Well written book with interesting character development. I like this twist on the mystery format and can’t wait to recommend it.

Truly one of the best books I read in 2017. It is a book and a series that I often recommend to people. It comes across as so gritty, but completely authentic that I had absolutely no trouble just falling right into the story. I was hooked right to the very last word because it was just so well done.

"Lightning Men" takes place in Atlanta in the 1950's when civil rights were just emerging. It centers upon the tensions that emerged when black citizens began moving into all-white neighborhoods, thus, upsetting the separation of the races that were previously accepted. The police, primarily white but with a few token black officers, have to deal with the tension that arises.
What makes the story more problematic is when one of the black officers' sister is one of those striving for equality by moving into the white neighborhood.
The book is an honest and frightening look at segregation at its worst and how the situation was diffused.
A great sequel to "Darktown"

Excellent novel and a sequel to Mullen’s first historical mystery set in post war Atlanta, Darktown. This book follows the same characters as they navigate the racial divide in Atlanta at that time. Well written, with a touch of noir this book is worthy of the great reviews it’s gotten. Highly recommended.

Solid follow up to Darktown, with an interesting historical twist. Will recommend.

I could not wait to read this book. I loved Darktown, the first in this series, and this one rates right up there with it.

The story of two black police officers in Atlanta, something Atlanta had never had before, who have to fight discrimination at every corner from their fellow officers, their bosses and the people they are paid to protect.

The author did such a great job with the characters and their issues making me feel as though I was seeing the movie while reading this book.

The obstacles this policemen, Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith, had to confront every day was frightening and so well presented and written.

I am most definitely eagerly awaiting the next in the series as the author left me with some clues as to what's coming and I can't wait!

Huge thanks to Atria Books and Net Galley for providing me with a free e-galley in exchange for an honest, unbiased review.

In his novel set in 1950s Atlanta, Thomas Mullen borrows his title Lightning Men from Nazi Germany. In the prologue, Jeremiah, newly released from prison is told one of three things happen when a Negro is released from jail: (1) his family or friends pick him up, (2) the prison takes him by bus to the train where his people meet him. or (3) they give him about seventy-five cents and let the prisoner walk. By the time the prologue is finished, crime has begun and the writing has seized the reader.

The body of the novel has the police department chasing drugs and alcohol and solving murders while keeping a line drawn between the white and black officers with both groups wondering who among them are the corrupt. There’s a group of Columbians with the Nazi-style lightning bolt on their sleeves which now reappears on street signs. The policemen’s personal stories weave in and out and color their own hand at justice, giving hard choices between family and the law.

As tensions escalate over black families moving into “white” neighborhoods, Mullen draws a parallel: “‘Lightning men,’ the doughboys had called the SS troopers. But they were all lightning men. Not just the Columbians but the Klansmen, too, and the neighborhood association that had offered to buy Hannah’s house as if that were a legitimate, regular ol’ business arrangement shorn of threats.”

Such a tangle of multiple stories keep the reader on edge pondering if any satisfying ending can come of all this – and yet it does with an ending that left me shaking my head and saying, “I didn’t see that coming.”

Atlanta, 1950,s a few years after Mullens book, Darktown, and all the characters are back in force. Smith and Boggs are still only a few black officers on the force, with little power and little support. Color lines are beginning to blur a bit, and of course with the white population, this does not sit well. Embedded prejudices, the KKK, and Nazi supporters are out in force, the KKK more underground since an FBI investigation,but still working behind the scenes. Drugs and moonshine alcohol are complete Ng down from the hills in quantities that seem unstoppable, targeted to the black neighborhood. Of course there are the officers on the take, those who look the other way, and those who actively support this crime spree.

Mullen continues to do a good job mixing historical happenings with some mystery included, though to me these are more historical then anything else. The atmosphere is just so fitting to the times, as a city struggles with social change, how far to let it go. Blacks moving into boundaries that were considered all white. Rakestraw and his attempt to protect his sister by trying to uncover just how far the latest stupidity from his brother in law, has gone. Smith and Boggs will both become involved in issues that hit close to their hearts and home. Change is inevitable,though the wheels turn slowly.

