Locke never fails to deliver. Her writing is crisp and perfect. She holds your attention from start to finish. I'm looking forward to reading the next in the series.

I received a free eARC of Bluebird, Bluebird via NetGalley but that has in no way influenced my review.

I've been meaning to read this book for a LONG time but you know how it goes (#bookwormproblems). I'm kicking myself that it's taken as long as it has as I really enjoyed the time I spent with Texas Ranger, Darren Mathews. So much so, the next thing I did, after taking a calming breath and closing the cover of my Kindle, was to purchase the next book in the series -- just so I could look forward to spending more time with Locke's creation. This is such a strong, emotional novel and I savoured every moment of it.

Black Texas Ranger, Darren Mathews, has been suspended from active duty whilst he waits for the outcome of an investigation into his conduct. Being a Texas Ranger is all Darren knows though, it's in his blood and the prospect of losing everything he has worked so hard for weighs heavy. An FBI colleague sees an opportunity so suggests he heads over to a small East Texas town called Lark to investigate two murders, seeing as he has so much time on his hands. The murders appear to be unconnected; one of the victims is a local white woman, the other victim is a black lawyer from out of town - both bodies were pulled out of the bayou. Darren knows he's risking everything by going, but the pull to investigate these crimes is just too strong. His arrival in Lark is an unwelcome one. Lark is a town where the colour of your skin determines how you're treated and when Darren begins to dig into Lark's murky history, the town's long-hidden dark secrets are revealed...

This is a very emotive and compelling novel. I'm a huge fan of small-town American mystery books and this one is very well done. I was a little bit besotted with Darren who is not your typical protagonist. I loved that although he's a man of the law, there is a slightly darker edge to him. I loved his determination to find the truth - no matter what the cost, whether that was losing his job or his wife. Other characters in the book were also well-written but Darren was head and shoulders above everyone else in my eyes.

The plot is a little complicated at times and I did lose the thread on a couple of occasions. As a Brit, I don't know how the Texas Rangers fit into the judicial system and why they're held in such high regard. I did a little extra background reading (Google is my friend...) as I thought it would help.

Bluebird, Bluebird is a wonderful slow-burn mystery packed to the absolute brim with tension. The reader is on the edge of their seat from start to finish, wondering how Darren is going to investigate these crimes when many of the local residents don't respect his authority and would happily kill him, soon as look at him. It's not an easy read at times but it's an essential one.

Would I recommend this book? I would, yes. I really enjoyed Bluebird, Bluebird and I'm looking forward to making a start on book two, Heaven, My Home soon. This is a beautifully written, timely, thought-provoking and engaging novel and I'm really glad I picked it up. Recommended.

Darren Matthews, an African-American Texas Ranger becomes involved in a murder case in Lark, a small town in East Texas. Two bodies have been found, those of a black man and a white woman. The fact that Matthews is black plays no small part in this well written, if slightly slow-paced thriller. The racism in Lark is evident, and there is no attempt on the part of many of the characters to conceal it. The atmosphere is heavy with it.

It took me a long, long time to get into this,, and I was ultimately somewhat disappointed, mainly because I didn't feel any connection to the characters, some of whom displayed rather odd behaviour. It's irritating to have adults who behave like spoilt children, deliberately obstructing police enquiries, for no apparent reason. I also found some aspects of the setting confusing, and couldn't “place” it in my head.

I must admit I gave up on this having lost interest at roughly halfway through.

Houston native Attica Locke’s literary and layered crime storytelling has dazzled readers and critics alike since her excellent debut Black Water Rising in 2009. Last year she scooped the prestigious Edgar Award for Best Novel for this, her fourth and latest novel.

Darren Mathews is a black Texas Ranger whose sense of duty has him serving in a home state about which he’s deeply conflicted. A tough and honourable man under suspension after helping an old friend, a choice that threatens his job and marriage, Mathews heads to the small town of Lark in East Texas when he hears of two bodies washed up in the bayou. The first victim is a black lawyer from Chicago, the second a local white waitress. Locke weaves a masterful tale full of lyricism and insight into the complexities of people and place.

This is a beautifully written but also devastating novel looking at a community dealing with the aftermath of two apparent murders – one of a black man and the other of a white woman. The racial tensions within the town play a large part in how each person views everyone else. It felt quite claustrophobic at times, like I was right there in the town and seeing this situation unfold with my own eyes. I found this book so unsettling, and yet really hard to put down. This is an excellent, prescient and really important read. I definitely need to read more of Attica Locke’s work this year.

