Nationally-bestselling, Edgar Award-winning author Eli Cranor lives and writes from the banks of Lake Dardanelle where he is the "Writer in Residence" at Arkansas Tech University.
He is the author of Don't Know Tough and Ozark Dogs, which were both named "Best Crime Novels" of the year by the New York Times, among others. Eli also pens a weekly column, "Where I'm Writing From" for the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, and his craft column, "Shop Talk," appears monthly at CrimeReads. To book an event or reach out to Eli directly, please use the "Contact" page. |
Gabriela Menchaca and Edwin Saucedo are hardworking, undocumented employees at the Detmer Foods chicken plant in Springdale, Arkansas, just a stone’s throw away from the trailer park where they’ve lived together for seven years. While dealing with personal tragedies of their own, the young couple endures the brutal, dehumanizing conditions at the plant in exchange for barebones pay.
When the plant manager, Luke Jackson, fires Edwin to set an example for the rest of the workers—and to show the higher-ups that he’s ready for a major promotion—Edwin is determined to get revenge on Luke and his wife, Mimi, a new mother who stays at home with her six-month-old son. Edwin’s impulsive action sets in motion a devastating chain of events that illuminates the deeply entrenched power dynamics between those who revel at the top and those who toil at the bottom.
From the nationally bestselling and Edgar Award–winning author of Don’t Know Tough and Ozark Dogs comes another edge-of-your-seat noir thriller that exposes the dark, bloody heart of life on the margins in the American South and the bleak underside of a bygone American Dream.
When the plant manager, Luke Jackson, fires Edwin to set an example for the rest of the workers—and to show the higher-ups that he’s ready for a major promotion—Edwin is determined to get revenge on Luke and his wife, Mimi, a new mother who stays at home with her six-month-old son. Edwin’s impulsive action sets in motion a devastating chain of events that illuminates the deeply entrenched power dynamics between those who revel at the top and those who toil at the bottom.
From the nationally bestselling and Edgar Award–winning author of Don’t Know Tough and Ozark Dogs comes another edge-of-your-seat noir thriller that exposes the dark, bloody heart of life on the margins in the American South and the bleak underside of a bygone American Dream.
Praise for Broiler
Deadly Pleasures Most Anticipated Mysteries and Thrillers of 2024
CrimeReads Most Anticipated Crime Novels of 2024
“Eli Cranor is one of the new big ‘uns. I don’t have the proper term for what he does with words, calm but knowing prose, and nearly Steinbeckian concern for his characters, their woes and petty victories, dreams and shitty jobs. There is conflict and tension and sorrow, but it’s his people who stick.”
—Daniel Woodrell, author of Winter’s Bone
“Not many writers would draw inspiration from such disparate subjects as postpartum anxiety and the squalid conditions in a chicken plant, and fewer still could do the two together justice, but Eli Cranor does one better: he makes them roar. Broiler is the most powerful kind of crime novel—relentlessly tense, ruthlessly observed, and deeply illuminating. It will sing you a lullaby as it grips you by the throat. I loved this novel.”
—Katie Gutierrez, author of More Than You’ll Ever Know
“Eli Cranor has a restless imagination that serves him—and his readers—well. Broiler is his latest Trojan Horse of a novel, a satisfying hunk of noir that tells us far more about the American South than those endless newspaper think pieces set in diners and gas stations. Want to understand what’s going on in the United States right now? Read Eli Cranor.”
—Laura Lippman, New York Times bestselling author of Prom Mom
“Eli Cranor proves all the promise of his Edgar-winning debut and doubles down on it with each new effort. Broiler is grit and muscle on the surface, but it hits deep, populated with characters who linger. Cranor delivers the thrills while in pursuit of bigger game, those special stories born at the intersection of desperation and hope. Don’t miss his work.”
—Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author of An Honest Man
“Broiler is the kind of dark, unflinching noir that readers will not be able to ignore, shedding light on the forgotten corners of the American South through the eyes of people so real they leap off the page. It’s hard to believe, but Cranor keeps getting better. His raw prose serves as the perfect messenger for a story that paints a bleak picture—weaving around you slowly before pulling you in tight and refusing to let go. Powerful.”
—Alex Segura, bestselling and award-winning author of Secret Identity and Alter Ego
“Taut, harrowing, and charged with profound insight, Broiler pushes four unforgettable characters to the brim. What happens when hard work isn’t enough? Exploring class, ambition, mobility, and desire, Eli Cranor uses bolts of linguistic electricity to show how the things we want can sometimes blind us.”
—Danya Kukafka, Edgar Award-winning author of Notes on an Execution
After his son is convicted of capital murder, Vietnam War veteran Jeremiah Fitzjurls takes over the care of his granddaughter, Joanna, raising her with as much warmth as can be found in an Ozark junkyard outfitted to be an armory. He teaches her how to shoot and fight, but there is not enough training in the world to protect her when the dreaded Ledfords, notorious meth dealers and fanatical white supremacists, come to collect on Joanna as payment for a long-overdue blood debt.
Headed by rancorous patriarch Bunn and smooth-talking, erudite Evail, the Ledfords have never forgotten what the Fitzjurls family did to them, and they will not be satisfied until they have taken an eye for an eye. As they seek revenge, and as Jeremiah desperately searches for his granddaughter, their narratives collide in this immersive story about family and how far some will go to honor, defend—or in some cases, destroy it.
Headed by rancorous patriarch Bunn and smooth-talking, erudite Evail, the Ledfords have never forgotten what the Fitzjurls family did to them, and they will not be satisfied until they have taken an eye for an eye. As they seek revenge, and as Jeremiah desperately searches for his granddaughter, their narratives collide in this immersive story about family and how far some will go to honor, defend—or in some cases, destroy it.
Praise for Ozark Dogs
A National Bestseller
A New York Times Best Crime Novel of 2023
The Guardian Best Crime and Thrillers of 2023
South Florida Sun-Sentinel Best Mystery Fiction of 2023
CrimeReads Best Crime Novels of 2023
CrimeReads Best Noir Fiction of 2023
A Financial Times Best Books of Summer
An ABA IndieNext Pick for April 2023
“Ozark Dogs is a gripping family drama that mixes murder with mistaken identity and hidden secrets. Each revelation shocked me more than the last. I simply could not put it down.”
—Brendan Slocumb, New York Times bestselling author of The Violin Conspiracy
“Raw, gritty, and darkly beautiful noir at its finest. Cranor digs deep into the hard places, the hard choices that crush and grind. And he does so with great tenderness for his flawed and broken characters as they seek revenge, cling to honor, and sacrifice everything for family. This is a writer to watch.”
—Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six
“Sweeps the reader in from the first page... Ozark Dogs is a gritty, authentic triumph, one howling to be turned into a film or TV series.”
—Financial Times
“[Ozark Dogs] finds poetry amid the darkness in the most unlikely of places... Like Woodrell, Cranor writes about people who, on the surface, might be called simple folks but are, in reality, complicated with complex motives and emotions.”
–Oline Cogdil, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“Ozark Dogs shows no sign of sophomore slump. It’s a relentless grit-noir thriller of family secrets, betrayals and the toxic marriage of addiction and violence.”
–Colette Bancroft, The Tampa Bay Times
“Eli Cranor has an eye for catfish coutnry and an ear for its voices. As Colt and Jeremiah embark on a life-or-death chase through the backwoods, Cranor stirs into the twisty mix white supremacists, crafty meth dealers and bloodhounds. Woof.”
–The Times (UK)
“Eli Cranor’ssuperb new novel Ozark Dogs tunnels into your brain with feverish power. A story of family burdens and dark legacies, it’s thrillingly told, deeply wrenching, not to be missed.”
