The Boys from Biloxi by John Grisham

 Keith and Hugh are childhood friends in Biloxi, Miss. They both play baseball and have dreams of a great sailing adventure together. But Hugh's father becomes a crime boss and Hugh is attracted to the money, the girls, the danger. Keith's father becomes a lawyer then DA and Keith can't wait to follow in his footsteps. So they grow apart--but their paths are destined to cross in the future.

Truthfully, I thought the beginning of the book was a little slow. But the second half was the John Grisham storytelling we're come to know and love. He gives well-drawn portraits of the main characters and a good sense of both life in Biloxi and life at the dreaded Parchman Prison.