I don't usually read crime fiction, but really enjoyed Bluebird, Bluebird, probably because while it's ostensibly about a couple of murders in a small town in Texas, it's really about race, and family and love - all themes which might be a little obvious, but which were developed in thoughtful and interesting ways.

Locke really captures rural Texan life, and the complexities of race in modern America, but the characters were also really engaging - I hope to read more of her novels!

In a small town in Eastern Texas the body of white woman and black lawyer from Chicago are found. The presumption is that Michael killed the poor white girl, and hey he must be guilty because he is black and in the same tiny town, hence him also ending up dead.

Darren Matthews, a black Texas Ranger, is asked to take a look into the situation, despite being on suspension, and ends up in a nest full of racists with no regard for his authority. Darren puts his life on the line to discover the truth, in a town living in the past ruled by men with secrets and men who believe being black equates to being sub-human.

Considering the rise of racial tensions in America in the last few years this story is quite poignant. When I say rise I think the correct term would be a resurfacing and less denial of the racial problems in the States. Issues, which have always existed, but the inhabitants and the media like to downplay and minimise. Now black people are standing up and roaring their outrage loud enough for the world to hear.

Reading the reality of the racial tension and segregation suggests that nothing has changed since the days of Jim Crow laws, and how can they when racist institutions like the KKK are accepted under the guise of freedom of speech and democracy. A complete paradox when white supremacists call for discrimination, oppression and lack of freedom for any person who isn’t white.

It is hate speech, hate crimes and a perfect example of autocratic rule. Racists do not really understand democracy, you can’t advocate for the opposite of that political system, and yet want to profit from the freedoms that come with democracy at the same time.

Locke incorporates important civil rights issues in this well-written story about racism and hatred. He is definitely an author to keep an eye out for.

Solid thriller, a cross between In the Heat of the Night and Justified. Which is no bad thing.

Great page turner, some fascinating characters. Slightly rushed feeling at the end but loved the atmosphere created by the music and food of Texas.

Excellent. A very smart, very well written, and timely mystery. Two people are killed in a small, town, one a black man travelling through, and one local white woman. Are they connected? This is what Ranger Darren Matthews, who is on suspension, is trying to figure out. Touching on race relations in Texas but keeping the mystery as the focus. It kept me guessing till the end. Can't wait to read more of this series!

When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules--a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger, knows all too well. Deeply ambivalent about growing up black in the lone star state, he was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could. Until duty called him home.
When his allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels up Highway 59 to the small town of Lark, where two murders--a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman--have stirred up a hornet's nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes--and save himself in the process--before Lark's long-simmering racial fault lines erupt.

Attica Locke offers a bold and unusual crime story. The crime aspect of the plot is perfectly balanced with the exploration of racism as an issue in the Texan town.
“A double homicide with serious racial overtones”
What makes this novel stand out among recent crime releases is the theme of racism and its impact upon the course of justice. It is both explored sensitively and scrutinised throughout.
“The world was looking out for Missy Dale”
Bluebird, Bluebird offers up a worrying mirror to issues prevalent in current society. Not only does it explore the contrasting levels of concern towards the different murders, but also the boundaries and limitations of being a black man in Texas.
Full of vivid descriptions and action, Bluebird, Bluebird makes a thrilling, must-read for crime lovers.

<i>I received this book as an ARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.</i>

Darren Matthews is a black Texas Ranger, and when he hears about the murders of a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white mother in the small Texan town of Lark, his desire to solve the murders put his beliefs and resolve to the test.

I was immediately pulled in by the synopsis of this book: two potentially racially motivated murders in the deep South. I've been reading more novels, and listening to more podcasts, about the topic. I am appalled that such things would, and still do, happen. But I am equally fascinated to learn more about them.

Anyway, Locke sets the scene straight away: illustrating the impact race can have in a state like Texas, where Darren is on suspension following an altercation between a lifelong family friend and a white supremacist. This is the point at which Darren is alerted to the murders in Lark and decides to go and investigate. As you move deeper into the novel, you understand more about Ranger Matthews: what he's driven by and that he's human too.

I couldn't put this book down, reading it in just 5 days; that's fast for me! I enjoyed the dialogue written with the Southern twang. Locke did an excellent job of giving dimension to each character and even though I didn't personally warm to Randie, none of the characters felt underdeveloped or unlikable. I would even love to go and visit Geneva's cafe!

This book isn't just a good ol' whodunnit, which I love, but successfully illustrates how race, or people's fear of it, can have such an impact in America. A great read! The main thing I am left wondering now is, why was the book called Bluebird, Bluebird?

