Black Water Rising
A Novel
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4.2 • 5 Ratings
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
Attica Locke—a writer and producer of FOX’s Empire—delivers an engrossing, complex, and cinematic thriller about crime and racial justice
Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist (Mystery/Thriller)
Edgar Award Nominee (Best First Novel)
The Orange Prize for Fiction (Shortlist)
“A near-perfect balance of trenchant social commentary, rich characterizations, and action-oriented plot.... Attica Locke [is] a writer wise beyond her years.”
— Los Angeles Times
“Atmospheric… deeply nuanced... akin to George Pelecanos or Dennis Lehane.... Subtle and compelling.”
— New York Times
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Set in 1981, Lockes compelling if unwieldy debut charts the moral struggles of Jay Porter, a black lawyer in Houston, Tex. Porter, who knows far more about a murder near one of the citys bayous than do the police, doesnt want to come forward largely because of his own criminal past as well as a secret relationship with Houstons female mayor. Another reason is that Porter, having fought his way out of the ghetto, is now striving for a more comfortable lifestyle with his wife and new baby. Why get tangled up in a messy murder, even if it could mean preventing the conviction of an innocent person? Locke, a screenwriter with both film and TV credits (including a forthcoming HBO miniseries about the civil rights movement), steers a gritty drama to a satisfying end, though a sluggish subplot involving labor union issues undermines the novels grander ambitions. A leaner, meaner version was an opportunity missed, yet Locke remains an author to watch. "" .
