It’s Mississippi in the late 1970s, Larry Ott and Silas “32” Jones were boyhood pals. Their worlds were as different as night and day: Larry, the child of lower-middle-class white parents, and Silas, the son of a poor, single black mother. Yet for a few months the boys stepped outside of their circumstances and shared a special bond. But then tragedy struck: Larry took a girl on a date to a drive-in movie, and she was never heard from again. She was never found and Larry never confessed, but all eyes rested on him as the culprit. The incident shook the county—and perhaps Silas most of all. His friendship with Larry was broken, and then Silas left town. More than twenty years have passed. Larry, a mechanic, lives a solitary existence, never able to rise above the whispers of suspicion. Silas has returned as a constable. He and Larry have no reason to cross paths until another girl disappears and Larry is blamed again. And now the two men who once called each other friend are forced to confront the past they’ve buried and ignored for decades.
I grew up in Minnesota where the Mississippi River flows. I remember spelling Mississippi in grade school,
“M – I – Crooked letter – Crooked Letter – I – Crooked Letter – Crooked Letter – I – P – P – I.
It’s just the way we rolled back then. 😀
Crooked Letter Crooked Letter was everything I had anticipated it to be. It was a mystery… but not an over the top creep me out mystery, but a good solid mystery surrounding a small town… a missing girl… and a quiet book-worm of a man who the town has their eye on as he seems a bit… odd.
Let me say that not every author call pull off a smooth read that pops from the present to the past, but Tom Franklin does so beautifully. It was a pleasure to read this in so many ways – not only the story itself, but really there is something to say for a book written well and Tom Franklin hit home with this one.
I love fully developed characters and books that make it hard for me to put down and that is what I found here. If you are looking for a wonderfully written mystery this year, I would highly suggest you grab a copy of Crooked Letter Crooked Letter.
Book Journey 
I’m glad you liked it, Sheila … I enjoyed this book too.
I wish it hadn’t taken so long for me to get too Beth.. I have been wanting to read it for a long time 🙂
I just finished this book last week. I liked how it made me feel right in the deep south. I liked it very much.
Coming right off of reading There Eyes Were Watching God, I felt like I was living in the south 😀
I’m getting started on this in the next few days, so I’m relieved that you liked it.
I think you will really like this one too Ryan 🙂
This is on my to read list. Now I remember why.
Oh good! 😀
I loved it, too, and I also remember spelling Mississippi with the “crooked letter” jingle.
I thought this book really brought out the feeling of that era, as well as the special cadence of the times.
Awesome read…glad you liked it, too.
I agree Laurel…. this would be one I would love to listen to on audio.
I started school in Mississippi and we spelled it M – I – Crooked Letter – Crooked Letter – I – Humback – Humpback – I. I’m really looking forward to this book!
LOL Kathy – as I read your comment I realized I forgot the second set of “crooked letters” in my spelling of Mississippi in the post. 😳
LOL
i remember the humpback part, too!
I had forgotten that! 😀
Thank you for the review. I will definitely put this on my wish list. I grew up in Indiana and we spelled it the same way,
Its a great read – so well written!
My dad taught me to spell it with the crooked letters and the humpbacks 🙂 My hometown is on the Mississippi . I really enjoyed the book too!
It was a good one Mary 🙂
My grandma (who is from Mississippi) taught me how to spell it this way, too. All my CA friends thought I was weird.
California…. what do they know? LOL 😛
We knew the cool way to spell it.
Hey, Sheila and BermudaOnion, you left out that other “Crooked Letter – Crooked Letter – I” in Mississippi. It should be longer, like this:
“M – I – Crooked Letter – Crooked Letter – I – Crooked Letter – Crooked Letter – I – Humpback – Humpback – I.”
😀
LOL – Bonnie I noticed that now…. GAH! Ha ha! I was trying to get the post completed before work this morning… and well hurrying turns out so well doesn’t it? 😛
This sounds so good! I had not heard of it before, and I’m adding it to my list. Thanks!!
YAY Missy (you have crooked letters in your name too!) I am just saying… 😛
Ok, I am a little slow here, I absolutely did not get the title of the book until you spelled it out for me. Geesh! Sounds like this would be a wonderful book!
Hee hee…. 😛
I LOVED this book, I was sorry when it was over.
It was really good… I could have went longer in it 😀
I just finished this today, but am posting my review as part of the tour on the 25th. I agree that it is well written!
I am on the tour too Helen… I just put this up so quick I did not connect it to the tour,… I still need to do that!
I will be reading this one soon for a TLC tour and I ca not wait!! I honestly have never heard of spelling Mississippi that way 😀
Really? I am sooooo from Minnesota 😛
I’ve read several reviews of CROOKED LETTER CROOKED LETTER that caught my eye. I don’t read many mysteries, but this sounds like one I should seek out!
We spelled Mississippi that way, too. It was a jumprope song!
Oh yeah Dawn…. loved that song… I had forgotten…. wonder if I can still do that? 😛
Yay I’m glad to see you liked this one! I coincidentally just put it on reserve at the library yesterday so hopefully I’ll have it in my hands soon 🙂
I bet you really like it! 😀
I’m in the middle of this one right now – and so hooked. Wish I could just sit and read!
Oh yeah – it is one of those isnt it Carrie? 😀
I have seen so many great reviews for this book. I will be looking for it in the library although I am willing to bet there is a long waiting list for it. I learned how to spell Mississippi the same way with crooked letters and humpbacks. I remember chanting it as we skipped our way to school. Yes I was a geek!
LOL – I was a geek too Beth – I could have chanted it right along side of you 😀
This is one I want to read.
Hannah you would like this one.
Yeah, I really think I would. *rues*
I do not get the crooked letter – crooked letter thing at all at all. Saying ‘s’ is just shorter and easier…
As for the book, I really enjoyed the tone of it. And I really agree that Franklin pulled off the switches from past to present really well.
You are right there Trisha – when you spell it enough in school you could say it pretty fast too 😀
So glad you liked this one Sheila! I can just imagine you learning to spell Mississippi. 🙂
I’m featuring your review on TLC’s Facebook page. Thanks for being a part of the tour!
Thanks Heather!
I LOVED this book! Still likely one of my favorite reads this year
That is so awesome Julie – glad you liked it too!