In Nobody Knows Where Frank Hutchison Is Buried by Richard Siciliano, with a distant relationship with his mother and never knowing his father, Frank Hutchinson has ambitions to become an historical novelist. However, the Vietnam war still rages on and military enlistment beckons. Determined as ever not to conform, Frank decides he must leave New York after college and live a more peaceful life away from society and pursue his dreams. He convinces friends Laurie and Dick to join him. Laurie’s friend Cindy also wants in on the adventure, to hopefully free herself of her drug habit and her ex-boyfriend, Wood Conway. As they arrive in Scottstown, they meet a local landlord who offers them a place to stay and employment in his second-hand store. Frank, now using the alias Peter Sanchez, and in a relationship with Cindy, is struggling with the research for his novel, and decides a more lucrative way of making a living is to grow marijuana in the woods nearby and sell it secretly to Conway. Peter’s life seems to be going to plan until Spikes, a social worker, arrives in the town and has plans to change it from an impoverished community to a tourist attraction. As friendships start to end, Peter reevaluates his life once more, just as someone makes a discovery that could bring his whole life crashing down.

The author has a definite knack of writing in such a way that captures the essence of the characters' personalities. The story line has been created with passion and care, and although it is quite a long book, I read it easily. I thought the characters were well rounded and the dialogue perfect for their personalities, and this made it easy to relate to them. Peter and Cindy s relationship was endearing but quite sad, as they were two lonely souls brought together by circumstances. I became caught up in the characters' everyday lives, and this is a great testament to the author's writing ability. I loved Peter as a character; he had a good nature but I feel his upbringing caused his continual search for a place to belong. The part of the novel where Conway and Peter meet sent shivers down my spine. It was an excellent example of a psychological game of cat and mouse. The ending was superb and I am intrigued as to where Peter's life takes him in the next novel. Overall, a great story for anyone who loves their characters and story lines to have many layers.

Nobody Knows Where Frank Hutchison Is Buried is a work of dramatic life story style fiction, penned by author Richard Siciliano. In this tale of a young man thrown about by the realities of life, we meet our central ‘hero’ Frank Hutchison when he aspires to become much more than his humble roots suggest. Looking up to the legendary blues singer with whom he shares his name, Frank attempts to become a historian, but circumstances don’t play out that way. Eventually, Frank and his college friends attempt to go off the grid to pursue their dreams, but land themselves in the middle of a turf war and a drug scandal that they never intended to be part of.

Author Richard Siciliano writes with humour and pathos about a life gone wrong in this flowing narrative that drives us from one disaster to another. I didn’t find Frank Hutchison to be a particularly warm or endearing main character, but the decisions he makes in his life certainly leave a lot of room for comedy, and his ensemble of strange friends with their own personal struggles made for a colourful cast to sink your teeth into. I really enjoyed the almost caricature-like quality of the villainous Mike Spikes, the slum landlord, and the novel’s conclusion was a true cataclysm of amusing misdemeanors and some poignant realizations for Frank and his friends. Overall, if you’re seeking an easy and pleasant read with plenty of pathos, I’d recommend Nobody Knows Where Frank Hutchison Is Buried.