October 2010

CROOKED LETTER, CROOKED LETTER is the story of two childhood friends whose lives change dramatically after one unforgettable night --- and how the events of that one evening will shape their lives until circumstances plunge them together again.

The book opens in the ’70s as Mississippi is still grappling with the changes that civil rights actions forged a decade earlier. In a sleepy small town, Larry Ott, the son of white, lower middle-class parents, befriends Silas Jones, the son of a poor black single mother.

They are fast friends who find camaraderie in one another. Then one night, Larry takes a woman on a date, and she is never seen again. Accusations fly. Larry becomes a pariah, and Silas moves on with his life to college where he is a star baseball player. Flash forward 20 years. Another woman goes missing, and all eyes are on Larry. Again accusations fly, but this time the friends find themselves going back to their respective pasts so they can move ahead to the future.

This book has strong, well-crafted characters who are flawed and imperfect, but will have you rooting for them. The rich descriptions of setting and place coupled with an honest and well-drawn plot make this a book you will both savor and remember.