Smith and Boggs will both make hard decisions by books end, one surprising, at least to me. I actually enjoyed, if that is the right word, this second in series more than the first. It is a glimpse into a near past and to be honest many of the same things that were happening then are still happening now. Maybe in slightly different ways but social change is never easy nor quick, nor ever accepted by all.

ARC from Netgalley.

An excellent sequel to Darktown. This book had me riveted from page one. Lots of twists and turns as well as a subject matter that is as relevant today as it was back then. A great series that I am recommending as a good book club read to my customers.

“Lightning Men “ is an exceptional combination of a character driven police procedural with a very realistic and disturbing view of policing in the black community in the 1950’s. Although the story is fiction, the events described ring with truth, and decades later that racism, discrimination, and violence remain all too present. Yes, we’ve had a black president, but innocent black men and women are still being brutalized and gunned down by police officers. The suspense and remarkable writing will suck you in, and the social history will keep you reading. Highly recommended for a general readership and an outstanding book for book groups.

My review was posted on Goodreads on 9/24/17.

4.5 stars -- Lightning Men picks up two years after Darktown, the first book in the series, left off. Once again, Mullen brings his readers into the gritty streets of post-WWII Atlanta with its social and political issues, racial intolerance, corruption and outright brutality that continues to be the status quo for so many. Mullen doesn't shy away from these emotionally charged topics in this character-driven crime novel.

Readers continue to witness the Black officers struggle within the confines set for them by their supervisors as the small Black force polices the Black neighbourhoods which are grossly overpopulated and in need of even basic necessities. This is in stark contrast to the White neighbourhoods -- and many Whites are fine with the way things are, thank you very much. The dichotomy between Black and White continues within this second book and I like that Mullen doesn't give easy answers or hold back on the gritty, hard-to-read scenes.

Mullen also continues to educate readers about aspects that many may not know about, myself included. For me, that issue involved the Columbians (aka Lightning Men) who formed soon after the end of WWII. With their lightning patches on their uniforms they, like the Nazis that inspired them, reveled in promoting hate against Blacks and any diversity and were a smack in the face to those American soldiers who had just returned from battling similar hatred overseas.

The cast, including Rake, Boggs, Smith and MacInnis, continue to show great depth and readers get some backstory on each but I still feel there's a lot of untapped issues that Mullen will bring forth with each character in future books. The only issue I had with this book is that I found there to be a lot of characters to keep track of.

Mullen shows that, unfortunately, the process for social change is a very slow one as we sadly continue to witness in recent events. Racism, both blatant and covert, remains a timely issue and racial tensions ran high then as they do now.

The Darktown series continues to be an eye-opening, gritty and gripping series with well-rounded, well-flawed characters who struggle within the stifling confines of racial injustice, ignorance, indifference and intolerance. Mullen has combined compelling characters weaves historical issues within his story with great skill. I highly recommend this book but I strongly suggest starting with Darktown.

From the acclaimed author, Thomas Mullen who introduced readers to the hit, Darktown landing on my Top Books of 2016 —racial integration of Atlanta’s police department in 1948 — with an explosive multi-layered complex follow-up: LIGHTNING MEN.

Racial violence and corruption continue in 1950’s Atlanta, with African-American police officers, Boggs and Smith. As they say in the South, these two find themselves in a "heap of trouble.” (Among others).

“Hot Atlanta” is not just sizzling. It is blistering. Fiery. Tensions and emotions run high. Loyalties are tested between family and law. Color lines are threatened. Moral lines are blurred.

The second in the Darktown series, Mullen uses his hard-boiled crime, cop procedural, to explore post-WWII racism in the South. The highly anticipated character-driven LIGHTNING MEN is much more than just a crime thriller. It is infused with critical historical details and timely controversial subjects we face today.

“Any candid observer of American racial history must acknowledge that racism is highly adaptable.” – Michelle Alexander, The New Jim Crow

Highly-charged, Mullen turns up the intensity with characters facing moral, family, social issues and compromises.

