Review: "Crimes in Southern Indiana" by Frank Bill

This collection of stories made be proud to come from Indiana, and really inspired me to try and take initiative to give back to the state that I have called home all my life. I read an article on Frank Bill in the Nuvo, an arts paper we have in the Indianapolis area, and was struck by the fact that he has made it on his own by getting a book deal with FSG without going to any big publishing city. Many people I know who want have literary aspirations, who, quite erroneously, bash Indiana, and desperately want to move to a big city. I know it is the sexy thing to do, especially since Indiana isn’t well known for its creative output. But I think that route is simply overrated, and quite lazy, since these people just want their city to give them and experience, prepackaged, instead of trying to create their own and try to do something good for their town. But enough of that let me tell you about the awesome collection Crimes in Southern Indiana. This book is quite the barnburner, and has enough violence, depravity, and unsavory characters that it simply cannot be a fun as hell ride into dangerous literary territory. Bill is a mix between Lansdale and early Palahniuk, in that his stories recount extremes in behavior without humor and judgment, and simply presents a life-changing day in the lives of these fringe dwellers. Most of the stories can be placed in the country noir category of mystery, in that things like meth and dog fighting play a role in it like gambling and the mob play a role in more clean cut mysteries. After reading this, I can safely say there is not a dud in the bunch, some are better than others, but none will leave you bored or unshaken. From the first three stories, which share a narrative arc about a grandfather, pimping out his daughters to a team of sociopathic siblings to settle a drug debt, to the story “The Need” about a man who finds the courage to kill people like he so desperately needs to in the high he gets from smoking amphetamine, these are gritty dirty stories that show the human element in those that commit unspeakable acts of violence, and shines a lens on those places that is free of moral commentary. They are not for weak stomachs or soft heads, but they are as interesting as can be. Also, in a more subdued story like “The Old Mechanic” about a young boy who somehow reconnects with his brutal grandfather, who he has been shielded from because of his propensity for domestic violence, he is able to show how not everything in Southern Indian ends in blood shed, and that even something heinous can be forgiven as long as there are sincere intentions. A great collection, full of thrills, intensity and enough violence to satisfy any fan of hardcore fiction, Crimes in Southern Indiana is a wild ride through the dark Midwest.

Rating 5/5