—Megan Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of The Turnout
“A sophomore effort of remarkable scope and stride, Ozark Dogs is a saga of blood spilt and blood owed, which at its bones reveals how far we will go to protect the ones we love. Eli Cranor is a fire that is growing.”
—David Joy, author of The Line That Held Us
“Eli Cranor writes about his people and his place with a bloodred certainty and a careful eye toward the things that both bind us together and tear us apart. Ozark Dogs does not compromise one single beat.”
—Michael Farris Smith, author of Nick and The Fighter
“Whatever darkness lives in the space between a finger and a trigger also lives in the pages of Ozark Dogs. A tale of blood, guilt, family, and murder, this one will move from the junkyard straight into your heart. Cranor is one of the South’s best contemporary chroniclers, and his keen eye is on full display here.”
—Gabino Iglesias, author of The Devil Takes You Home
“Scorching country noir... There is not one character on either side of the family divide who doesn't bring the reader up short by displaying an unexpected layer of complexity—and even, sometimes, compassion. In only his second novel, Cranor has transformed a familiar noir theme into a multidimensional tragedy of great power and beauty.”
—Booklist, Starred Review
“A rural noir masterpiece.”
—Crime Fiction Lover
“The author has a superior gift for capturing the cadences and feel of Southern small towns. Greg Iles fans will be eager for Cranor’s next.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A feud between Arkansas families escalates with the fury of Greek tragedy... Family loyalty, young love, honoring the dead—they’re all here, and they all go terribly wrong.”
—Kirkus Reviews
A National Bestseller
A New York Times Best Crime Novel of 2023
The Guardian Best Crime and Thrillers of 2023
South Florida Sun-Sentinel Best Mystery Fiction of 2023
CrimeReads Best Crime Novels of 2023
CrimeReads Best Noir Fiction of 2023
A Financial Times Best Books of Summer
An ABA IndieNext Pick for April 2023
“Ozark Dogs is a gripping family drama that mixes murder with mistaken identity and hidden secrets. Each revelation shocked me more than the last. I simply could not put it down.”
—Brendan Slocumb, New York Times bestselling author of The Violin Conspiracy
“Raw, gritty, and darkly beautiful noir at its finest. Cranor digs deep into the hard places, the hard choices that crush and grind. And he does so with great tenderness for his flawed and broken characters as they seek revenge, cling to honor, and sacrifice everything for family. This is a writer to watch.”
—Lisa Unger, New York Times bestselling author of Secluded Cabin Sleeps Six
“Sweeps the reader in from the first page... Ozark Dogs is a gritty, authentic triumph, one howling to be turned into a film or TV series.”
—Financial Times
“[Ozark Dogs] finds poetry amid the darkness in the most unlikely of places... Like Woodrell, Cranor writes about people who, on the surface, might be called simple folks but are, in reality, complicated with complex motives and emotions.”
–Oline Cogdil, South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“Ozark Dogs shows no sign of sophomore slump. It’s a relentless grit-noir thriller of family secrets, betrayals and the toxic marriage of addiction and violence.”
–Colette Bancroft, The Tampa Bay Times
“Eli Cranor has an eye for catfish coutnry and an ear for its voices. As Colt and Jeremiah embark on a life-or-death chase through the backwoods, Cranor stirs into the twisty mix white supremacists, crafty meth dealers and bloodhounds. Woof.”
–The Times (UK)
“Eli Cranor’ssuperb new novel Ozark Dogs tunnels into your brain with feverish power. A story of family burdens and dark legacies, it’s thrillingly told, deeply wrenching, not to be missed.”
—Megan Abbott, New York Times bestselling author of The Turnout
“A sophomore effort of remarkable scope and stride, Ozark Dogs is a saga of blood spilt and blood owed, which at its bones reveals how far we will go to protect the ones we love. Eli Cranor is a fire that is growing.”