Tensions rise. From racial prejudice, moonshining, drugs, greed, conspiracy, Klansmen, fascist Columbians, white supremacist, corruption, bigotry, violence, Jim Crow laws, preachers, shootouts, paybacks, fear, power, and segregated neighborhoods.

In Darktown, we met rookies: Officer Lucius Boggs and his partner, Tommy Smith.

From different backgrounds, their office was housed in the basement of the Negro YMCA, a makeshift precinct. They were not even allowed to arrest white men, nor allowed to drive a squad car. They could not patrol outside of the Negro neighborhoods that constituted their beat. No respect and little support.

Only ten black officers patrolled those thousands of souls. A third of Atlanta were black, yet they were crowded into only a fifth of the land.

Boggs and Smith had not taken bribes; however, with two years on the force, it appeared half of the white officers took bribes, so how long would the Negro officers resist?

They were tired of their powerlessness. The son of a preacher, Boggs was all too familiar with the fallibility of men, even men with power.

Denny Rakestraw (white) is distrusted by his fellow officers for his suspected role in the disappearance of his former partner, Lionel Dunlow.

Rakestraw is not a racist but finds it difficult to fit in with his fellow white cops and work with the ten black cops. Neither side fully trusts him.

Denny’s problems increase when his Klansman brother-in-law, Dale Simpkins, gets involved in a plot to stop the influx of African-Americans into his neighborhood, Hanford Park.

Some cops are part of the Klan. Will they accuse one of the richest men in Atlanta of selling moonshine and marijuana?

Boggs had come to respect McInnis over the last two years. He had stuck up for his charges during a few disputes with white officers. How far can he go to protect them?

Boggs (preacher’s son) is dating Julie with a young son, Sage. Soon to be married. His family opposes the relationship since she is not of their social status. She has a secret past. She is intimidated by their prestigious family.

When a black man, Jeremiah is released from prison after five years, things get personal. Boggs life gets complicated when he learns the connection.

Two years earlier, Boggs came close to resigning his position and had second thoughts after a near-death experience. Now, he is unsure again.

Too many mistakes that weighed heavily on his soul. He is sure there would be more guilt and an awkward relationship with his partner. Can he remain as a cop?

Events will lead each character to major soul-searching. Smith had crossed another line as well. He was afraid.

. . . The Armor. The façade victims’ families typically wore when they needed to protect themselves or the memory of their loved ones. Folks who wore The Armor sometimes had secrets to hide.

The Armor was firmly in place as they parried the officer’s attempts to learn more about the deceased. They wore The Armor to keep the cops from learning things. The secrets. . .

The Armor was worn by the innocent, who had nothing to hide but their dignity, and they were so deeply offended to be questioned by these employees of the corrupt City of Atlanta, these paid enforcers of Jim Crow, that they refused to play along. They may be innocent, hurt, or protective.

. . . “And lines are only ideas people dream up, to govern what should be possible, to keep you from moving toward the forbidden.”


Three policemen struggle. Each has an agenda and react in different ways to protect. Loyalties are tested. Family versus law.

Can they continue to work with one hand tied behind their packs without the proper support to do their jobs? Will the latest emotional events, their actions, and tensions make them second guess their current careers? Will they continue to serve and make Atlanta a better city, or is it a useless effort?

After violence and a shootout, will Hanford Park be transformed? Will the lines between white and black be blurred after the postwar crowding, pushing blacks into areas formerly considered whites-only (without violence)?

From racial politics and struggles of history, Mullen does not miss a beat!

The complex emotions of each character are portrayed in depth, making the characters jump off the page. Others threaten lives. Others protect. Struggles both interior and exterior.

Complications. Affairs interrupted. Old scores settled. Blood feuds magnified. Pride. Costs were high. Greed.

Hard-boiled. Explosive. Riveting. Timely!

Love this enthralling series and looking forward to seeing what is in store next for Smith and Boggs.

When reading of Boggs at his dad’s house for dinner with Julie, reminds me strongly of Greenleaf (a favorite show) and their preacher/family dinners. Heaven forbid, their children do not follow their well-laid controlled plans.

