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This sequel to the 2004 novel CYPRESS GROVE opens on John Turner's life after his fall from grace as a Memphis policeman. He has also moved on from playing counselor and has a spell in prison behind him. With all that in his past, he has found Cripple Creek, Tennessee, a small town far enough from Memphis to be comfortable, yet close enough to make it an easy road trip in the event it should become necessary. It does.
Turner has contented himself by fixing up an old cabin, with the capable help of his lady friend Val. The two have a cozy relationship going on, crowded a little bit by the appearance of a pregnant Miss Emily. The interloping possum seemed to be looking for a good birthing place, and the cabin apparently fit the bill. When the little ones pop out, Turner's house feels delightfully full. Just as Turner is settling happily into the country life, an injury takes the local sheriff temporarily out of commission and Turner is asked to stand in as deputy in his absence. In this sleepy burg, it should have been a snap. "…one of our two holding cells was occupied. This happened seldom enough to merit surprise." But things don't always happen the way they should.
The suspect sitting in the holding cell was a speeding motorist who let a misdemeanor traffic stop escalate into an arresting offense. But the man doesn't languish in the cooler for long. Two of his mob buddies from over Memphis way stage a dramatic jailbreak, leaving a couple of casualties in the process. Well, Turner is not the type of guy who benignly turns the other cheek. He heads out for the city in pursuit, finds some persons of interest, and leaves a few bloodied noses --- and other body parts --- in his wake. Naturally, the thugs aren't too crazy about his methods and launch a counterattack. Turner takes all of this in stride, sliding through life with his matter-of-fact attitude, showing few outward spikes of heavy emotion.
Meanwhile, as he's busy looking over his shoulder, he runs full-face into his daughter. It seems that J.T. followed in her dad's footsteps and grew up to become a cop too. Now, she falls into step with him so that they can spend some time getting to know each other all over again. Besides, an extra set of trained eyes can't hurt.
Occasionally jumping back from the present, James Sallis fleshes Turner out with thoughtful peeks into his damaged past, getting the reader inside his head. "I was thinking...that all my life, with my time in the jungle, my years on the street as a cop, prison days, psychiatric work, even the place I grew up --- all my life I'd lived out of step and sync with the larger world." Then, when we aren't looking at Turner's previous life, we're getting to know Cripple Creek and the intriguing characters who live there.
Enjoy this powerhouse of a mystery, and once you've read the last word, go back and read the last 15 pages again. Savor and pay attention --- and wait for the goose bumps to start. What a wallop.
CRIPPLE CREEK is a spectacular departure from the massive horde of formula crime fiction.
--- Reviewed by Kate Ayers
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