AN EXILE

In the county's living memory, he was the only honest sheriff they'd ever had. At forty-one, it's all he's got for self-image. Long ago, he'd lost the respect of his ambitious wife and his business failures were a matter of public record. But, he ran his office in the Tennessee moonshine territory according to the law until he met the moonshiner's daughter. His was a case of virtue untempted and in this sense the sheriff is Everyman. In powerful scenes, he tears off ever larger pieces from his integrity to protect her squalid family, going from simple cheating to possible murder and finally his own death. This is a modern morality tale, a very short novel with a hypnotic inexorable pace. All the story elements are simple and were drained of vitality first by dime novels, then Hollywood, and now TV. But a talented author has provided new strength with a printer's ink transfusion and presents good reading with excellent scenario possibilities.