Movie-worthy! For those who enjoy good crime fiction, and historical fiction as Mullen meticulously traces the civil rights movement through his well-written crime stories and cop procedurals, that involve "real" characters you come to care about.

Fans of TV mini-series: Underground, Greenleaf and Queen Sugar will enjoy this intense series as well as Michael Connley’s Harry Bosch and Greg Iles' Penn Cage series.

In addition to the early digital reading copy (thank you) provided by NetGalley and Atria, I also purchased the audiobook, narrated by Yahya Abdul-Mateen II – for an award-winning performance. Just finished.

Move this series to the top of your list. If you reside in the South, this is a “must read.” Especially for those of us who found (find) Atlanta our home for many years. Another Southern winner!

JDCMustReadBooks

****
Due to post-Irma, residing in South Florida with water damages, power outage, cell towers, and loss of internet for nine consecutive days; no gas, grocery, or mail service – late posting my review on pub day. Let's hope Maria does not pay us a visit.

Yay! Today we have internet restored, power, cell towers, and mail service! Back in business. Ordered the hardcover copies of both DARKTOWN and LIGHTNING MEN for my personal library. So excited, they are out for delivery today, from Amazon! (Love the covers) Looking forward to receiving my copies. (Now, I have to figure out how to get the author to autograph) my copies.

Busy catching up with posting reviews and my blog. Thanks everyone for your patience.

Atlanta in 1950 was a crowded place. The war was over and housing was scarce. Racial tensions were brewing, neighborhood lines were being redrawn, and not everyone was happy about that. Even the fact that black policemen now served in the Negro areas of Atlanta didn't mean these officers had the respect of white officers nor that of the residents. When a white man gets beaten down by the Klan and then a Negro beaten down a few days later, tensions threaten to erupt. What happens next? You'll have to read Lightning Men to find out!

I was excited when I discovered there was a sequel to last year's Darktown. I was surprised at what I learned from that novel and I learned a lot from this one as well. For instance, I'd never of the Columbians before. Apparently, this group of neo-Nazis formed, (and so soon after the war in what must have felt like a direct insult to the soldiers and survivors now living in Atlanta), to unite their hatred of both Jews and Negroes. They even dressed similarly to the SS officers in Germany, hence their nickname: lightning men.

I also learned a lot about how the neighborhoods changed during that less than peaceful time in American history. It's often painful to read about, but it's interesting to see events from several different points of view. Rake, Boggs, Smith and MacInnis are well rounded characters and even now, after a second novel, I think they all still have some secrets in reserve. None of them are perfect and they are all struggling to find their place in this new world, their new police station, (even if it is in the basement of the YMCA), and in their new neighborhoods. Social change doesn't come easy and I think all of these characters recognize and respect that in their behavior, which made them believable to me and maybe a little lovable too.

Lightning Men is scary in a way, because it's easy to recognize some of the behaviors from this story on the nightly news today. It's also sad that so much good can begin to be undone by just a few hateful people in high places. Not only is this story a good one, but it reminded me that America always has to remain vigilant, so that everything we have worked so hard for as a people, is not undone by only a powerful few.

Highly recommended! You can get your copy here: https://www.amazon.com/Lightning-Men-...

*Thank you to NetGalley & Atria for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest review. This is it.*

Lightning Men by Thomas Mullen is a highly recommended sequel to Darktown. This historical fiction crime novel is set during the racial tensions of the 1950's South. In an overcrowded and rapidly changing Atlanta, the segregated city is patrolled by a segregated police force. It is two years since Officer Denny Rakestraw and "Negro Officers" Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith were first introduced inLightning Men. The three officers are trying to keep the peace amidst volatile situations.

Officer Denny (Rake) Rakestraw finds himself embroiled in the midst of racial tension as black families begin to move into a formerly white neighborhood, Hanford Park. This attracts the attention of the Klan and Nazi brown shirts, putting Rake in the position of following the law or showing loyalty to his family, who are Klan members. Boggs and Smith are trying to work within the system to stop the sale of moonshine and drugs in Darktown, their area of the city, but their investigation implicates powerful men, including members of the police force. They too, are faced with the dilemma of trying to enforce the law while protecting their families while street fights and gun violence increase.

