Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin

In the 70’s in rural Mississippi, two young men become unlikely friends over the course of one fateful summer. Larry is the son of white lower middle class parents and Silas is the son of a black single mother. Despite the warnings of both of their parents, the boys friendship continues to grow, until Larry takes a girl out on a date, and the girl disappears and is never heard from or found.

Living under a cloud of suspicion, Larry is ostracized by the community, and he is sent away to the military. After his father’s death, he tries to hang on to the family business, a mechanic shop, but no one wants to do business with a suspected killer.

Twenty or so years later, the two friends have lost touch when Silas comes back to town as a police officer. Another girl disappears, and once again, Larry is under suspicion. As the investigation continues, the two men are forced to revisit the events of the past, and confront the secrets that have been buried for so long.

This book starts out with a bang, and I was immediately drawn into the story. I devoured this book in one afternoon, and enjoyed every page! The story shifts back and forth between the past and the present, and the secrets of the past are unfolded layer by carefully constructed layer. Mr. Franklin’s writing style is just beautiful, and I can’t wait to get my hands on some more.