Recommended by Justin Crawford

Ron Rash’s first novel, One Foot in Eden, is a country noir murder mystery told from the voices of an older sheriff, a farmer who is suspected of the murder, the farmer’s wife who is instrumental in an affair that is a catalyst for much of the plot, the wife’s son who gives voice to a later generation, and a sheriff’s deputy. The murder is the thread that both weaves and entangles the plot, but the characters live and breathe a life outside of the primal crimes they commit. What pushes the plot the most is happenstance, folk magic, and the characters’ desires to keep their secrets buried deep enough that flood waters don’t wash them up again. I was drawn to Rash first by his poetry, and One Foot in Eden shares similar themes, ideas, and characters with his collection of poems Raising the Dead. So far, I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every book I’ve read from him. If people enjoy well-rendered characters, simplified plots that span over time, culture, and place, and a depth of human emotion that can surprise and draw suspense—then they might enjoy One Foot in Eden, too.