In Lightning Men Mullen blends a crime novel with historical fiction. There are indications that Darktown and Lightning Men are the first books in a continuing series. I do regret not reading Darktown before Lightning Men, although you can certainly read Lightning Men and follow the plot. I think that reading the first book in the series, though, would provide me with even better developed characters and a more extensive background into their lives. If you have a copy of Lightning Men, though, don't let this comment stop you from reading it. The characters are still very well developed and are complicated, flawed individuals.

Superb writing helps keep the intricate and complex plot moving along swiftly, while including plenty of period details, attitudes, and actions that show a realistic historical setting. Although this is a historically accurate novel, it isn't, however, always an easy book to read. Mullens accurately depicts segregation and racism, which can feel brutal and raw as you are reading.

Disclosure: My review copy was courtesy of Atria.
http://www.shetreadssoftly.com/2017/09/lightning-men.html
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2126794303
https://www.librarything.com/work/19439980/reviews/140701396
https://www.facebook.com/shetreadssoftly/

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing me a free e-copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Lightning Men is a true crime story set in the south and I give this intense read 4 out of 5 stars. Two 'negro' officers, Boggs and Smith, are trying to keep illegal white lightning off the streets of their part of town in 1950's Atlanta. Unfortunately, the officers are up against a smattering of outlying efforts that make keeping the streets safe even harder. The majority of white police are corrupt which undermines everything Boggs and Smith work for, and the Klan is still alive and well, again making things more difficult. As they get closer to shutting down operations, people start getting killed. They are torn between trying to make things right and keeping enough peace that the drug and race issues in down don't escalate into something bigger.

The writing in this book is great. Easy to read and moves right along, yet doesn't skimp on backstory and descriptions. Lightning Men was very enjoyable and I would recommend it to anyone who likes reading about the old south or true crime.

After reading Darktown, I was anticipating this book. I was anxious to see what Mullen had in store for these characters this time.

In Darktown, the story was ever moving and kept me on my toes. I was rarely bored or ready for the next shoe to drop. In Lightning Men, it was much slower moving. There was very little happening in this story like in Darktown. We are given the mystery soon. From there, it moves slow and there aren't a lot of pieces to the puzzle.

This book contains way too much information that is in no way pertinent to the story. Mullen spends way too much time talking about things that have nothing to do with the story at all. He seems more concerned with the surroundings of each scene versus the actual scene itself. He goes on and on about trees and things like that in this book.

I am a fan of Darktown, but I am not impressed with this story. It could have been so much more of a story had there been more story to the story.

Thomas Mullen’s sequel to Darktown, Lightning Men, made for uncomfortable but illuminating reading on the day of and day after the riots in Charlottesville, Virginia. In this novel, Atlanta, Georgia’s first African American police officers get caught in the literal and figurative crossfire of blockbusting, white flight, the Ku Klux Klan, moonshine and marijuana smuggling, police corruption, and their own doubts about their ability to do their jobs in the face of persistent racism. Lightning Men gives readers a close up view of the ugliness of white racism in 1950—while the news gave me a look at the 2017 version.

Lightning Men centers on a trio of officers. Officer Lucius Boggs and Officer Thomas Smith are two of the new African American officers hired two years previously when city hall caved to popular pressure. Officer Denny Rakestraw is a white officer who tries to be progressive, but has faced a lot of social and familial pressure to toe the line in terms of race relations. The narrative bounces back and forth between the three men as a series of violent incidents—a drug drop off gone wrong, two beatings attributed to the Klan, etc.—erupt in rapid succession. At first, it looks like they’re all pursuing separate crimes but, as we learn more from various informants, the crimes start to look more like ripples from one big crime or overlapping circles in a Venn diagram.

