Ghosts from the Civil War Arise in 'Drummer Boy'

Review: DRUMMER BOY (Haunted Computer Books 2010) (Kindle edition) and (CreateSpace 2010) (print edition)
Author: Scott Nicholson

DRUMMER BOY is hard to categorize. It's essentially like a ghost story you might hear by the campfire, placed in southern Appalachia and mixed with an odd juxtaposition of a long-held southern grudge against Yankee aggression with the intrusion of modern development.

The book opens with a seemingly ordinary scene involving three adolescent boys throwing rocks at a spooky cave known as the Jangling Hole in a place called Mulatto Mountain. Bobby Eldreth is being taunted by his wealthy friend Dex McCallister to throw a rock into the cave. Bobby, who lives in a trailer park along with the third boy, the always out-of-step Vernon Ray Davis, is torn between the two friends. Their triangular relationship isn't the only thing making Bobby tense. The Jangling Hole is reputed to be haunted by the ghosts of long-buried Civil War soldiers.

When a store owner claims one of the boys got a five-finger discount on his goods, the police intervene. At some point, a shot rings out. The cops return fire, but no one can find the shooter.

From that point, the story introduces a plethora of well-developed characters who seem to represent different aspects of the South. Along with the boys, there's an old farmer named Hardy who lives near Mulatto Mountain. A somewhat tragic character, his family once owned the land that's to be developed and he's not happy about it. In addition, his son bears the irreparable scars of having experienced an unknown trauma at the Jangling Hole.

In addition, there's Sheriff Littlefield who only wants to maintain the peace – a difficult task when ghosts come into the picture. With reports of weird sightings on the rise and a cute reporter named Cindy digging for a story, the sheriff's job isn't made any easier.

Finally, there are the boys' parents – pieces of work in themselves. While Vernon Ray's father plans to play soldier (and lead the faux charge) in a Civil War battle reenactment, Bobby's father spends most of his time drinking, bowling and harassing his wife and son. Meanwhile, Dex's dad makes money as the owner of the bowling alley where the other two men hang out.

All this takes place against the backdrop of a huge redevelopment of Mulatto Mountain, one that will disturb the burial site of a group of renegade Civil War soldiers.

Scott Nicholson describes the Appalachian setting and its residents in loving detail, while building suspense about the creepy goings on. (Even one scene in the bowling alley managed to be not only fraught with tension, but weird enough to make my skin crawl.) However, DRUMMER BOY is much more than a ghost story. It works as a thriller and a social commentary about the "haves" and "have-nots," as well as showing the stark contrast between the South's historic heritage and its entry into the modern world of condos built on mountains. Even if it means disturbing the dead to do so.

The book reaches a crescendo of action at the end, when spectral soldiers amass against both the reenactors and the bulldozing developer. However, at its heart, the story is about the boys, one of whom makes a fateful choice. DRUMMER BOY is a great yarn and an evocative story that explores the South's ghosts – literally and figuratively.