Three Times Lucky

Content Warning: This section of the guide includes discussion of death.

In Tupelo Landing, everyone knows each other and supports one another. Mo notes how this can be either a good or bad thing, depending on a person’s perspective: “Miss Lana says the good thing about living in a small town is everybody knows your business, and they pitch in. The Colonel says the bad thing about living in a small town is everybody knows your business, and they pitch in. It cuts both ways” (35). 

In the town, life is predictable and slow. Therefore, when a detective shows up announcing a murder, it puts everyone on edge. People are initially unwelcoming of Detective Starr and suspicious of his intentions. Turnage uses a simile to describe the growing sense of claustrophobia, a simile being where something is compared to something else using “like” or “as.” In this case, the townspeople watch one another more than ever, revolving “around each other like planets around an invisible sun” (159). During the investigation, the town wants to know everything that’s going on, and Mo falls into the capable hands of Miss Rose when Miss Lana and the Colonel go missing. Though the town’s residents can feel too close for comfort, they also act like a supportive and loving safety net.