James Sallis - Cripple Creek (2006)
Reviewed by David J. Montgomery
James Sallis's Cripple Creek is the second novel to feature ex-cop and ex-con Turner, now working as a deputy sheriff in Cripple Creek, Tenn. When Turner’s boss arrests a stranger caught speeding through town and finds $200,000 cash in the trunk of his car, a deadly chain of events is touched off.
The plot is almost secondary to the prose, and that is where Sallis distinguishes himself. In addition to his masterly novels, Sallis is known for his work as a poet, and the lyrical beauty of his words shines through his pages. The story unfolds with the cadence of the down-home music that plays such an important part in the characters' lives, weaving stories from the past through the narrative of the present to create a harmonious melody.
It's a crime that a writer this good isn't better known.
Posted by David J. Montgomery in Book Reviews | Permalink
