Good mystery uncovering inter-racial dramas during the big push for African-American voter registration in the South just before Voting Rights Legislation became law.
In the 1960’s a young, white woman helps followers of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. canvas and organize new voters. It’s considered an appalling act in her small Southern community. How dare a barely twenty-something, sheltered white woman mingle with—much less build relationships with those “coloreds?” And Lord have mercy, how could she possibly fall in love with a “colored” man?
Surely she had gone mad, lost her mind! Lots of mean-spirited, unrelenting gaslighting takes place as family and neighbors pressure her to change her liberal ways.
Within a month, hatred, prejudice and unbridled outage spurs violence, broken-hearts and a repugnant crime. Though there are suspects aplenty, no one is held accountable….for decades. In fact, the crime wasn’t considered worth investigating for a sheriff who mingled in his off hours with the Klan. (You get the picture.)
Not until 2010 is the small town case of criminal bigotry finally unearthed and solved by injured family members demanding answers. In the process of excavating secrets upon insidious secrets, families and community members are torn apart and the danger and vindictiveness
of “tribal thinking” is exposed.
Once the truth reaches the light of day, fresh starts begin for those whose lives were most impacted —and even destroyed—by racists gone mad.
Plot twists and a slow reveal hold interest. It’s up to the reader to decide if adequate justice —or sense of peace—was achieved.
This sounds like a winner with parallels to today. Thanks for posting.