—David Joy, author of The Line That Held Us
“Eli Cranor writes about his people and his place with a bloodred certainty and a careful eye toward the things that both bind us together and tear us apart. Ozark Dogs does not compromise one single beat.”
—Michael Farris Smith, author of Nick and The Fighter
“Whatever darkness lives in the space between a finger and a trigger also lives in the pages of Ozark Dogs. A tale of blood, guilt, family, and murder, this one will move from the junkyard straight into your heart. Cranor is one of the South’s best contemporary chroniclers, and his keen eye is on full display here.”
—Gabino Iglesias, author of The Devil Takes You Home
“Scorching country noir... There is not one character on either side of the family divide who doesn't bring the reader up short by displaying an unexpected layer of complexity—and even, sometimes, compassion. In only his second novel, Cranor has transformed a familiar noir theme into a multidimensional tragedy of great power and beauty.”
—Booklist, Starred Review
“A rural noir masterpiece.”
—Crime Fiction Lover
“The author has a superior gift for capturing the cadences and feel of Southern small towns. Greg Iles fans will be eager for Cranor’s next.”
—Publishers Weekly
“A feud between Arkansas families escalates with the fury of Greek tragedy... Family loyalty, young love, honoring the dead—they’re all here, and they all go terribly wrong.”
—Kirkus Reviews
WINNER OF THE EDGAR AWARD
Trent Powers relocates his family from Anaheim to Arkansas to take over as head coach of the Denton Pirates, a high school football team powered by a volatile but talented running back named Billy Lowe. Billy comes from an extremely troubled home: a trailer park where he is terrorized by his unstable mother’s abusive boyfriend. Billy takes out his anger on the field, and it’s not long before he crosses a line. Instead of punishing him, though, Trent takes Billy into his home, hoping to protect his star player as the Pirates begin their playoff run. But when Billy’s abuser is found murdered, nothing can stop an explosive chain of violence that could tear the town apart.
Trent Powers relocates his family from Anaheim to Arkansas to take over as head coach of the Denton Pirates, a high school football team powered by a volatile but talented running back named Billy Lowe. Billy comes from an extremely troubled home: a trailer park where he is terrorized by his unstable mother’s abusive boyfriend. Billy takes out his anger on the field, and it’s not long before he crosses a line. Instead of punishing him, though, Trent takes Billy into his home, hoping to protect his star player as the Pirates begin their playoff run. But when Billy’s abuser is found murdered, nothing can stop an explosive chain of violence that could tear the town apart.
Praise for Don't Know Tough
Winner of Edgar Award for Best First Novel
Winner of the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest
Finalist for the Anthony Award for Best First Novel
Finalist for the 2022 Dashiell Hammett Award
Nominated for the Lefty Award for Best Debut Mystery Novel
Nominated for the 2023 Strand Magazine Award for Best Debut
Nominated for the Barry Award for Best Debut Mystery or Crime Novel
A New York Times Book Review Best Crime Novel of 2022
A USA Today Best Book of 2022
A CrimeReads Best Crime Novel of 2022
CrimeReads The Best Noir Fiction of 2022
An Amazon Editors' Pick
CrimeReads Most Anticipated Books of 2022
New York Post Top Reads for the Week
CrimeReads Best New Crime Fiction of March
An Arkansas Center for the Book "Arkansas Gems" Selection
“Eli Cranor’s top-shelf debut, Don’t Know Tough, is Southern noir at its finest, a cauldron of terrible choices and even more terrible outcomes . . . There is a raw ferocity to Cranor’s prose, perfectly in keeping with the novel’s examination of curdling masculinity.”
—Sarah Weinman, The New York Times Book Review
“Readers may think they know what happened, but Cranor has some twists in store—in a plot that calls to mind Megan Abbott’s depictions of claustrophobic competitive cultures. A former quarterback who coached for five years at an Arkansas high school, Cranor brings an insider’s understanding of the game, the region and human nature.”
