A powerful and resonant novel from Tom Franklin — critically acclaimed author of Smonk and Hell at the Breech — Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter tells the riveting story of two boyhood friends, torn apart by circumstance, who are brought together again by a terrible crime in a small Mississippi town. An extraordinary novel that seamlessly blends elements of crime and Southern literary fiction, … Southern literary fiction, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter is a must for readers of Larry Brown, Pete Dexter, Ron Rash, and Dennis Lehane.
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I read Tom Franklin’s Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter a number of years ago, but it continues to resonate with me even after all this time. Initially drawn in my the title and the premise, this novel kept me engaged with compelling characters and an impressively structured narrative.
I am fascinated by novels about small town crime, but that …
I loved this book from beginning to end. The setting, the mystery and the characters made for a story I could not put down. Set in the late 70s, Larry Ott and Silas Jones were boyhood pals. Their worlds were as different as night and day: Larry, the child of lower-middle-class white parents, and Silas, the son of a poor, single black mother. For a …
Could not put it down. A terrific story with interesting characters. Lj
I loved reading this book. Larry and Silas are high school friends despite their differences. When Larry falls under suspicion in the disappearance of a local girl their friendship falls apart. Larry stays in town living a life of quiet loneliness. Silas leaves and and has now returned as a local constable. He tries to continue to ignore Larry …
We know from the classics that the South provides the most poignant settings for a story. Larry Ott is a nice guy, a sort of gentle weirdo. Twenty-five years earlier his only friend, a girl, went missing. When another little girl goes missing in the present day, Larry is immediately suspected. The painfully accurate truth that the past is never …
Didn’t live up to previous efforts
The title drew me to read this book because I was born and raised in south Mississippi and I thought this book might be Interesting regarding my home state. When I started to read it, it brought back a passed time in my life that made me reflect on just how I saw Mississippi in the 70-80’s. My teenage years (or ‘acquiring friends age’) was spent …
Just when you thought Jim Crow may be on his death bed. The characters were very well developed, but both protagonists, both black and white, were sort of victimized by the lingering air of “The Old South.”
Excellent writing, excellent story
The writing is almost lyrical – you truly want to find out what is going to happen next. I loved this book and will be reading more from this author.
This book had a good premise but was not developed well. The characters were not a all inspiring.
Good read!
Tough times for the characters
I absolutely loved this book ! Everyone has grown up knowing characters like the ones in the book .You find yourself definitely routing for the underdog !,
Great read unpredictable. Suspense made it very hard to put the book down.
A strong 4 star novel. This starts off slower than I expected it to after all the rave reviews. It took me maybe half way to really get involved. This character-driven novel takes place in Mississippi in the 1970s and fluctuates between past and present.
The characters are believable and engaging, especially the two main ones, Silas and “scary” …
Held my interest from the very beginning. Loved the book but still not sure how the title tied in.
Entertaining kept me up late riveting
It was beautifully written. I couldn’t speed read or skim, I had to read every word.
Huge Franklin fan. He deserves a bigger audience.
This is the story of two childhood friends – Larry Ott and Silas Jones. They both grew up in rural Missisippi – one a son of lower middle class parents and one the son of a poor single mother. They would meet secretly in the woods to shoot and play together. But tragedy struck when Larry took a local girl on a date and she never returned. …