The opening of Empty Mile was what I wanted so many other "Returning to home-town" stories to give. It pulls on visuals and senses to convey the energy and emotions of the protagonist. It has such vivid descriptions that suck you into the movements and it gets to the point without dumping exposition in barrel-fulls before you've had a chance to breathe. Empty Mile lets you slip into Johnnys' shoes and feel the run-down back street grit underfoot.

A highlight of the writing is the dialogue as a credit to the author flows smoothly, often times I found I could pick out who was talking just from the speech, and that gave them a real sense of voice and presence. Generally, the characters were incredibly well written and the story comes as a consequence of actions, believable ones at that.

Some parts of the descriptions could be a little repetitive, and a stronger female presence would have been appreciated, Marla specifically I would have liked to have felt more personality that didn't hitch on her feelings for or about Johnny. 

Nevertheless, this was an exceptionally well-written and atmospheric book for those who enjoy mystery and tragic domino effects.