NOTICE!

For some reason I can add sidebars, but not new posts. Please check back later. I have been working on a variety of things including switching my blog soon from this one, which was set up with my now-defunct West Wisconsin Telcom account. I hope to have my new blog through Gmail up soon. I will provide a link and announcement when I've got everything straight. 7/2/11




Thursday, April 23, 2009

Recently read: Michael Collins’ Lost Souls



Another author I’ve recently discovered is Michael Collins. Born and raised in Ireland, I thought he caught the flavor of small town sports and politics gone awry, as often portrayed in the seedy image of the American small town in many books and movies (not one, however, I’ve experienced in real life, even though I live in small town America). The novel takes place in a small Indiana town, but bears no resemblance to the upbeat spirit of that excellent film, Hoosiers. This book won’t lift your spirits, but it is an interesting read. The local cop, who is one of the most depressed detectives I’ve encountered, gets drawn in by the mayor and police chief to cover up evidence in a hit and run. The suspect is the star of the high school football team on the eve of the team’s run for the state championship. What seems like a simple and illegal solution turns out to be far more complex than anyone could imagine. The characters are complex as well. The ins and outs of the plot, as Collins leads the readers and the characters through each twist, are gripping.

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