A great mix of history and suspense in Wanda Morris’s second novel. Like her first book, Morris creates likable and imperfect main characters in Marigold and Violet and the setting of the South in 1964 is accurately portrayed. Both historical fiction and mystery/suspense lovers will enjoy this. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for a gifted e-copy of this novel.

When Wanda M. Morris released her debut novel–a contemporary thriller set in and around a Georgia law office called All Her Little Secrets—she quickly became a critical darling, a fan favorite, and a multi-award-nominated and multi-award-winning juggernaut. Anticipation was high for this talented author’s next novel. Understandably, many readers expected another contemporary thriller with legal themes, but Wanda M. Morris refused to take the expected or easy route and this week is releasing Anywhere You Run, a historical novel set in the Jim Crow South featuring two strong and unforgettable female lead characters literally running for their lives. Rest assured, Anywhere You Run is every bit as good as that stunning debut novel, and in many ways Wanda M. Morris has exceeded some very-high expectations.

Set in 1964, Anywhere You Run begins with two sisters—Violet and Marigold Richards—who reside in Jackson, Mississippi. Life there isn’t easy, but it is familiar. But when Violet is brutally assaulted and the man responsible ends up dead, she knows she must flee, leaving both her home, and more importantly, her sister. Leaving in the middle of the night with the man she loves, a white man, the two plan to head North, where the color of Violet’s skin, and their forbidden mixed-race love, will supposedly be less of a detriment. However, when Violet unexpectedly finds herself in Chillicothe, Georgia—familiar to readers as an important location in All Her Little Secrets—she decides to change her name and stay there awhile. Violet meets some local residents who embrace her, along with a few who just see her as another potential maid around town, but the small community begins to feel like a home of sorts.

Meanwhile, back in Mississippi, Violet’s older sister Marigold is hoping to make a difference in the world. With aspirations of going to law school, she currently works for the Mississippi Summer Project – an advocacy group working towards civil rights for all citizens. Marigold has just discovered she is pregnant, and when the hopes that the father will step up to his obligations are dashed, she finds herself floundering. Now with her sister accused of murder—not to mention gone—Marigold decides it is time that she left as well, heading to Washington, DC, where she hopes that Violet will someday join her.

The strength of Anywhere You Run rests squarely on the shoulders of these two sisters. Wanda M. Morris has crafted two distinct and fleshed-out characters with whom readers will immediately bond. Despite the historical time period of the novel, readers will know women like Violet and Marigold in their present day lives. Women to be admired and respected for so many reasons, not the least of which is their overall moral fiber and inner strength. Both sisters serve as narrators for their own portions of the story and readers will commiserate in their ache to be reunited.

Anywhere You Run is also a thriller, so readers need a villain. Well, to be clear, there are many villains in this story—one of them being society itself—but to help with the forward momentum of the novel, Wanda M. Morris creates Mercer Buggs, a man hired to track down Violet and bring her back to Mississippi to face some sort of reckoning, though Mercer is unclear what that really means. He just needs the money to take care of his family and will do whatever it costs to make that happen. Mercer gets point-of-view chapters of his own, and while his struggles are real, readers will continue turning the pages quickly in hopes that Violet is able to evade this danger hot on her heels.

No review of Anywhere You Run would be complete without a mention of the historical accuracy which Wanda M. Morris imbues throughout the novel. This is an author who knows her stuff when it comes to the Jim Crow laws and their effect on community. Wanda M. Morris refuses to sugarcoat reality to ease the delicate sensibilities of some readers and the book is stronger because of it. Each of the locations in the novel is authentically depicted and Morris instinctively knows just when to include some telling period detail(s) that help to keep readers rooted in the past. Now that fans know she can write both contemporary and historical thrillers, the excitement to see what Wanda M. Morris creates next is higher than ever. Somehow, I think she will once again meet and exceed any and all expectations.

This one was quite addicting and I was pulled into the story right away. I would recommend this one if you like good storytelling. I’ve been thinking about it after I’ve finished it, which is always the sign of a good book for me!

4.5/5

Wanda M. Morris might be the only author where I have read their debut and then immediately read their sophomore novel not too long after it came out. Anyone who knows me knows I am terrible at actually getting to the books I'm dying to read, so I am pretty proud of myself that I got to Anywhere You Run (almost) right away. Just like with All Her Little Secrets, this book is set in the south and has a mystery/suspense element, but instead of being contemporary like her debut, it was more like historical fiction. In Anywhere You Run, Morris brings to life what it meant to be a black person, especially a black female, in the 60s. It broke my heart in so many ways, but I loved the passion and determination of our MC Violet. I thought the story was incredibly suspenseful at times and it had a very unsettling quality as well which based on what it is about, was to be expected.

