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The beauty of this mystery novel lies not in what happened, but in the aftermath and the way in which the citizens of the small town color those events, based on their own self-interests and perceptions. The story opens on a rookie officer who's just about at the end of his shift when a car full of drunks comes speeding along the highway on a snowy road where black ice is a factor.
When the officer stops the vehicle, he realizes it's a group of his estranged friends from high school, the town bad boys, who've been drinking beer and smoking pot. They've got a broken headlight and have been traveling far too quickly for such treacherous conditions. As soon as rookie Police Officer Ronny Forbert pulls them over, however, he knows he's in for trouble.
Leader of the pack Matt Laferiere is not prepared to go willingly, and as he and Ronny get into a tussle over handcuffs, another car comes speeding along and ends up hitting Laferiere. The underlying question that pervades the mystery: Was it an unfortunate accident, or did Ronny intentionally push him into the pathway of the oncoming driver?
As the novel progresses, it flashes between the present circumstances (a town divided by what they believed to have happened) and the past, which led to the two friends becoming estranged (a coming-of-age story of boys struggling to cope with their impoverished lives that offer little hope for the future). Throughout this seesaw, readers come to an understanding of all the steps that led to this point. While Ronny and Matt may have chosen two different paths, ultimately they end up in the same hopeless place.
Still, for all that occurs, this is a remarkably beautiful novel. Its author is Thomas Cobb, who also penned CRAZY HEART, the basis for the Oscar nominated film featuring Jeff Bridges. Like the movie, this book is filled with remarkable, fully developed characters whose lives will break your heart. Cobb shows what it's like to be vulnerable when confronted with so many people deciding facts that they know little about and with political leaders bending the town's judgment to their own desires. The ending - when it comes - can only be tragic, yet expected.
§ Christine Zibas is a freelance writer and former director of publications for a Chicago nonprofit.
Reviewed by Christine Zibas, October 2015
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