Eli Cranor

This is better plotted than Cranor's first book and a bit more exciting. The ending is better, though not without a few problems of illogic and incompleteness. This is probably not endorsed by the Arkansas Bureau of Tourism, especially since Cranor says it is based on a true story. It needs a little more resolution at the end, and despite all the things we find out about the characters as we go along, Cranor still doesn't show us much below the surface. But as a good noir tale, it succeeds. It would probably make a better movie--in the right hands.… (mehr)

I'm torn between 3 1/2 stars and 4 stars for this one. On the good side, this is well written and buzzes along with no lulls. On the downside, some of the characters, including very important ones like the coach's wife, are not as well fleshed out as they need to be. On the surface, her motivations are clear, but the more I think about it, the less it holds up. It's like there's some secret the author isn't sharing. Probably because he doesn't know it himself. The coach's religious enthusiasm also seems tacked on. It isn't clear in which foster home he picked it up, certainly not that of his future wife and her father (also a coach)--or if he did, the author hasn't made it clear. Lots of great scenes here, but the reckless daughter ends up being the most interesting character. Not sure that was intended. The football player at the center of all this mess is also a difficult, semi-literate voice to portray, and I'm not sure Cranor gets it right. But, I haven't lived in the depths of Arkansas. (Depths of Alabama to be sure, but not the same.) I've talked myself down from 4 to 3 1/2. In any case, this is still well worth reading and I will read (or listen to) the author's next book. This audiobook version was well done.… (mehr)