Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

Franklin's mystery is ostensibly about the disappearance of two girls 25 years apart and the man whose life has been ruined by the ostracizing of neighbors who believe he's to blame. It's also a finely crafted psychological portrait of two men of different races and their friendship as they grow up in rural Mississippi. Narrator Kevin Kenerly highlights Franklin's wonderful use of language; without negatively impacting the pace of the story, he manages to make listeners feel they're savoring each perfectly written sentence. Between Franklin's writing and Kenerly's narration, this story will not be easily forgotten. J.L.K. (c) AudioFile 2010, Portland, Maine

June 21, 2010
Franklin's third novel (after Smonk) is a meandering tale of an unlikely friendship marred by crime and racial strain in smalltown Mississippi. Silas Jones and Larry Ott have known each other since their late 1970s childhood when Silas lived with his mother in a cabin on land owned by Larry's father. At school they could barely acknowledge one another, Silas being black and Larry white, but they secretly formed a bond hunting, fishing, and just being boys in the woods. When a girl goes missing after going on a date with Larry, he is permanently marked as dangerous despite the lack of evidence linking him to her disappearance, and the two boys go their separate ways. Twenty-five years later, Silas is the local constable, and when another girl disappears, Larry, an auto mechanic with few customers and fewer friends, is once again a person of interest. The Southern atmosphere is rich, but while this novel has the makings of an engaging crime drama, the languid shifting from present to past, the tedious tangential yarns, and the heavy-handed reveal at the end generate far more fizz than pop.

Starred review from February 15, 2011

Edgar Award winner Franklin's (Poachers) classic Southern drama is more about the pathos of loneliness than the mystery that unfolds within its pages. Set in racially charged early Seventies Chabot, MS, it centers on an interracial friendship between two boys, Larry and Silas, whose lives are irrevocably changed when Larry is suspected of murder. Some 30 years later, when a local businessman's daughter disappears, the nightmare begins anew--this time, with devastating consequences for both men. Actor/narrator Kevin Kenerly captures the essence of each character; he is especially masterly in his rendering of Larry, from his frustration over having no control over the events in his life to his acceptance of a life of loneliness to his clinging to the faint hope of companionship. Franklin and Kenerly together create a marvelous character that will stand the test of time. With a tone and setting reminiscent of Faulkner; highly recommended. [The Morrow hc also received a starred review, LJ 8/10.--Ed.]--Valerie Piechocki, Prince George's Cty. Memorial Lib., Largo, MD

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