Trouble the Saints

by Alaya Dawn Johnson

First published 2020

A young woman from Harlem finds herself pulled into Manhattan's criminal underworld at the start of World War II. She carries knives and uses them to intimidate the city's most dangerous criminals. The work pays well, but her past refuses to stay buried. Ghosts follow her through the glittering streets of New York City. History arrives at her door with threats aimed at the people she cares about most. She must decide how much she will sacrifice to protect her community. Magic flows through the city around her as she navigates love, violence, and the weight of responsibility. The stakes grow higher as war looms over America and racial tensions simmer in the streets.

Genres: american-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, mystery, thriller, action, 21st-century, african-american-historical-fiction

Vibes: dark, emotional, fast-paced, suspenseful

Tropes: found-family, past-haunts-present

Setting: Harlem, Manhattan, New York City

Period: World War II

352 pages · Hardcover · Tor Books

Content warnings: violence

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