This was a powerful and thought-provoking novel. I really liked the writing style - especially the sharp dialogue - and would definitely read something by this author again.

I thought Bluebird, Bluebird was excellent. I approached it with some trepidation, half expecting it to be grim and turgid, but I found it exciting, readable and very insightful about modern racism in the southern USA.

Darren Williams, a black Texas Ranger investigates two deaths in a small Texas town; one of a black man the second of a white woman. Attica Locke creates a phenomenally convincing atmosphere of uneasy peace with an ever-present threat from White Supremacists and an expectation among black people of bigoted law enforcement which cannot be trusted. Her characters are excellently drawn and very believable, although I could have done without Darren's drink problem, suspension from duty and Complicated Personal Life. The book and his character would have been just as powerful and interesting without such over-used staples of the genre – possibly more so. Nonetheless, this is a gripping story with plenty of emotional and political meat to it, which kept me completely hooked. (It has also got me to listen to some of my old Lightnin' Hopkins records again, for which I'm very grateful.)

Locke writes fine, readable prose with very natural dialogue and she throws in some brilliantly evocative observations. For example, of a black woman whose husband has been killed: "This night had opened a valve past mere grief, had touched a fear that burrowed beneath the skin of any coloured person below the shadow of the Mason-Dixon Line." The book is peppered with gems like this.

In short, Bluebird, Bluebird is both a fine thriller and a book with important things to say about crucial social issues. I'll be waiting for the next in the series and can warmly recommend this one.

(I received an ARC via NetGalley.)

This was among the first books I received from Netgalley a few months ago, and it took me a while to read it, for the simple fact that I couldn't connect to the story. It was a quite interesting premise - a double murder only two days apart from each other in a small town in East Texas where racism is rampant and justice is dealt in dubious ways. Ranger Darren Mathews is suspended, but he knows is aware of how crime is dealt with in those places, and decides to take matters in his own hands to find out who killed those people and how the murders are connected.

Despite the mystery itself being very interesting and the small town in Texas setting making me quite curious as well, this story fell a little flat for me. Darren's actions a lot of times didn't fully make sense to me and the flashbacks were added a bit awkwardly in the narration. I couldn't connect much with the characters either and, although curiosity kept me turning pages to see who the killer was, at some point I stopped caring much - it felt like it was just a bunch of people who didn't give information for pure stubbornness, and once all the flashbacks were done, capturing and deducing who the killer was wasn't all that difficult anymore.

But in any case, it was a nice mystery to read, and the intricacy of the story was quite well done! I recommend this book if you generally enjoy stories set in Texas and whodunits!

Geneva runs a diner just off Highway 59 where coloured folk can purchase a meal, some whisky and a haircut.
Darren Mathews was a suspended now reinstated Ranger who recently defended a black person suspected of killing a white man. While struggling with marital and alcohol problems he is asked to look into the double homicide of a young black law school graduate and a white waitress from the local diner. Their deaths occurred a week apart with both found in the same bayou. His enquiries will unearth a bed of lies that have been festering for years and Darren has no idea what lays ahead.
This might sound strange but I felt a buzz run thru me as I read this book. It has a gripping combination of white supremacy, murder and some of the worst acts committed in the name of love.
On a lighter note, it was a surprise and somewhat nice Darren and Randi didnt have sex while he was investigating the murder of her lawyer husband. The ending, WOW I definitely was not expecting things to turn out the way they did. In addition, I feel my praise does not give enough credit to the book and also lucky never to have had a life, which has made me give up on the truth. I absolutely recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery/thriller.

Thank you to Serpent’s Tail for providing me with a review copy of Bluebird Bluebird. I understand that the book is the first in a new Highway 59 series from author Attica Locke.

In Bluebird Bluebird, two deaths in the rural east Texan town of Lark bring racial tensions to the forefront. Texas Ranger, Darren Matthews is a hard-drinking detective who is suffering marital difficulties as a result of his career. Finding himself suspended from duty, Matthews finds himself in Lark investigating those two suspicious deaths. As a black man in eastern Texas, Matthews knows and understands the attitudes still prevalent in that area, however even he is shocked to see how differently the two investigations are treated by the local police based upon the victim’s racial background.

Whilst somewhat of a slow burn, the tale is beautifully written, very evocative and utterly absorbing. As a native Texan, Locke brings an authenticity to the story and there is a descriptive quality to her writing which really gives a strong sense of place and an air of nostalgia. I particularly loved the descriptions of Geneva Sweet’s café, with the unusual wall adornments, the barber’s chair in the room and the smell of oxtail and catfish frying in the kitchen.

