When James Sallis introduced his complex and compelling protagonist, Turner, two years ago in Cypress Grove, many voiced the hope he would soon return. As Cripple Creek unfolds, a year has passed since Turner reluctantly helped to solve a baffling murder in the small town he now calls home, somewhere between Memphis and forever. He is still deputy sheriff, his relationship with Val Bjron has deepened, and his past as both big-city cop and ex-con is receding. Until a young man is arrested, Sheriff Don Lee assaulted, and Turner is compelled to go after the assailants. Returning to Memphis, the city that formed him, Turner confronts his ghosts and sets in motion a tempest that threatens to destroy his new-found sanctuary. Rich in place and character, as lyrical as it is dramatic, Cripple Creek will add to James Sallis's reputation as one of America's great stylists and storytellers.