Title: Crimes in Southern Indiana: Stories
Author: Frank Bill
First published August 30, 2011
272 pages, Paperback
ISBN: 9780374532888 (ISBN10: 0374532885)
Rating: 3.79
Overview
Frank Bill’s debut book, Crimes in Southern Indiana: Stories, is a raw and unflinching portrayal of the heartland of America. With a writing style that is both fearless and vivid, Bill’s interconnected stories take us on a journey through the dark underbelly of small-town life, where family farms and union jobs have given way to meth labs, gunrunners, and brutal violence.
We meet a man who murders his terminally ill wife and her doctor, a dog-fighting trainer who crosses paths with a Salvadoran gangbanger, and a cast of characters pushed to their limits and beyond. With a deep sense of place and an energy that recalls the best of Southern fiction, Crimes in Southern Indiana is a brilliant debut that will leave readers both shaken and unable to put it down.
Editoral Review
Frank Bill’s Crimes in Southern Indiana: Stories is a visceral, unflinching collection of bleak tales set in the heart of America’s rust belt. Published by FSG Originals on August 30, 2011, this debut collection showcases Bill’s raw talent and sets the tone for his subsequent works in the crime/noir genre.
The book is a collection of ten stories, each exploring themes of violence, poverty, addiction, and desperation. Bill paints a picture of a region in decline, where meth labs and strip clubs are the only sources of income, and where justice is often meted out by vigilantes rather than the legal system.
The characters in these stories are hard-edged and unapologetic, existing in a world where survival is the primary goal. The stories themselves are tightly-crafted and intense, with Bill’s unadorned prose style serving to heighten the impact of the violence and depravity on display.
The pacing is brisk, with some stories feeling like they could be expanded into full-length novels, while others pack a punch in just a few pages. One of the strengths of the collection is the sense of place that Bill creates, capturing the essence of southern Indiana and its unique culture.
The stories are also steeped in the history of the region, referencing events such as the Salem Witch Trials and the Underground Railroad. These historical touchstones serve to ground the stories in a larger context and highlight the cyclical nature of violence and oppression.
However, the book is not without its flaws. Some of the stories feel repetitive, with similar characters and settings appearing in multiple pieces.
Additionally, the unrelenting bleakness of the collection can be overwhelming, leaving little room for hope or redemption. Overall, Crimes in Southern Indiana: Stories is a powerful debut collection that announces Frank Bill as a talent to watch in the crime/noir genre.
Fans of Dennis Lehane, Daniel Woodrell, and Donald Ray Pollock will find much to appreciate in these harrowing tales of a region in decline. Rating: 4 out of 5 stars.
