Set in rural Mississippi, this is a murder mystery with a twist. The protagonist is a black man. Silas "32" Jones is a constable with the local sheriff's department, who was the town's football hero. Hence his nickname - "32".  The chief suspect is a white man, Larry Ott, who 20 years ago, was Silas' friend for a short time, and was the last person to see a girl whom he taken to a drive-in movie, but never returned home. She was never found and Larry Never confessed. More than 20 years later, another girl has disappeared and Larry, who was never able to rise above the town's suspicions, is once again blamed. Silas and Larry, who once called each other friend, must now confront their past in order to find the killer.

 

Set against the steamy backdrop of the South, and full of creepy characters, any of whom could be the killer, Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Edgar award-winning author Tom Franklin, is a must read for mystery lovers.