Villager

Cox (Help the Witch) catalogs the goings-on of a small village with his characteristic blend of idiosyncratic humor, music, and unsettling folklore in this fascinating novel in stories. Readers are offered snapshots of life in the British village of Underhill from 1932 to 2099, with the works of American folk musician RJ as a common thread throughout. Interspersed throughout stories of teen golfers and neighborhood message boards, RJ finds unexpected inspiration in the folk stories of the locals, which leads to the release of a sleeper hit album. Some chapters focus on RJ directly while others delve into the stories of those around him, some of whom only interact with him or his music tangentially. The real main character is Underhill itself, especially the town moor, which delivers its own timeless point of view chapters. “ME,” as the moor refers to itself, acts as an especially omniscient narrator to provide another level of depth to Cox’s collection. It may take some time for readers to get their bearings in this off-kilter world, but figuring out the connections between events proves incredibly rewarding. The offbeat humor makes it all work, resulting in a clever, quirky portrait of a place. (Apr.)