Fantastic. Locke's description of East Texas puts you along side Darren in the racially charged area where he grew up. I was excited to learn what happened next in the Texas Ranger's life and I can't wait for Locke's next installment.

What makes a good book? This book didn't make me feel good...in fact I feel kind of pissed off and disturbed. I don't think I liked the main characters. In fact I'm not sure I liked anyone. The atmosphere was dark, and the characters were dark.

All that being said I'm giving it 5 stars. Why? For all the reasons I just listed. I read a lot of books that tend to blend together. This one won't blend in. It was dark, it was depressing and I was torn between liking and hating the main character. But I was sucked into the story. I NEEDED to know what happened next. And this book made me feel. Maybe they weren't all good feelings , but who says all books have to be happy.

I will definitely read more by this author, especially if the story continues the story of the main character.

I want to thank net galley for an advance copy of this book. It didn't affect my review. Read it for yourself and see if you agree with me.

Nine year old Levi King knows he’s in trouble, a he’s alone on a huge lake in a boat with a motor that won’t start, and that’s just the beginning of his nightmare. Texas Ranger Darren Matthews is looking for the boy, while at the same time keeping tabs on the kid’s white supremacist family, Dealing with a shay marriage and a manipulative mother, it’s all Darren can do to keep his own head above water. Locke’s complex novel about racial tensions and ignorance is as frightening as it is spellbinding

Attica Locke has quickly become one of my favorite writers in crime fiction. BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD was a revelation, in that it included a terrific character in Texas Ranger Darren Matthews who rang true even though he was created by a woman. Also of relevance is how Locke manages to weave in issues of race. Our country is divided more than ever, and Locke fictionalizes that angst with verisimilitude. BLUEBIRD, BLUEBIRD rightly won the Edgar award, crime fiction's equivalent of an Oscar or Grammy and so I waited with bated breath for her followup. I am pleased to say that HEAVEN, MY HOME doesn't disappoint. It may actually be better than its predecessor. Plot doesn't matter as much as Locke's exquisite writing and eye for the details that thread each of our lives so I won't even bother with a synopsis. Trust me, read this novel..