I was a little frustrated at first, because I wasn’t sure how everything was going to fit together. I couldn’t make the pieces fit together and I was deeply irritated at the way all three seemed to be barreling on individually, instead of working together once things started to coalesce. But once Lightning Men hit its stride, I started to appreciate the realism of this messy mystery. This novel is not a traditionally structured mystery. Rather, it’s a book that shows readers the deep divisions in mid-century Atlanta and the forces that worked to keep those divisions in place.

Once the players in the various conspiracies are all introduced (which doesn’t happen in full until a third of the way through the book), Boggs, Smith, and Rakestraw are all privately digging into what happened on nights when both black and white men were attacked and beaten or killed. Boggs and Smith are trying to work out what’s going on with two rival smuggling operations in the black parts of town. Smith is also trying to help his brother-in-law and sister, who just moved into a previously all-white neighborhood, after his brother-in-law is almost beaten to death. Rakestraw, meanwhile, is trying to help his own brother-in-law, who gets into serious trouble trying to do favors for a man who says he’s a Klansman. I’m being deliberately vague, because the truth is a lot more devious.

As the novel rolled on, I wanted to yell at all three of the men for not working together. It never occurs to them to share information because the black officers and the white officer are mistrustful of each other. Much of this distrust comes from previous experience but, the longer things go on, the distrust also comes from the way the officers start to take the law into their own hands to either cover up family involvement or because there won’t be consequences for the criminals otherwise.

we_want_white_tenants
Racist sign posted in Detroit, 1942
(Via Wikimedia)
Once I started to understand the sprawling plot of Lightning Men and its characters, I started to appreciate the novel a lot more. Unlike most mysteries, which have a fairly simple arc of detectives tracking down a single criminal or small group of conspirators, Boggs, Smith, and Rakestraw are taking on large, established groups of criminals. Rakestraw also has to deal with the fearful fragility of his white neighbors because, the longer African American families live in their part of the city, the more likely those neighbors are to do something tragically violent.

I can’t say that I enjoyed Lightning Men as such, but I can say that I was very interested in the way the novel builds on itself as the plot expands and the backstory deepens. Perhaps the book resonated with me so much because I was reading it while Nazis, Klansmen, and white supremacists fought with counter protesters this weekend. At any rate, Lightning Men serves as a keen reminder that American racism has a long, ugly, hateful tradition and that we still have a lot of work to do rooting it out and destroying it.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley for review consideration. It will be released 12 September 2017.

Take a historical fiction setting, mix in a few young cops, and then sprinkle some social injustice over everything, and a humdinger of a story is created. It is 1950 Atlanta, Georgia and the small unit of black policemen have been patrolling Darktown for two years now. They are still not allowed to carry guns, drive patrol cars, or earn any respect from white officers. Lucias Boggs and Tommy Smith, WWII war veterans and partners, are dragged into a complex organization of illegal moonshine and reefer (yep, the old term for marijuana:), leading to crime, death, and a systematic manner of housing segregation that mucks up their community and their ability to act as policemen. Author Thomas Mullen is a truly brilliant writer, who creates rich and complex characters, as these two young cops battle their inner demons, as well as society's expectations, sometimes act heroically, and sometimes not, making them all the more human. Certain books have the ability to crawl deep inside of a reader, to force one to live in that place amongst the author's vibrant characters, and occasionally to even inhabit one's dreams. Lightening Men is one of those novels - do not miss reading this book, trust me.

Thank you NetGalley for providing me this ARC.

I know that this book can stand on this own but i think reading Darktown would have been more helpful to help with the characters. This was a good book but I had a hard time getting all the characters in order. I'm not sure why it took me longer to read the book. There was a lot going on . I would really like to read more books like this one. It shows how difficult things are between african-americans and caucasians. Definitely worth a read!

I adored Thomas Mullen's Darktown, the first book in this series released last year. It was the book I gifted to the most friends and family last year during the holidays. Lightning Men, the follow-up to Darktown and second book in the series arrives on shelves September 12. Several characters from Darktown are back and have become even more fleshed out in this latest edition. Much of the action of this novel takes place in the Historic Terminal Station in Atlanta. Looks like shopping will be easy again this year!!! I plan to purchase many copies of this one and have the author sign them at this year's Decatur Book Festival.