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3.97 AVERAGE
3.97 AVERAGE
This book was super interesting and I learned a ton about an era where I knew very little.
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Good book. Reminded me a lot of LA Confidential, the film. I've never read the novel. I always enjoy reading about Atlanta history and Andre Holland was a delight as the narrator.
In this historical mystery set in 1948, the city of Atlanta hires its first black police officers. They are not allowed to work out of the same building as their white colleagues, based instead in a makeshift precinct in the basement of the Negro YMCA. Their police powers are limited, but when a young black woman is found dead and no one else seems to care, officers Smith and Boggs initiate an investigation that puts them and others in grave danger. This is a beautifully written and powerful novel that still resonates today.
the final 100 pages were non stop bop. A historical commentary on race and needed reform in 1940s Atlanta Police Department. It is a crime thriller with some very dynamic characters. It is a definite read recommendation.
hopeful
informative
mysterious
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I picked up the audiobook version of this at the library because it was read by Andre Holland who was so good in Moonlight. So I came into it knowing nothing about the author or book. It was quite good -- stronger as a historical novel than a mystery. The mystery is a slow burn as some of Atlanta's first African American police officers dig into political corruption when they discover the death of a young black maid. The book alternates from the perspective of black characters and a set of white cops (one racist and corrupt, the other a more idealistic WWII vet). Mullen makes the time period and setting vibrant -- he's great with atmosphere. But the mystery felt a like it was less interesting to him. A good meandering read, but not a propulsive page turner.
Thomas Mullen is quickly turning into one of my favorite writers. How he manages to write so many different genres and settings and do them so well, I'll never know. Darktown is different from his other books, but shares solid plot, characterization, and research.
Darktown is not an easy read. I had to put the book down many times and read it in small chunks. Mullen does a beautiful job but the reality of the content is very hard to take. It's fiction but all things that could have happened (and likely did). It's 1948 and the city of Atlanta has just hired its very first Black cops, 8 of them. They are treated like completely crap by the police department and the white cops, only slightly better than the white cops treat the black citizens they are policing.
There is a murder mystery at the core of the book and, once that gets going, the book is much easier to read. The characters are just as put upon but at least there is positive movement forward.
Darktown is not an easy read. I had to put the book down many times and read it in small chunks. Mullen does a beautiful job but the reality of the content is very hard to take. It's fiction but all things that could have happened (and likely did). It's 1948 and the city of Atlanta has just hired its very first Black cops, 8 of them. They are treated like completely crap by the police department and the white cops, only slightly better than the white cops treat the black citizens they are policing.
There is a murder mystery at the core of the book and, once that gets going, the book is much easier to read. The characters are just as put upon but at least there is positive movement forward.
Not only a captivating mystery, but a vivid look at local Atlanta and rural Georgia's racist history. The first black police in Atlanta and the issues they confront on and off the job are as heart wrenching as they are fascinating.
I wasn't nearly as impressed as it seems other readers were: Full review here