—Paula Woods, Los Angeles Times
“Compelling . . . Don't Know Tough leads to an astounding, perfectly noir finale as Cranor shows that sometimes good intentions are thwarted by reality. Cranor is an author to watch.”
—Oline Cogdil, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“[A] brilliant debut . . . which is less “Friday Night Lights” and more a Daniel Woodrell Ozark gothic noir . . . Don’t Know Tough takes the adage of “Faith, Family, and Football” and reveals it to be a vicious canard, or at least a decent cover for the common failings of god and men, the violence on the field an acceptable proxy for the violence that exists behind closed doors. A major work from a bright, young talent.”
--USA Today, **** out of **** stars
"Imagine a noir Friday Night Lights written by a cross between Megan Abbott and Harry Crews, and you'll get close to what Eli Cranor's pulled off in Don't Know Tough. It's propulsive, twisty, and unputdownable. Cranor cracks open the complex world of high school football in small town Arkansas, giving us characters who are at once savage and tender and tragic, who are capable of acts of great bravery and betrayal. This is a book that shocks us into a new way of seeing. It's lean, muscled up, no-holds-barred noir. I feel lucky to have read it."
—William Boyle, author of Gravesend, The Lonely Witness, A Friend Is a Gift You GiveYourself, and City of Margins
"Don't Know Tough is a searing and stunningly poignant study in what makes us and what breaks us and ultimately what brings us to a place of peace. Eli Cranor is that rare writer who can make you gasp, cry and cheer often in the same paragraph.”
—S.A. Cosby, New York Times best selling author of Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland
“Don't Know Tough is a powerful and moving debut. Eli Cranor's writing is honest and unflinching. But what ultimately elevates this novel is its surprising tenderness. I read it in one sitting, and it'll stay with me.”
—James Kestrel, author of Five Decembers, Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel
“Eli Cranor rockets to the top of the writer-to-watch lists with this debut. Gritty, emotional writing and a deep knowledge of the pain and pride that play out beneath Friday night lights make Don't Know Tough a gripping, memorable read. I can't wait to see what Cranor does next.”
—Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author of Never Far Away
“Complex and compelling . . . It's as though young Southern Noir kingpins Ace Atkins and S.A. Cosby decided they needed a third badass to complete a supergroup of Deep South crime fiction beyond measure.”
—The Day
“Don’t Know Tough explores the nexus of class, race, language, and poverty in pushing ordinary teens to brutal acts, and ordinary coaches towards brutal commands. A star player is causing problems for his new coach, who’s got one last chance to make it back into his coaching star father-in-law’s good graces. The coach thinks he’s mentoring the kid. What he’s actually doing is far darker.”
—CrimeReads
“The comparison to 'Friday Night Lights' will jump out at readers of this hard-as-nails debut thriller, but, in fact, beyond the thematic link to high-school football, the two stories live in very different worlds. In the celebrated TV show, there is a sense of possibility; in Cranor's novel, as in the best genuine noirs, there is only inevitability.”
—Booklist, Starred Review
“A first novel bristling with dangerous energy . . . Friday Night Darks.”
—Kirkus Reviews
Winner of Edgar Award for Best First Novel
Winner of the Peter Lovesey First Crime Novel Contest
Finalist for the Anthony Award for Best First Novel
Finalist for the 2022 Dashiell Hammett Award
Nominated for the Lefty Award for Best Debut Mystery Novel
Nominated for the 2023 Strand Magazine Award for Best Debut
Nominated for the Barry Award for Best Debut Mystery or Crime Novel
A New York Times Book Review Best Crime Novel of 2022
A USA Today Best Book of 2022
A CrimeReads Best Crime Novel of 2022
CrimeReads The Best Noir Fiction of 2022
An Amazon Editors' Pick
CrimeReads Most Anticipated Books of 2022
New York Post Top Reads for the Week
CrimeReads Best New Crime Fiction of March
An Arkansas Center for the Book "Arkansas Gems" Selection
“Eli Cranor’s top-shelf debut, Don’t Know Tough, is Southern noir at its finest, a cauldron of terrible choices and even more terrible outcomes . . . There is a raw ferocity to Cranor’s prose, perfectly in keeping with the novel’s examination of curdling masculinity.”
