Book Review: The Cutting Season, by Attica Locke

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The Cutting Seasonis what I believe the British would refer to as a “ripping good yarn.” It haspretty much everything that makes for a highly enjoyable read, without eversacrificing the essential humanity of the story for sensationalism. This is atough balancing act, considering that this type of story, in this type ofsetting, has the potential to head rapidly into the territory of camp, butAttica Locke is a skilled writer and knows how to maintain the right balancethroughout.

The story is set in Louisiana, and the author makes the bestuse of the available ambience without ever laying it on too thick. Where someauthors might rely on the humid, swampy scenery as a kind of atmosphericcrutch, Locke weaves the setting in so seamlessly that it becomes an essentialpart of the story. Instead of having the trees creak or the fog creep at justthe right moment to create suspense, these activities occur so naturally thatyou don’t see the wizard behind the curtain so to speak. There’s a lovefor the landscape here that suggests an appreciation for Louisiana, instead ofa mere need for a ghostly setting. In terms of time setting, there's also a hat-tip to modernity, without making things too obvious (i.e., casual mentions of things like ear-buds for an iPod or someone favoring Sarah Palin as a candidate). Again, I can't stress how difficult this is to do without stripping away some of the ambience. The stage props, so to speak, are there to lend verisimilitude, but the moment the audience begins focusing on them is the moment the play ceases to capture the imagination and becomes a fairly absurd image of people just standing around talking to each other on a stage. Locke again finds the right balance to set the scene and create the mood without overdoing it.
What is more, the plantation house that is the setting forthe murder and represents the central figure around which the plot revolvesfits beautifully into the storyline without falling into the trap of becomingtrite. Locke avoids the danger of creating a modern-day of Tara and insteadbequeaths darker qualities to the house. In the process, the house becomes acharacter in its own right, much like Manderley in Rebecca. Everything begins and ends with Belle Vie: the oldplantation that sits along the banks of the Mississippi; that was witness tothe horrors of slavery and still has former slave cabins on the property (inone of which a body is found); that the main character grew up in, as thedaughter of the family’s cook, tried to escape from at one time in her life,and to which she eventually found herself being called back.
Locke also chooses to tell the story from the perspective ofBelle Vie’s manager, Caren Gray, the one who finds herself unable to sever ties with the home (and, as a result of it, the past) she both loves and loathes. The Cutting Season isn’t in first person, however. This is athird-person omniscience that gets the reader into Caren’s head and leavesenough room for unreliability to keep the reader wondering how the author willwork this mystery out. There isn't just the mystery of "whodunnit?" to solve. There's also the mystery of Caren's past, with small details sprinkled along the way to develop her character and create the complexity that composes most people. Additionally, using Caren as the primary focus allows theauthor to infuse the storyline with effective moments of tension and suspense,as when Caren herself becomes worried after the murder occurs on the property andbegins suspecting everything, checking in closets, etc. As a result, the authorcan show how the mystery is unraveled, instead of simply telling it.
And does it ever unravel. Locke maintains a consistentlyslow pace through the story – despite its opening with a body being discovered –revealing just enough at the right moments without showing her hand tooquickly. The pace fits the location, as those who have ever been to Louisianaknow. This is a place where you take things slowly, where you can break outinto a sweat just stepping out onto the front porch to get the mail. I wouldthrow something in here about how the story winds with as many twists and turnsas the mighty Mississippi, but that particular simile is so stale as to dolittle justice to Locke’s skills as a writer. This is a well-crafted, carefullypaced book that keeps the reader pleasantly along for the ride.
Highly recommended. In fact, I understand that Locke has aprevious book as well, Black Water Rising,which is going on my reading list. I’m not about to turn down another goodyarn.
Year of publication: 2012
Number of pages: 384