Overall, this was a pretty strong debut novel. I had fairly low expectations, as I'm pretty picky about the crime fiction I tend to read, but as a fan of southern/rural lit, this book came highly recommended to me from friends.

The structure of the novel is really well executed, as Panowich jumps between characters and moments in time pretty seemlessly. The central narrative is plotted in a way that keeps you wanting to read the next chapter, and Panowich's storytelling abilities are strong. Though the story tends to unravel a bit by the end, and the pacing begins to feel much more rushed than the wonderfully lazily paced opening chapters.

The book tends to rely a bit too heavily on grit lit cliches at times (and often come off as the author trying a bit too hard to have that southern rustic charm) and the emphasis on family, and the ghosts of the past can be a bit tedious, as every rural lit writer in recent memory seems to have at least one novel about a conflict centered around a wanting-to-do-good-despite-his-family's-outlaw-past protagonist. It's not bad, but it's just been done before much more successfully. I know we all love Flannery, but not every southern story needs to be about redemption.

Overall, this is a fun crime novel that keeps you wanting more. I look forward to Panowich's future output, and I hope he eases back on the Southern lit tropes. They just don't feel all that genuine, and it seems like he is trying a bit too hard to be Larry Brown. You're a good storyteller, but son, you aren't Larry Brown. Once he finds his own voice, Panowich should be a hell of a writer though.