Salt River finds its ex-cop/ex-con/ex-therapist protagonist John Turner serving as de facto sheriff of the small town outside Memphis that he's come to think of as home (the actual sheriff, Lonnie Bates having, for all intents and purposes, retired). The town, however, has succumbed to the ravages of time and decay. Like so many other people and things in Turner's life, the place is dying.
The Set-up
An auto accident involving Bates' wayward son is the inciting event for this story, which (as with the previous Turner books) serves as more of an excuse for conjuring up the ghosts of Turner's past than a traditional narrative. However, a narrative is implied within the scenarios cobbled together in this book – some from Turner's experiences as a therapist, some from his time in prison, others involving various people and situations in the present.
Themes of Loss, Decay and Death
The mystery storyline, such as it is, comes out in fits and starts. In fact, the plot details emerge almost at random, appropos perhaps for a series that emphasizes life's random qualities. As such, the plot can be difficult (if not impossible) to follow, but for those who appreciate insightful, beautiful prose, it hardly matters. The narrative takes a back seat to the writing itself, along with the themes of loss, decay and death recurring throughout the book, as represented by Turner's own losses, as well as those of people he's known.
As in the previous book, Cripple Creek, the town's various eccentric characters, as well as an odd commune living in the woods outside town, play parts in the story. And town doctor/mortician Doc Oldham serves as Turner's confidante and a kind of one-man Greek chorus, giving voice to the sense of desperation and inevitable change (none of it good) that pervades the tale.
A Fitting Conclusion
Those who read mysteries seeking a strong plot and whodunnit angle may be disappointed by this one. Salt River is most notable for Sallis' exemplary writing – taut, yet elegant – plus his vivid description and characterization. Uncompromising in its stark portrayal of the ways in which all things must deteriorate and eventually end, the book engages the reader with rich details and stunning insights from its loner-turned-lawman protagonist and brings the Turner Trilogy to a wholly fitting, if somber, conclusion.
The Turner Trilogy has been reissued as a single volume, titled What You Have Left Walker & Company (December 2008), ISBN: 978-0-8027-1687-3.
Salt River Walker & Company (December 2007), ISBN: 978-0-8027-1617-0
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