Coming of age in the summer of 1957, young Mark Stoddard struggles with his parents' accidental deaths, his brother's contempt of him, and his determination to bring down a local bootlegger.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
"I had a normal childhood except for the murder I was involved in the summer before I turned sixteen," is the first sentence of this striking little gem, rich with the pains and pleasures of growing up. Tough and resourceful Mark Stoddard is trying hard to hold his life together in Bob White, Oklahoma, in 1957. His parents have been dead for several months, and his once-close relationship with his 24-year-old brother Jess (a deputy sheriff, now his legal guardian) is cracking under the strain. When Jess seems to be involved in the killing of a stranger, Mark tries to help -- and learns how dangerous and deceptive life can be.
From Publishers Weekly
Small-town certainties take a hit in Cole's debut, a coming-of-age tale wrapped in a mystery set in Bob White, Okla. (pop. 5000), in the summer of 1957. Life is no longer tranquil for 15-year-old narrator Mark Stoddard. Reeling from his parents' deaths in a car accident a year ago, Mark is restless and hungry for more attention from Jess, his gruff 24-year-old brother, a sheriff's deputy, who's raising him. He and his best friend, Ferret, the son of a gratingly self-righteous preacher, want to impress Jess by finding and destroying a still that nasty, tobacco juice-spitting old Lafe Packard is operating in their dry county. They're joined by TJ, a Louisiana girl whom Ferret's parents are sheltering while her mom works through some hard times. Meanwhile, the townspeople are thrown into turmoil not just by the appearance of moonshine but also by the arrival of a long-haired stranger who has taken up residence in the local woods. When a murder is committed, Jess falls under suspicion and Mark sets out to clear his brother, certain that the vile Lafe is responsible. Throughout, Mark and Ferret ponder the inscrutable ways of grown-ups, and Mark discovers that TJ has admirable qualities beyond her ability to outrun him. Despite a few lapses into melodrama, Cole finds a tone that is both yearning and plainspoken as Mark learns the lesson that appearances often lie.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
More About the Author
Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A wonderful and engaging story that captures the heart.,
By A Customer
This review is from: Killing In Quail County (Mass Market Paperback)
This tantalizing tale of youth set in 1957 rural Oklahoma is definitely one of the best books I've read in years. I liken it to such classic coming-of-age novels as Robert McGannon's A Boy's Life and Stephen King's The Body. The characters come alive on the page and the story itself is richly textured with the authentic atmosphere of a small town during a time when liquor was illegal and bootlegging threatened the moral standards of a small, God-fearing community. The story remains compelling from chapter to chapter, making the book difficult to put down. I eagerly await Jameson Cole's next masterpiece of excellent story-telling.
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
1st-place winner of the 1996 Colorado Book Award for fiction,
By
This review is from: A Killing in Quail County (Hardcover)
The book captures the reader's imagination from its opening sentence. The mystery, set in 1957 in a small Oklahoma, transports the reader back to a different era. You can smell and feel the dust rising off the unpaved streets in this town where no one locks their doors at night and everyone knows your business. This is also the coming-of-age story of fifteen-year-old Mark Stoddard, recently orphaned and living with his older brother, whom he desperately wants to impress. The story has the ring of truth and is hopefully not Mr. Cole's last novel.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderful read!,
By
This review is from: Killing In Quail County (Mass Market Paperback)
If you've read "To Kill A Mockingbird" and liked it, you will love this book. Mr. Cole has an interesting way of taking you from one chapter to the next. It was very hard for me to put the book down till finished. Sure hope to see more books by this man.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
|
|
Tag this product(What's this?)Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items. |
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
