Judgment Day

"Judgment Day" is a literary thriller set in fictional Oakdale, Mississippi. Bud Crisler, a legendary high school football coach, returns to his tiny alma mater and puts the school back on the map, winning a series of state titles and becoming the toast of the town in the process. But Gary Quinn, now an Oakdale police officer, was humiliated when he was cut from Crisler's first squad. Still angry (and carrying the torch for his late father, who was picked on by Crisler and his friends in high school a generation ago), Quinn carries out an extortion plot when he learns of Crisler's secrets. Subplots involving an alcoholic hairdresser, a high school principal and an ex-jock turned car salesman all come together as Quinn tightens the screws against his former coach on the eve of a crucial playoff game. A highly atmospheric Southern novel, loaded with passionate characters whose flaws make them all the more relatable.