Crooked Letter Crooked Letter; Tom Franklin

  

Title: Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter
Author: Tom Franklin
Publication Year: 2010
Publisher: William Morrow
Edition: ARC

 Source: Amazon Vine
Date Completed: 2/5/2011
Setting: Mississippi
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
Recommend: Yes 

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is a deeply moving suspense novel set in Chabot, Mississippi in the late 1970s. Trivia lovers probably know what the title refers to, but for those who don't, according to the author, "It's how Southern children are taught to spell Mississippi - M-I-crooked letter-crooked letter-I-crooked letter-crooked letter-I-humpback-humpback-I ". 

Larry, sometimes dubbed Scary Larry, by cruel kids prays for a best friend.  A lover of horror novels, especially Stephen King, he is the son of lower, middle-class white parents. Larry's prayers are answered, when he becomes friends with Silas Jones. Silas is a black boy and the son of a poor, single mother. Their friendship had to be kept secret, since even in the late 1970s, blacks and whites in Mississippi did not mix.  Despite that, the two shared some fun times, enjoying boyish activities, playing in the woods after school where others would not see them.  Unfortunately, when Larry's father finds out out their association, that all comes to an end.  The boys enter high school and Silas becomes a sports star, and goes off to college at Ole Miss.  Larry never leaves his home town. When Larry finally has a date, it is with Cindy Walker,  a pretty local girl. After that evening she is never seen again.  Larry is the only suspect, but is never tried for any crime as her body is not found.  

Larry's lonely life and solitary existence only intensifies over the next twenty-five years, as he is still seen as guilty in the eyes of the townspeople. He spends his adult days as a mechanic at his father's former shop, where he passes his time still reading books, as there is never any business it seems. To survive, he ends up selling shares of the land around the shop to a timber company.  When another girl, Tina Rutherford disappears, Larry is once again the only suspect. Tina's father is the owner of the timber company Larry sold land to.

As for Silas, he returns to town, population 500, and is now the constable there. Once again, their paths intersect and Larry and Silas, who once called each other friend, are forced to confront the past they've buried and ignored for decades.

The novel is told through the narrative voices of Larry and Silas, and is written in such a way that it is sure to hold your interest. I loved the rich character development and strong sense of place. The story alternates between the present day and the events which took place twenty-plus years earlier. This is one of the best suspense novels I've read in a long time. READ this BOOK!