With his signature crackling prose, literary master Chris Offutt has staked out his own territory in crime fiction, a place of familial allegiances, old wounds, and revenge — the code of the hills. His new book, a sharp, twisty southern noir with echoes of James Sallis and Daniel Woodrell, will force Mick to face up to the way of life he thought he’d escaped.
Chris Offutt is the author of two collections of short stories, three memoirs, and six novels. His books have been translated into 12 languages and won four international awards. His most recent work is the acclaimed Mick Hardin series from Grove-Atlantic. He also wrote screenplays for True Blood, Weeds, and Treme. He is the recipient of a Pushcart Prize, a Guggenheim Fellowship, an NEA grant, and a Lannan Fellowship. He received an award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters for “prose that takes risks.” His work is included in many anthologies including Best American Short Stories, Best American Essays, Best American Food Writing, and Modern American Memoirs. He has taught in a number of MFA programs including the Iowa Writers’ Workshop and is professor emeritus at the University of Mississippi. He grew up in the hills of eastern Kentucky and lives in Iowa City, Iowa.