Southern Cross

by Stephen Greenleaf

First published 2016

John Marshall Tanner receives an unusual plea at his college reunion. His old friend Seth Hartman needs help. The civil rights lawyer from Charleston faces death threats from the Alliance for Southern Pride, a hate group that brands him a racial traitor. Tanner agrees to investigate by infiltrating the organization. The San Francisco private investigator finds himself deep inside a world of white supremacist ideology and violent rhetoric. He must identify who leads the Alliance and why they target Seth specifically. As Tanner digs deeper into both current operations and historical grievances, he uncovers dangerous secrets that span decades. The investigation forces him to navigate Charleston's complex racial tensions while maintaining his cover. Each revelation brings new threats. Tanner realizes that his friend's civil rights work from the 1960s has created enemies who refuse to forget or forgive.

Genres: american-fiction, suspense, mystery, crime, thriller, action

Vibes: dark, fast-paced, suspenseful, thought-provoking

Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, infiltration, investigation

Setting: Charleston, San Francisco

Period: 1960s

279 pages · Kindle Edition · Mulholland Books

Content warnings: racism, violence

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