Excerpt from Sweetland by Michael Crummey, plus links to reviews, author biography & more

Duke eased into the empty chair across from Sweetland. Both men stared at the board, like they expected one of those wooden figures to move of its own accord and were determined not to miss it. Duke cleared his throat. "There's some saying they'll burn you out if you don't take that package."

"Some who?"

"It was just talk."

"You heard someone saying they was going to burn me out?"

"Not direct, like," Duke said. "There's people have heard it spoke of."

"Well, they can all kiss my arse."

"People are getting worked up, Mose. A hundred grand is a lot of money."

Sweetland stared at Duke, trying to read what he was saying exactly. If there was a message from someone being passed on second-hand. He said, "You think I should take the package?"

Duke raised his eyes. "You remember what come of the last bit of advice I offered you." He let out a breath of air and gestured toward the board. "You got a move or you just going to stare?"

Sweetland stood up. "Needs to have a think on it," he said.

"I got plenty of newspaper to get through yet."

Sweetland turned back at the door. "Don't you let Loveless touch that board," he said.

Excerpted from Sweetland: A Novel by Michael Crummey. Copyright © 2014 by Michael Crummey Ink, Inc. First American Edition 2015. With permission of the publisher, Liveright Publishing Corporation. All rights reserved.