all around. He numbed his pain with alcohol but as it turns out it was not enough. Caitlin cared very much about him and in the end helped him move on but not without him taking responsibility for the two murders. What could have been is tragic.
Caitlin Somers (victim of a killer, ghost)
So far the ghost of miss Somers has communicated with both Alex Gordon and Jane Freeman. I suspect that she may be communicating with Joe Baldwin as well. And Ben as it turns out. She stayed because she knew that the Border needed to be shut down. It corrupted her friend to the point that he lost his mind and became a killer. She didn't have anything to do with the Border either. She was just another one of their victims. I mean Jesus, talk about hazing...this takes it to a whole new level. She is very helpful to those involved with the investigation. A good character that keeps you guessing if she is a ghost or a manifestation of peoples guilt.
Katie (Unemployed until she finds The Border)
She seems pretty normal overall. Her reaction to that first few shifts, I think, would be a relatively normal reaction. Kinda catatonic for a bit. Just going through the motions of normalcy, when your job is anything but normal. I feel like she makes it deeper in the levels than most so she's tough and very serious about making enough money to leave her home-town in the rearview. She almost misses her chance to escape too. Sometimes ambition can take you too far. She gets really lucky.
Simon (Recruiter for The Border)
There is something about this guy that makes you wonder how he ended up working for the Border. It almost like he is the general manager of the place but he just seems so soft, nice, concerned. Maybe it's because he has a soft spot for Katie but I don't know. I feel like he would be a soft touch regardless. I mean, he doesn't seem like a horrible person but he does keep their secrets... down to his dying moment.
Alex Gordon (Police officer, Janes boss)
This man either needs to change with the times or retire. Jane has good instincts and he should listen to her. It's not like she is green anymore. He has to change his ways or he is never going to be successful in catching the killer. He needs to get in the now! It just so happens that Alex has always felt that there was an underlying darkness to his town. He chose to remain ignorant of the situation. Telling himself that he was crazy for thinking that way. That nothing was wrong with his quiet little town. It hurts him in the end because when he realizes how dark the evil is, he has multiple strokes. It's really very sad because he seems like a decent guy but it just goes to show that you should not walk around with your head in the sand. Especially when it is your job to protect the town. Plus you have to change with the times. The only other officer on the force was a woman and he kept trying to protect her from the grizzly murder scenes. It was kind of frustrating.
Mr. Mac Crutchlow (Former editor and Chief of the local paper, patron of The Border)
Yeah this guy is a pig. Actually that is an insult to pigs. They are actually very kind, intelligent creatures unlike this fucker! He is about as wrong as a person can get. He's a sexist, bigot, sadist, and sociopathic piece of human garbage. His old ass gets what is coming to him luckily. Don't think I could handle him getting to die peacefully. He was not what I thought he was though. He was just a member of the Border. He had nothing to do with it's function. So not the big man he put forth. Really just an old pathetic man that could only get a woman to look at him when he was paying for it. What a charming guy.
Tom Lanegan (Boss to Bob and stag-headed man for the current initiation)
This dude starts out being a very small part of the equation and in the end he ends up being a very large part. You get the feeling about a quarter of the way that he is involved when he tells Bob to go masturbate in the bathroom when he has a big decision to make to clear his head. Then of course you learn that he is a member of the Border. And then you find out that he killed Jack. He kills Candy and then tries to kill Katie. She gets really lucky that Jane and Ben intervene. He dies spectacularly but I'm not going to tell you how. I developed a smirk on my face. It was glorious!
Closing thoughts:
Several reviews mentioned that they did not like the ending. It's not really an epilogue of doom in my opinion, though. I actually figure that our ending was the case. After all there is too much money to be made. So while it's not a happy ending it is indeed a realistic ending. I thought it was going to be horrible but it was not as disappointing as some were making it out to be.
As stated before this is a longer one but I'll tell ya once it gets going it goes very quickly. It's a shame that it is no longer available via kindle. It's a very good, unique story with realistic characters mostly in real life situations. The supernatural element is minimal and rather subtle compared to haunting stories. Worth a read if you can obtain a copy.
