by S. A. Cosby
First published 2023
Titus Crown made history as Charon County's first Black sheriff. The Virginia town seemed peaceful enough, with just two murders in recent decades. But Titus knows from his FBI days that small communities hide dark secrets beneath their surface calm. Exactly one year after his election, violence erupts when a former student kills a teacher and deputies shoot the attacker dead. The incident rips open wounds that have festered for years. As Titus digs deeper into the case, he discovers a serial killer has been operating undetected in the local woods and back roads. The murderer may have ties to a prominent church, and the investigation forces Titus to confront both the town's brutal Confederate past and painful memories from his own life. Meanwhile, a far-right organization demands permission to stage a Confederate heritage parade. Titus must project authority while wrestling with personal demons, hunting a predator who has hidden among his neighbors, and navigating the racial tensions that threaten to destroy his community.
Genres: american-fiction, african-american, mystery, crime, thriller
Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: personal-demons, police-procedural, racial-injustice
Setting: Charon County, Virginia
Period: Contemporary
338 pages · Hardcover · Flatiron Books
Content warnings: racism, violence