Black Water Rising

Is this my first great crime novel read of the year? I think it is. Black Water Rising is superb. Set in Houston in the early eighties, it begins when Jay Porter--a struggling ambulance-chaser and traumatized former idealist--takes his wife, Bernie, on a late-night boat ride through the bayou as a bi......more

I very much enjoyed the textured approach Locke brought to the creation of many of her characters, especially her protagonist, and the authentic feel she brought to her depiction of early-80’s boomtown Houston. The pacing was a bit all over the place, and the plotting could have been a bit more eleg......more

3.5 stars - The writing in this is just *chef's kiss*. So evocative, so immersive! I wasn't totally sold on the mystery/suspense plot itself (it felt very Grisham-esque, and that's just not my go-to), but this is a slow burning noir tale of racial injustice, political dealing, and reconciling your p......more

In this adroit debut thriller, Attica Locke delivers the goods with an understated and assured confidence. The cadence, as well as the story, is brisk and balanced. She avoids the pitfalls of many debut authors, i.e. the prose is not self-conscious or cloying, and the story develops with a natural e......more

There aren't very many African American mystery writers out there, so this novel was a welcome surprise. The author really did her research. The plot was well executed, with tidbits of historical relevance that helped set the stage. The main character, a tortured soul, complex and yet compelling, ha......more