However, he identifies with the dead Michael and feels for the widow, Randie, as he searches for the truth against all the odds. Lark is not welcoming of Darren, he finds a dead fox left in his truck, and his life in deadly danger. Wally is wealthy, although it is not clear where the money comes from, and he has plenty of clout with the local sheriff. Geneva lost her beloved husband, Joe Sweet shot in 2010, and her son was shot by his wife, Mary, in 2013. He is in redneck country and discovers that it is impossible to understand the black grandmother Geneva, and her black community cafe without Wally's icehouse, a local ABT bar run by the repulsive Brady. Despite his suspension, he goes to Lark to investigate. One is a black lawyer, Michael Wright, from Chicago but with local roots and the other is local white girl, Missy, discovered two days later. Darren is a troubled man, his marriage to Lisa is threatening to splinter because of the dangers of him being a Ranger, his drinking, and the time he spends away from home.ĭarren hears of two bodies recovered from a bayou in Lark, in Shelby County. The Aryan Brotherhood of Texas (ABT) is a strong and active presence in East Texas, additionally involved in meths production and the illegal sale of guns.

Darren tries to do his best for Mack to ensure he does not stand trial for murder, and this outcome hangs over Darren throughout the story. A few days later, Malvo is found shot dead, and Mack is seen as the main suspect. Darren is a black Texan Ranger, suspended for going to the aid of Mack, whose granddaughter, Breana, is harassed by Ronnie Malvo, a diehard ABT racist. It gives us the disturbingly unsettling everyday experiences of Darren Mathews that suggest nothing has changed since the days of an openly active KKK running rife, where lynchings were common, and where black communities lived in fear of their lives on a daily basis.

Attica Locke has written a superb novel that is bleak, compelling, atmospheric, with a strong sense of location of small town East Texas, that depressingly mirrors many parts of the USA today.

Bluebird bluebird by attica locke