Reviewed by Chris Rhatigan
I’m not going to lie: When I read the description of this piece, I was less than thrilled. Generally, I don’t like narrative tricks, and telling the story backwards (as the intro notes) is in vogue and, usually, writers are using this technique to try impress the reader or to work on their chops.
But Coake managed to surprise me. This narrative device fit the story perfectly—in fact, it was really the only way to go. It’s like the story keeps opening up, expanding as we travel back in time.
More importantly, this is an emotionally rich tale that highlights the fucked up relationships of a few people living in rural Indiana. It starts with Sheriff Lenny Thompkins setting the old Sullivan house aflame. Wayne Sullivan had been a close friend of the sheriff’s until he murdered his family and shot himself.
Coake writes with a measured, careful power and has created unique, realistic, and engaging characters. Many short stories rely on a single protagonist to carry us through, but this piece delves deeply into four different characters. The setting is brilliantly rendered as well—the cold, empty, forbidding landscape looms over the whole piece and fuels its dark content.
This is a welcome addition to a comprehensive collection of my favorite genre. Coake fits in naturally with this all-star cast of authors.
Chris Rhatigan reviews short crime fiction at his blog Death By Killing.
