Somewhere between Denis Johnson and the TV show Justified. Beautifully crafted lit-noir linked stories, with almost a Calvinist bent. Replace predestination with economic doom. First half is irreproachable; I felt like things softened a bit in the second half; the writing remained brilliant but not much in the way of action to keep things tight. The strong characterization pulled me through to the finish. Has some Woodrell going on, but doesn't overdo the regionalism. Has very little to do with baseball, if that was worrying you.