Review by Booklist Review
This scalding, shocking history-inspired mystery pits a young Black woman private eye eye against the forces of the Dixie Mafia in 1985 Mississippi, in a town known as Queen City. In a heart-stopping opening, jail inmate Turnip Coogan plunges to his death from the jail's rooftop. Private eye Clementine Baldwin is surprised when Turnip's mother (who reveals her racism with every off-hand remark to Clem), hires her not only to find out who caused Turnip to jump off that roof, but also to clear his name of the murder of the town's most prominent (and corrupt) real estate developer. Clem, a former cop, is principled, tough, and canny; tired of the ever-roiling racism she encounters, she hires a white Vietnam veteran as an assistant to help intercept it. Much of the story is told from Clem's comic, cynical view of the town, while a more chilling point of view is provided by a contract killer driving up from Louisiana, assigned by the Dixie Mafia to put an end to Clem's investigation. The mix of details about the omnipresent Dixie Mafia and an action-packed plot conveys a pulverizing atmosphere where everyone, including cops and city officials, share a secret, evil bond.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
A biracial PI unearths political corruption in this witty and insightful mystery from Wright (American Pop). In 1985 Meridian, Miss., Clementine "Clem" Baldwin and her associate, Dixon Hicks, are approached by Lenora Coogan, whose son, Turnip, has died trying to escape from the county jail where he was being held for the murder of real estate developer Randall Hubbard. Though witnesses saw Turnip fall off the jail's roof, Lenora is convinced he was murdered; she also believes he was wrongly imprisoned, despite strong evidence that he carried out the hit on behalf of Hubbard's wife. Lenora's case is thin, but Clem and Dixon take it anyway, heading to the mansions of Hubbard's associates and the trailer parks of Turnip's peers as they slowly unravel a deadly conspiracy being perpetrated by the Dixie Mafia, whose members sit in the highest ranks of local government. Wright elevates his premise with wry humor ("Meridian, Mississippi... billed itself as the state's 'Queen City,' but had, in recent decades, become more of a countess or a baronet") and a keen awareness of the South's racial dynamics. This has series potential. Agent: Eve Atterman, WME. (Aug.)Correction: A previous version of this review incorrectly identified the author as a journalist.
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Review by Library Journal Review
Wright's (American Pop; Play Pretty Blues) third novel is set in 1980s Meridian, MS, where biracial ex-cop Clementine Baldwin and white Vietnam vet Dixon Hicks are partners in the Queen City Detective Agency. They take cases that other detectives turn down, including the investigation into Turnip Coogan's death in jail. Facing 20 to life for the murder of a real-estate developer, Coogan swore he was innocent. He claimed that the developer's widow hired him to kill her husband but then called off the hit. When Coogan's death is ruled a suicide, his grieving mother hires Clem to prove that her son was murdered. Soon the partners are tangled in a case that moves from the jail to trailer parks to mansions to the country club, all overlooked by the Dixie Mafia, a powerful group that is rumored to be descended from the KKK. VERDICT While the historical mystery is slow-moving at times, it evokes the atmosphere and tension of the 1980s American South, emphasizing the rage and emotions of a woman of color who's faced with the political clout of ruthless white power brokers.--Lesa Holstine
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