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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
2nd in the series and this book was just as good as the first. Very believable storyline following Atlanta police officers just beginning to integrate and of course some whites just don't like that. The Columbians (also hate blacks) think the KKK is not doing enough to keep blacks out of white neighborhoods. White cops are on the take, helping drugs move easily into black neighborhoods and then wondering why blacks are so violent.
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
So incredibly rich with story, character, tension. Historically phenomenal. I can't wait for the next one in the series.
I enjoyed Darktown a lot. I'm pretty sure I read it in less than two days. Going into this book, I was nervous that it would be too similar to Darktown. I think the author knew that the reader would be nervous, which is why we went too far in the other direction. 85% of this book was crafting an elaborate string of mysteries that got so tedious to keep track of. The resolution divided up the questions I had into two mystery solutions which were barely connected, making me wonder how I would describe the plot of this book if someone asked me too. There were positives- I thought that the character development of Boggs, Rakestraw, and McInnis into more complex characters was very well done. Otherwise, it was a convoluted mess of a mystery with only a somewhat satisfying resolution.
Good book, intense and hard to read at times due to the nature of the subject matter, but solid all the way through.
challenging
dark
informative
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Mullen maintained the historical crime book angle, in the second book of the series, with story lines that end up tied together. Examining the moral code each person has, and where does each of us draws the line. Examining race relations, customs vs morals, economic and class tensions, all within this small area of Atlanta. The racist attitudes and customs are painful to listen to, and yet are crucial to the development of the story and the characters.
The book feels timely and relevant to today’s headlines, as racial tension is still a thing in America.
The narrator of the audiobook is excellent.
The book feels timely and relevant to today’s headlines, as racial tension is still a thing in America.
The narrator of the audiobook is excellent.
Second book by Thomas Mullen in this mystery series featuring early African American police in Atlanta. The two main characters —Boggs the black cop from the preachers family, and Rakestraw the white cop, both continue as likable heroes with depth and good story lines. Secondary characters are also good and the mystery is complex enough to keep you going. I sadly learned more about the Klan than I ever wanted to but this was an important part of the plot and culture of the times. I preferred the previous reader to this one, hence the 4 stars.
Lightning Men is the follow up to the brilliant Darktown.
Set a few years later Officer Danny Rakestraw and 'Negro Officers' Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith have to face the Klan, gangs and family life in 1950 Atlanta.
It is not an easy book to read as racism is one of the main themes. Officers unable to do their job, live where they like and not be who they want to be all because of their ethnicity. The sad thing is this book highlights how little progress we have made as a society.
Set a few years later Officer Danny Rakestraw and 'Negro Officers' Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith have to face the Klan, gangs and family life in 1950 Atlanta.
It is not an easy book to read as racism is one of the main themes. Officers unable to do their job, live where they like and not be who they want to be all because of their ethnicity. The sad thing is this book highlights how little progress we have made as a society.