—Sarah Weinman, The New York Times Book Review
“Readers may think they know what happened, but Cranor has some twists in store—in a plot that calls to mind Megan Abbott’s depictions of claustrophobic competitive cultures. A former quarterback who coached for five years at an Arkansas high school, Cranor brings an insider’s understanding of the game, the region and human nature.”
—Paula Woods, Los Angeles Times
“Compelling . . . Don't Know Tough leads to an astounding, perfectly noir finale as Cranor shows that sometimes good intentions are thwarted by reality. Cranor is an author to watch.”
—Oline Cogdil, The South Florida Sun-Sentinel
“[A] brilliant debut . . . which is less “Friday Night Lights” and more a Daniel Woodrell Ozark gothic noir . . . Don’t Know Tough takes the adage of “Faith, Family, and Football” and reveals it to be a vicious canard, or at least a decent cover for the common failings of god and men, the violence on the field an acceptable proxy for the violence that exists behind closed doors. A major work from a bright, young talent.”
--USA Today, **** out of **** stars
"Imagine a noir Friday Night Lights written by a cross between Megan Abbott and Harry Crews, and you'll get close to what Eli Cranor's pulled off in Don't Know Tough. It's propulsive, twisty, and unputdownable. Cranor cracks open the complex world of high school football in small town Arkansas, giving us characters who are at once savage and tender and tragic, who are capable of acts of great bravery and betrayal. This is a book that shocks us into a new way of seeing. It's lean, muscled up, no-holds-barred noir. I feel lucky to have read it."
—William Boyle, author of Gravesend, The Lonely Witness, A Friend Is a Gift You GiveYourself, and City of Margins
"Don't Know Tough is a searing and stunningly poignant study in what makes us and what breaks us and ultimately what brings us to a place of peace. Eli Cranor is that rare writer who can make you gasp, cry and cheer often in the same paragraph.”
—S.A. Cosby, New York Times best selling author of Razorblade Tears and Blacktop Wasteland
“Don't Know Tough is a powerful and moving debut. Eli Cranor's writing is honest and unflinching. But what ultimately elevates this novel is its surprising tenderness. I read it in one sitting, and it'll stay with me.”
—James Kestrel, author of Five Decembers, Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel
“Eli Cranor rockets to the top of the writer-to-watch lists with this debut. Gritty, emotional writing and a deep knowledge of the pain and pride that play out beneath Friday night lights make Don't Know Tough a gripping, memorable read. I can't wait to see what Cranor does next.”
—Michael Koryta, New York Times bestselling author of Never Far Away
“Complex and compelling . . . It's as though young Southern Noir kingpins Ace Atkins and S.A. Cosby decided they needed a third badass to complete a supergroup of Deep South crime fiction beyond measure.”
—The Day
“Don’t Know Tough explores the nexus of class, race, language, and poverty in pushing ordinary teens to brutal acts, and ordinary coaches towards brutal commands. A star player is causing problems for his new coach, who’s got one last chance to make it back into his coaching star father-in-law’s good graces. The coach thinks he’s mentoring the kid. What he’s actually doing is far darker.”
—CrimeReads
“The comparison to 'Friday Night Lights' will jump out at readers of this hard-as-nails debut thriller, but, in fact, beyond the thematic link to high-school football, the two stories live in very different worlds. In the celebrated TV show, there is a sense of possibility; in Cranor's novel, as in the best genuine noirs, there is only inevitability.”
—Booklist, Starred Review
“A first novel bristling with dangerous energy . . . Friday Night Darks.”
—Kirkus Reviews