THE END OF VANDALISM by Tom...

THE END OF VANDALISM by Tom Drury (Fawcett/Columbine: $11; 321 pp.). Drury’s quirky portrait of life in fictional Grouse County captures the charm--and claustrophobia--of rural America. His vision of life in tiny Midwestern towns has the feel of a story relayed over the back fence or whispered at a church supper. Everyone in Grouse County knows that Louise Darling has divorced her ne’er-do-well husband, Tiny, and taken up with lawman Dan Norman; everyone there is in constant communication. Drury has found rich material in this region.