If you were paying attention at the top of this page, you might have noticed that gearino's first book - What the Deaf Mute Heard was my favorite book last year. I know it's early but Counting Coup pretty much has it nailed for this year. A newspaper columnist has a special life and this newspaper columnist's life is more special than most. He makes two disastrous decisions. The plot is complicated and intricate and incredibly satisfying. But the telling of it is nothing short of delicious. gearino makes every single word count. He wastes nothing. His books make reading a truly sensual experience. Treat yourself to one or both!!

I feel so fortunate to have discovered the talent of writer G.D. Gearino. This is the second book of his that I’ve read this month. He gets into the grit of the south and into those characters you are reluctant to know but you find so interesting that you cannot help but feel pulled into discovering their dirty little secrets. The main character is Tad Beckman, a newspaper journalist who lives a hard-scrabble life. His emotionally icy grandfather and his mentally ill mother create an environment from which he wants to escape. Beckman is a talented writer, albeit a man who does not want to get too tied up in his stories. One day at work, he receives a call from a woman suffering from abuse at the hands of her husband. Tad does not want to give that woman the attention she seeks. That turns out to be unfortunate as this incident begets a series of even more ill-fated ones.

What I love about Gearino’s writing is the way he expresses himself so precisely with words. His characters are not those that you’d particularly like, but they have depth and move about in increasingly complex patterns. There is a sense of tension throughout this book in which you’ll look for answers. These are foreshadowed but not so easily understood or forthcoming. This is a very intelligent read with great descriptions. You’ll delight especially in one paragraph about Miami alone. You’ll also wish for more novels by Gearino that you could read just as soon as you finish this one. ( )