To Fill The Void: A Novel

by Ken McCarthy

When only-child Sam Bingham leaves for Marine boot camp, his parents instantly become empty nesters.

John and Trixie at one time had a typical American marriage, but cracks have appeared in the foundation, and Sam may have been the only thing holding the family together.

As Sam endures the physical and mental grind at Parris Island, his parents wage their own unspoken battle back home.

The Binghams seemingly have just one thing in common — Sam — and as they wait daily for his letters, they grow ever further apart.

“This place sucks,” Sam writes in his first letter home. It’s a sentiment both of the older Binghams might silently believe applies to their own lives.

But is the situation bad enough to lead one of Sam’s parents do the unthinkable? And, if so, what potentially deadly series of events might follow?

In his third novel, Ken McCarthy delivers the intense, real-life drama his readers have come to expect.

181 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 17, 2023

Reviews

[Craig Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book felt like the author picked some random dad and let him speak. That is a good thing considering the goal of the author. I can't relate to the main characters strife or decisions as I have no experienced them, but the troubles the main character struggled with were compelling enough to keep me reading... and this is not something I'd normally pick up to read!

[Sara Kjeldsen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fast-paced read about a family of three. Sam is the son who goes off to train to be a marine and in the meantime, his parents miss him and need to learn how to navigate life without their kid being home. You can really feel the father's love and pride for his son. Things get messy after two affairs occur in the marriage and I can't deny that I had to wonder if the dad's sexist opinions contributed to this. He believes there's some truth to a joke where all men want is a nympho who owns a bar and owns a yaht while women have a long drawn out list of all these good qualities for the man they're looking for. He seemed a little closed off to his wife's needs, like when she stubbed her toe and wanted a ride to work for example.
The conclusion of the story was pretty shocking and I have to say it gave a powerful ending. I enjoyed the final chapter being written from the son's POV.
Great book overall!

[Barbara Avon · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the honour of being one of the first to read this new story by author Ken McCarthy. I've always loved first person narration as it allows me to "see" everything as the protagonist sees it, and McCarthy is a master narrator. The MC, John, is suffering empty-nest syndrome when his only son, Sam, joins the marines. Reviews should be honest, so I'm going to be honest. I've never been interested in books with this subject matter, but just like McCarthy's first novel, "One Hand on the Sink", I was hooked from page 1, and I was thrown into the lives of John, his wife, and their son, highly curious as to what would happen to these three. In the end, I learned a lot about Marine life, and was surprised with a mystery component too. This is a "grab your favourite drink and turn off the world" type of read, and I thank the author for inviting me into his world for a few hours.

[Cupofbooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

True to real life

This book was so interesting because I feel like it can resonate with so many. I have a young son and I often think about what life will be like when he's grown and out of the house.. What will fill that void?

I really enjoyed this authors writing style and the glimpses we saw via letters between the dad and son.

[Gabriel Gonzalez · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this one on Threads and I'm quite happy with it. I read most of it in the back seat of a car, and it was engaging enough for me to power through motion sickness. I really enjoyed how grounded the story and writing was. I recommend.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This read more like a confession than a novel
Loved it from start to finish
Keeping it real