Empire Falls by Richard Russo

This book was written by the same author as one I previously posted (The Bridge of Sighs) below. 
I thought "The Bridge of Sighs" was okay, but not great -- howeer I frequently read an author in more than one work before I jump to a conclusion.  In this case it was fortuitous.  "Empire Falls" was an excellent character study.  Humor with a bit of an underlying dark side and some surprises toward the end.