Helpful Score: 1
A great first book! Who is Dorie LaValle? She's who everyone in town talks about. Dorie grew up in a small Minnesota town and married Louie LaValle who becomes an alcoholic and "good-for-nothing." Dorie supports them but when the farm fails to produce enough to live on turns to bootlegging. Working with her friend, Victor Volk, they make enough money so Dorie can buy lovely clothes, scented soaps and good food.
It all falls apart when a strange man appears at the still, shoots Victor who returns the fire and kills him. Victor drives to Dorie's home, bleeding and needing help. Dorie takes care of him only to discover that he left a dead man at the still. She manages to drop the body into the lake. To complicate matters, she discovers that she has fallen in love with Victor. But nightmares haunt her sleep and a brother, Sal, comes looking for his brother. He determine that Dorie is involved with his brother's disappearance. When he assaults Dorie, Victor storms in and the two fight. Sal is knocked against the cellar door and falls down the steps, breaking his neck. Dorie and Victor panic and in the face of snow storm head to the abandoned farm where they had hidden their still, determined to stage an automobile crash with the body. However they are marooned at farm.
The situation escalates when the sheriff rescues them and the brother's lovely wife appears to take the body back to Chicago.
The book is so well written that the story flows smoothly throughout - even when the wife begins to tell her story. Blending the storyteller views together the author does a remarkable job. When Victor goes to prison I felt that the book slowed and more transition would have helped. In addition, the ending was abrupt but appropriate.
It all falls apart when a strange man appears at the still, shoots Victor who returns the fire and kills him. Victor drives to Dorie's home, bleeding and needing help. Dorie takes care of him only to discover that he left a dead man at the still. She manages to drop the body into the lake. To complicate matters, she discovers that she has fallen in love with Victor. But nightmares haunt her sleep and a brother, Sal, comes looking for his brother. He determine that Dorie is involved with his brother's disappearance. When he assaults Dorie, Victor storms in and the two fight. Sal is knocked against the cellar door and falls down the steps, breaking his neck. Dorie and Victor panic and in the face of snow storm head to the abandoned farm where they had hidden their still, determined to stage an automobile crash with the body. However they are marooned at farm.
The situation escalates when the sheriff rescues them and the brother's lovely wife appears to take the body back to Chicago.
The book is so well written that the story flows smoothly throughout - even when the wife begins to tell her story. Blending the storyteller views together the author does a remarkable job. When Victor goes to prison I felt that the book slowed and more transition would have helped. In addition, the ending was abrupt but appropriate.
