OZARK DOGS, by Eli Cranor (Headline, $37.99)
Former college quarterback Eli Cranor produced my favourite debut of last year with , an extraordinary tale powered by evocative prose and the jagged voice of abused teen and football star Billy Lowe. shows there’s no sophomore slump. Jeremiah Fitzjurls has violence scratching at his soul: a Vietnam, Cranor has crafted a gritty tale of family burdens and long shadows cast by past misdeeds. It’s the kind of book that burrows beneath your skin. Terrible people or good people making terrible choices; the awful impact may be the same. Superb.
