Crooked Letter Crooked Letter

Finished June 24
Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin
This author was new to me, but definitely caught the flavor of the setting here. The book's title refers to the spelling of Mississippi, a new fact to me.
The action is in the present, but has flashbacks to the 1970s when the two main characters were young.
Larry Ott was a bit of an outsider, a reader rather than a jock, lacking any real friends. When he encounters Silas Jones, a black boy near his age, he makes some overtures. The two boys begin to hang out together when they aren't in school, finding a way toward a friendship of sorts.
Action by Larry's father creates a barrier between the two and the friendship falters.
Fast forward a few years and Larry takes a neighbour girl to the drive-in, his first date. He returns home without her, and she is not heard from again. Larry denies any wrongdoing and is never charged, but becomes ostracized further by the community.
Go forward a few decades and there is another missing girl. Larry is under suspicion and Silas is the town constable. As Silas tries to chase down the facts around the case, he and Larry must face the events of their past and make their way through them.
A fascinating tale of suspicion and prejudice, this book is a great read.