Is Chris Offutt one of Kentucky’s greatest literary sons? Plenty of evidence for that — if your eye has the range to take it all in. He’s delivered consistently with high-quality memoirs, short fiction and journalistic essays and even television screenplays (“True Blood,” “Weeds”). And now, for the first time in quite a while, Offutt’s back to novels. “Country Dark” is an Appalachian noir with laudable distinctions. Presented in sections that cross decades, this tale definitely doesn’t hold back from delivering grit (and violence) as well as hard-won grace. It’s all told with a realistic feel and a vivid voice that understand Kentucky — no matter where the author currently keeps his address. —T.E. Lyons