The subject matter is not easy and some of the scenes really are quite disturbing. I must admit that it did come as somewhat of a shock to realise that there are still some corners of society that remain stuck in such a time warp, where views and attitudes simply have not moved on and racism (including institutional racism) remains ingrained in their culture. Bluebird Bluebird really gives the reader a quite profound view of contemporary life as a black man in rural Texas and I think that this will stick in my mind for a long time to come.

Locke certainly has a flair for storytelling. Bluebird Bluebird proves to be an elegant and powerful thriller about racial tensions, love and justice. There is an air of restraint during the first half of the story which belies the underlying anger at the injustices detailed within the book. Bluebird Bluebird is a truly compelling tale of secrets and lies. I would thoroughly recommend this book.

Texas Ranger Darren has had to cope with s lot and now life has got a whole lot more difficult. Suspended from his job and under investigation, he stumbles across a case involving two bodies found in the same bayou only days apart. One, a black lawyer from Chicago, is presumed drowned but the other, Missy, a local white woman is presumed murdered. Darren becomes involved in the case and realises that in this particular area of East Texas racism is a way of life and death.

Attica Locke is best known as a TV screenwriter but she is developing into an excellent writer of modern crime novels which reflect society in a way few seem to today. Taking as a theme the difficulties that black people have with obtaining justice in certain die-hard corners of the south, Locke has spun a tale that works on so many levels and manages to be open-ended at both the start and the finish. A very satisfying read.

You can tell by the languid poetry of the prologue of Bluebird, Bluebird that Attica Locke isn’t afraid to challenge her readers. As Geneva Sweet talks to her dead husband and son in the graveyard, bringing them offerings of fried pies and songs, she draws you in with deep characterisation and a rich sense of place. You’re not immediately sure why you’re here, but you’re intrigued.

Then you learn that two bodies have been washed up from the bayou in recent weeks, the first a male black lawyer, and the second a poor white woman. Texas Ranger Darren Matthews, currently on suspension, decides to investigate and uncovers a complex web of racial and personal conflicts going back decades.

I loved the prose style and the complex personal stories in this book. Darren Matthews has a unique perspective, shaped by the two uncles who brought him up. He is from a family of affluent black Texas landowners, one uncle a lawyer, the other a ranger, and he feels a strong attachment to his home state. The racism he sees makes him only more determined to assert his right to be there. His story does wander perilously close to cliché at times (drinks too much, wife wants him home more) but there is also much to think about and a twist which nicely sets up the next book in the planned series.

The portrayal of small town life is vivid – the racism, the feuds, but also the traditions and culture. And yet – in the latter part of the book, I found my interest wavering. The plot got a little messy and contradictory, as did Darren’s behaviour. When he tries to provoke a confrontation with a group of racists and the scene fizzles out, he wonders why he did it. I wondered whether those were his thoughts or the author’s.

On balance though, I’d rather have a crime novel that’s ambitious, that evokes a world, that raises big questions and outruns its flaws, than a clockwork plot populated by stock characters (I seem to have picked up – and discarded – a lot of these lately.) I haven’t read Attica Locke before but I definitely want to read some more now.

Bluebird Bluebird is a novel of true excellence, in concept, execution, character and incredibly talented writing. It pulls you in from the very first page, tells truth however uncomfortable, leaves you thinking about it for a good few hours afterwards and is one of those books that defies definition.

The plot is complex, intelligent and disturbingly realistic – and described much better than I could do justice to in other reviews (this being my favourite) so I’ll stick to talking about the impact Bluebird Bluebird (taken from the John Lee Hooker song) had on me – that was one of quiet contemplation about the realities of life outside my little bubble of work, school runs, reading and an easy, fairly privileged upbringing.

I’m not sure I can get over how vastly emotional the descriptive, beautiful tone of this novel, telling a sad and unfortunately all too authentic story, makes you feel. Darren Matthews, black Texas ranger, facing a range of problems even aside from the causal racism, is a uniquely qualified character to drive the narrative – his experiences, determination, flaws, all form the heart of the story, which is both thriller and thought provoking drama within one vivid and genuine setting.

Attica Locke is an engaging, perceptive writer who immerses you into the world she is talking about with beautifully captivating prose, an unsettling sense of feeling and sparking dialogue – it is yes an entertaining read but also an educational one – oh how far we think we have come as humans but oh so far do we still have to go….

Highly Recommended.