Possible Pick: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
Posted by: Rebecca Vnuk
When something comes along outside of my normal reading range, and I can’t stop thinking about it, that’s a pretty good clue that it would make a good book discussion pick. Such is the case with Tom Franklin’s Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter. It’s pretty much the opposite of what I normally like to read – it’s literary suspense, with two male lead characters, set in the South – yet the writing was so compelling, the characters so interesting, and the story so gripping that I managed to finish it in a day.
When a young woman disappears from the tiny town of Cabot, MS, residents are quick to turn on oddball Larry Ott – after all, he was the prime suspect in the last missing person case the town had, when he was in high school. Memories run long in Cabot, and Larry has never been forgiven, despite never being convicted (heck, there wasn’t even a body to be found). His old school pal Silas is now a deputy in town, and when he has a funny feeling regarding Larry’s well-being, all hell breaks loose.
I found this book impossible to put down and a week later, I’m still thinking about it. Class, race, sex, death, suspense, unfulfilled potential all around, great atmosphere, it’s got it all – just right for a meaty discussion.
August 17th, 2011 at 1:52 pm
I loved this book. The dialogue was realistic and compelling. I also grew up in a small town, and the rural-ness (is that a word?) was so real, it was almost a character in itself. I’m definitely going to read more Tom Franklin!
August 20th, 2011 at 5:19 pm
This was not my usual type of book either, but something about the review drew me in and I agree the characters were compelling and the setting did seem to play a role as I suppose most stories set in the rural South do. It’s s page turned.
August 27th, 2011 at 1:00 pm
Definitely a great book group choice. We did it with two groups at our library. I also find myself thinking about the characters even a month after reading the book.