There are 3 main viewpoints in the novel which are the sisters Violet (AKA Vera) and Marigold, and then a man named Mercer, as well as diary entries from V & M’s dead sister Rose that Violet reads. I loved the way this broke up the story and I was delighted the audiobook had a narrator for each of them. Janina Edwards, Shayna Small & Adam Lazarre-White all really impressed me with their narration and I thought the audiobook was executed perfectly. Edwards and Small really brought through the emotions that Violet and Marigold were feeling and helped me connect to their characters all the more. Anywhere You Run was an incredibly powerful story, and every time I read Morris, I am even more attached to the way she writes. The only thing that I will say is I thought there were a couple of loose ends which is what brought my rating down just a touch. Even so, Morris is a force to be reckoned with and she is an autobuy author for me which is something that will never change.

Thank you to the publishers for my complimentary listening and reader copies of this book. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

DNF at 31%
Was much more straight-up historical fiction than thriller, which I was expecting. I did share this book (before I'd read it) on my Fall 2022 Book Preview podcast episode and followed up with my thoughts after attempting to read it on my Fall 2022 Circle Back podcast episode.

This book was really incredible. It dealt with racism, voting rights, feminism and was a bit of a thriller. There was also a lot of just family drama. This was my first Wanda M. Morris book but will not be the last. I liked the multi narration. You really got to read all that was going on with Violet/Vera, Marigold and Mercer.

Anywhere You Run by Wanda M Morris is a story, at least in part, about how racist the US still was in the mid-sixties, even after the Civil Rights Bill was passed. Two adult sisters, Violet and Marigold, lived in the house in Jackson that they had lived in with their parents and their sister. All were dead now, and Violet was leaving. She had no choice, she had killed a white man. It would never count that he had raped her. So, she got in a car with another white man who claimed to love her, and ran. When they got far enough away, she stole his wallet and snuck out of town on a bus. Things got no better for her as she was always looking over her shoulder. She ended up in Chillicothe and went to work for a woman as a housekeeper. Only later did she find out the woman was married to the sheriff, not to mention they were both horrible. She waited until Friday, collected her pay, and left. She found another job, cooking at a cafe. She was not much of a cook, but the customers didn’t expect much. Meanwhile, Marigold found herself pregnant. When she told the father, a lawyer who worked at a civil rights organization she worked at, he snuck out of town. She didn’t know what to do but decided it was best to marry the man she’d been dating. He’d been hounding her for more so they packed her furniture and a guy he knew drove the truck to Ohio, where his brother worked in a steel mill. She never saw her stuff again. The marriage didn’t really work out, either. The story gets very complicated. There are murders. Some people deserved what they got, some didn’t. It was a frightening time.

This was a very descriptive book, pertinent to the time it describes. There was little or no hope for black people, especially in the South. Things were far from fair and reading it was enough to make a person cry. These woman, as well as others in the story, deserved better. It worked out for them, but it cost a lot, and there is no guarantee it will continue working out. It was an excellent read, a very empathetic, yet realistic view of a horrible time in out history. A must-read for anyone who was not black living in the South in the 60s.

I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Anywhere You Run by William Morrow, through Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are mine. #Netgalley #WilliamMorrow #WandaMMorris #AnywhereYouRun

Thanks Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. Violet is hiding from a secret that only she knows. When she moves to a small town she is hoping to have a fresh start. This book dragged at times.

I got this book from #NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.This is my 2nd book from this author.I love that it gave insight to one of the characters from All Her Little Secrets.This book takes place in the deep south during the Jim Crow era.

Violet finds herself in trouble because she kills the man responsible for a brutal attack on her. But in Black Mississippi she can't escape the justice because of the color of her sin. So she decides to run.

I got through the book ok. It did not pull me in like some stories do but it was a decent book and story.

This book is great! Would definitely recommend. Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Pub date: 10/25/22
Genre: historical fiction, thriller
One sentence summary: Two Black sisters find themselves on the run in 1960s Mississippi - will their troubles catch up with them?

This book is a wonderful hybrid of the historical fiction and thriller genres! I enjoyed getting to know sister Violet and Marigold, who both had very good reasons to run away from Mississippi. By setting the story in the Jim Crow era, Morris was able to include social commentary, fleshing out the story and making it feel unique in the sea of thrillers published each year. There was plenty of action in this pages (including a body count!), as well as a number of twists I did not guess!

I think both thriller and historical fiction fans will enjoy this one, especially fans of social justice themes in books (this would be a great companion read to TAKE MY HAND).

Thank you to William Morrow and the Thoughts From a Page podcast for my e-ARC.

