First published 2024
Carnival ends on St Colibri, but the celebration turns dark when someone discovers a young woman's body beneath a cannonball tree. The dead woman played steel pan, her music silenced forever. Her death sends shockwaves through the small Caribbean island community. Four women refuse to let this tragedy pass unnoticed. They channel their grief and anger into action, challenging the systems that failed to protect one of their own. Their efforts grow beyond seeking justice for a single death. They begin to envision something larger: a complete transformation of how their society operates. The movement these women create forces everyone on St Colibri to confront uncomfortable truths. Island life, which seemed peaceful on the surface, reveals deeper currents of inequality and violence. As the women push for change, they face resistance from those who benefit from keeping things as they are. Their struggle becomes a test of whether ordinary people can reshape their world through collective will and courage.
Genres: fiction, mystery, crime, contemporary, activism
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking
Tropes: collective-action, ordinary-people, social-commentary
Setting: Caribbean, St Colibri
Period: Contemporary
Paperback · Harvill Secker
Content warnings: violence