Longlisted for the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction 2016.
1996 election night in Pleasantville, a suburb of Houston built in 1949 as a community for “Negro families of means and class”, home now to many who have been involved in marches for greater equality. The former police chief hopes to be the first black mayor but the District Attorney runs against him. Then a teenage girl disappears, the third, each found dead six days later. This one is no exception. A fellow is arrested and we follow his black lawyer, Jay’s involvement plus a host of strong characters. Very atmospheric with a real feel for the area and its people, this is both a political thriller and a murder mystery full of twists and turns set against the mayoral election campaign and compensation that is expected from an oil company for pollution, something that features in Jay’s first appearance in Black Water Rising.
Shortlisted for the Goldsboro Gold Dagger Award 2015.
Primary Genre | Thriller and Suspense |
Other Genres: | |
Recommendations: |