Wanda M. Morris crafts a deeply power and compelling story that provides all the action, anguish, and societal analysis I love in a book. With a simmering pace, the intensity boils over at just the right times to have maximum impact on the reader.

Morris's smooth and succinct writing style, couple with wonderful dialogue makes this an entertaining and enjoyable read. Highly recommend.

The story of two black sisters on the run during the Civil Rights era. One running from the law, the other running from social shame. Both being followed by a shady character looking to do them harm.

Violet and Marigold are two Black sisters who grew up in the South and living in Mississippi. When we meet the sisters, it is 1964 and they previously lost their parents and older sister. Violet decides to escape town with her white boyfriend Dewey. Her decision is driven by her killing a white man, who had raped her. Knowing the culture of the South, Violet knows that even with a legitimate reason, no one will allow her to get away with killing a white man. However, she has no intention of staying with Dewey and decides to steal his wallet and ditch him. She eventually ends up in Chillicothe, Georgia.

Marigold, who we would classify as the good sister, finds herself in her own trouble. She is single, pregnant and the baby's father has decided to skip town. Knowing the potential scandal, she marries another man and hopes to pass off the child as his. Marigold and her husband leave the South and move to Ohio, which treats Blacks differently. Marigold cannot find peace in Ohio - her husband fails to find work and has aspirations to open a nightclub, which leaves Marigold as the breadwinner. He is abusive with Marigold and hits her. Marigold also finds herself "followed" by someone looking for Violet. Apparently, when Violet took off with Dewey's wallet, there was a photo in his wallet that could potentially ruin Dewey, his family and several others. Knowing the difficult situation Marigold is in with her husband, she decides to run, join Violet and warn her that people are looking for her. Marigold and Violet experience an emotional roller coaster of events.

The author exemplifies the treatment, discrimination and abuse of Blacks in the South and during the 1960s. Violet and Marigold really have nowhere to turn and not even law enforcement will protect or help them. I wish I could say that the world is different today, but I feel much of this continues to happen. Violet and Marigold were well-developed characters that you can't help but fall in love with and want the best for them. I feel this novel is a must read

I’m always on the lookout for a mystery that spins a good tale, and Anywhere You Run sounded like it would fit the bill. Thank you Netgalley and William Morrow Books for my e-arc.

Following two sisters in 1964 who make their escape from the Deep South but in differing directions and for different reasons intrigued me. Each sister’s circumstances were life altering and I found both Violet/Vera and Marigold’s equally interesting to read.

Life in the United States for a Black woman during this time was prominent in the story and I felt such anger and frustration for what they endured and deep respect for what they created. Life was certainly not easily for them but the found families and each other allowed them to move forward.

The mystery aspect involving the famous murder of three gentlemen (Civil Rights Workers) in 1964 Mississippi was a thread I was curious about, however it played a more background role. I also thought that the pacing slowed a bit about half way through the book but then took off for the last quarter of it.

Overall, I was caught up in Marigold and Violets world and wanted them to succeed particularly as so much was set against them. This story, for me, was one of sisterhood, found family, and survival. And it’s one I’m glad I read.

This book was extremely well written. I was expecting more of a thriller than a character driven, historical fiction novel, which definitely influenced my reading because I was in the mood for something with a faster pace.

This is such a suspenseful, powerful read! It is a combination of historical fiction, and a riveting mystery, with a bit of romance. Set in the 1960's, in the Jim Crow south of Jackson Mississippi, two sisters, Violet (Vera) and Marigold struggle to find their way in life, after the death of both parents, and their beloved sister, Rose. The book is narrated alternately by Violet and Marigold, with Rose's thoughts coming from her diary. The book vividly describes the fears of being a woman of color in the 1960's in the deep south. It is so well written and kept me turning pages late into the night! The characters the author created are very realistic and memorable. As with all suspenseful mysteries, there are villians, and this author also delves into their history and the reasons behind their actions. But it is the stories of Violet and Marigold that will remain in my memory. I thoroughly enjoyed the book! Thank you to the author, Scene of the Crime, the publisher and Netgalley for my Advanced copy of the book. The opinions in the review are my own.

Two pages in, and I was shaken - Anywhere You Run was written in a way that made me feel like I was there - scared, frustrated, angry, hopeful for the two sisters as they escape a terrible situation. I can't wait to read more by Wanda Morris!

Thank you to William Morrow and to Netgalley for the ARC.

#AnywhereYouRun #NetGalley

I received a free copy of, Anywhere You Run, by Wanda M. Morris, from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Sisters Marigold and Vera are on the run, for different reasons. This book was too intense for me.