by Attica Locke
First published 2015
Jay Porter's law practice is crumbling. Fifteen years after his victory against Cole Oil in Black Water Rising, appeals have blocked his payout and his environmental cases drag on without resolution. He represents Pleasantville, an affluent black neighborhood in north Houston, after a chemical fire damaged the community. On Election Night 1996, a young woman volunteering for a mayoral candidate vanishes from Pleasantville. The disappearance rocks the tight community and threatens to derail the heated campaign. Police arrest the nephew of one of the candidates, a local man who needs a defense attorney. Jay reluctantly takes the murder case despite his inexperience with criminal law. His reputation and his client's life hang in the balance as the trial begins. The courtroom becomes a battlefield where electoral politics and justice collide, revealing how far powerful people will go to protect their interests.
Genres: mystery, crime, contemporary, political-thriller, african-american-historical-fiction, legal-thriller
Vibes: emotional, fast-paced, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, legal-drama, political-intrigue
Setting: Black Water Rising, Houston, Pleasantville
Period: 1996, Election Night
320 pages · Hardcover · Serpent's Tail
Content warnings: death, murder, racism