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Cover of Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom FranklinCrooked Letter, Crooked Letter
Modern · Fiction, Mystery

Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter

by Tom Franklin
2010 · 288 pages · Fiction
Critics' pick
≈ 7 hours to read · about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day

What it's about

Tom Franklin's most accomplished novel is a Southern literary mystery about friendship, race and the past, written with a narrative power often compared to Harper Lee, Flannery O'Connor and Cormac McCarthy.

Why it's worth reading

It was an Edgar Award finalist. Tom Franklin's writing has been compared to Harper Lee, Flannery O'Connor and Cormac McCarthy.

You'll love it if you liked

Good to know

It's a slow-burning literary mystery set in the South.

By the numbers

65.9Must-Read Score
  • Readers50 out of 100 · counts 42%
  • Critics21 out of 100 · counts 14%
  • Bestseller32 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
  • Buzz1 out of 100 · counts 10%

Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.

Where it ranks

Why it made the list

Shortlisted
Edgar Award finalist (2011)

Reads as

Gripping

How we rank

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Explore the best-of lists

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Quick answers

Is Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter worth reading?

Yes. It was an Edgar Award finalist. It ranks #1,761 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 65.9 (the best book we found scores 99).

What is Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter about?

Tom Franklin's most accomplished novel is a Southern literary mystery about friendship, race and the past, written with a narrative power often compared to Harper Lee, Flannery O'Connor and Cormac McCarthy.

How long does it take to read Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter?

About 7 hours (288 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.

What should I read after Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter?

If you liked it, try Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke, Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger or The Trees by Percival Everett.