From the author of the stellar debut, Don't Know Tough, comes the second book by Eli Cranor - a raw, gritty, emotional story of a grandfather's attempt to save his granddaughter. Ozark Dogs is the quintessential southern noir thriller by one of the best in the business.
Vietnam veteran Jeremiah Fitzjurls has taken care of his high school granddaughter Jo ever since her father, and his son, was sentenced to life in prison. With a deceased wife, Jeremiah tries his best to raise his granddaughter, while not have a maternal bone in his body. Battling with PTSD from the war, as well as a alcohol addiction, Jeremiah's worst fears come to fruition when one evening, Jo doesn't return home. As the search for her reaches into the depths of the Ozarks, Jeremiah's war comes home, as he would do anything to retrieve Jo.
Eli Cranor has crafted another harrowing tale - replete with violence, love, heartache, the strength and bond of family, the things that tie us all together, loss, and triumph. I struggle to put into words how this book was - it was so incredibly emotional. I was thinking that I got way too invested in the characters, but it turns out, Cranor can just pen such interesting, intricate protagonists. Like Indiana Jones running from the boulder, this book was an avalanche of action. I was frequently blindsided by the twists & turns, constantly caught off-guard, and routinely stuck dangling from the cliffs that Cranor left me hanging on. The imagery and details felt raw and nuanced and done in only the way I've seen Cranor do.
This thriller sub-genre of noir - southern noir in this case - is delivering some of my favorite novels in existence, and Cranor is a spearhead of the genre. With stories are both timely and timeless, Cranor delivers a Tyson-like fist to the face, with what is bound to be a contender for the BTB Book of the Year, with Ozark Dogs.
Side note: It's rare that when an author narrates their own audiobook, and I find it enjoyable. I typically lean on the 'just leave it to the professionals' axiom when it comes to narrators. However, Cranor has narrated both of his books, and I am stunned at how phenomenal of a narrator he is. Bravo!
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Purchase Ozark Dogs
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Barrington Books
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