I really enjoyed this book, especially reading as my first buddy read 😁😁😁

Deena was hard-headed but determined to help others like her Mama told her.

Uncle Duke the protector ain't take no mess along with her Daddy.

If you're looking for a thriller with some 🤯🤯🤯 this is the book right here.

Thank you again Netgalley for allowing me to read this book. I'm a huge fan of Ms. Wanda M. Morris

I really enjoyed this book. It kept me engaged and it only took a few days to read. I think this is going to be a good book club option for several clubs. I plan recommending to my book friends and I look forward to reading more by this author.

The characters in this work were strong. I made a note about how judgy the protagonist was and how many snide comments/asides she made about people. But then I realized that she honestly wasn’t saying or thinking anything that most other people wouldn’t have as well, especially if you find yourself back in the small rural town you grew up in. This made me like her more and I found it pretty relatable myself.

Another aspect of this work that was strong was the history of the Gullah Geechee that was incorporated throughout. Having spent plenty of time on the South Carolina and Georgia coasts, I loved seeing this culture brought to life in this book, and that the author not only focused on the plights and challenges facing these folks but the positive aspects of the culture as well. I also loved how easily I could picture the setting based on the author’s description, and it made me feel like I’d been to the exact places she included in the book.

Similarly, the author includes information relating to heirs property and practices that essentially cheat low-income people out of their family’s property and allow major developers to accumulate land cheaply. This is a very real practice that happens more often than folks realize in the U.S., and the author did a wonderful job incorporating facts about this issue throughout the book without it bogging down the plot.

If you’re interested in a character-driven work with some light mystery and supernatural elements, then you should check this one out. DO NOT read this looking for a thriller or an involved mystery. My thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for allowing me to read this work. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

I really enjoyed this book, Wanda M. never disappoints. The book is well written and
The story flows effortlessly among the many
moving parts. The banter between characters are smart and witty and I love the slight paranormal connection between the main character and her ancestors. Overall this was a great work of African American Fiction mixed with a modern day nuanced narrative. I love how the author enlightens readers with societal issues that are ever so prevalent now as they were in the past regarding Black ownership and generational wealth. Wanda did an amazing job shedding light on “Heirs Property” and how it significantly impacts poorer communities who lack the resources for legal services to counteract hostile land developers. Lastly, I loved her dad and uncle and I loved the southern setting of this magnificently paced thriller. Also- the guidance from the “ancestors” pushing Deena forward to uncover the “truths” and the deceptions from sinister forces both past & present was sheer genius and really made this story captivating and extremely enjoyable for me!

Special thanks and shoutout to @netgalley and @williammorrowbooks for the ARC 🫶🏾

This author does NOT miss! This novel is a fast paced thriller with a compelling plot. The storytelling is authentic and thought provoking as she discusses real life modern issues.

The characters are complex with tension rising with each chapter. Dont play with the OG duo Daddy Jimmie and Unc Duke!

Deena loss her mother, her job and divorced her cheating husband. As a result she moves from ATL, back home to Bruinswick Georgia with her father and his new wife.

Still grieving, one day Deena takes a drive to clear her mind but stumbles upon some private property and the landowner Holcomb Gardner. This encounter will forever change Deena’s life as she sets out to find out what has happened to the Gardner family, and who or what is behind the realty company taking the land of other African American individuals in the area.

One of my favorite aspects of the book is how it starts with reviewing the history of the Igbo people and Dunbar Creek. I also enjoyed learning more about the Gullah Geechee culture and the spritual entity that guides and protects Deena throughout her investigation. I never heard of the Heirs property legal theory so it was interesting to get more insight on how this impacts homeownership rates specifically in the black community due to the increase in gentrification affecting predominantly black neighborhoods.

What a ride!! If you haven’t read any of the other books by Tracy morris I suggest yall get to it!!

Thank you Netgalley, author and William Morrow Paperback for the ARC.
Deena Wood is entangled in her personal turmoil, after her mother's untimely death which left her grieving unable to bring in closure , her marriage also ends in divorce including her being fired from the law firm she worked in. She ends up moving with her Dad and his new wife into her childhood room and working for a local law firm that she absolutely dislikes. All she needs is what the coastal Geechee people from Georgia call 'dayclean' meaning fresh start.
But a harrowing encounter with a old man, the owner of ocean front property one day ends up opening mysterious disappearances, deaths and property issues amongst low income black communities in her hometown area. Upon investigation she finds out this is not a mere coincidence but there's a sinister motive behind this and greedy people cunningly destroying others life.

This book was very interesting and I loved the authors note at he end , do not miss reading that. For as far as mystery thriller , it's straight forward. But this more about Deena's journey , how she channels her grief , able to bring closure and move on with her life while helping her fellow black Geechee community members. The author sheds lot of light of property & tax issues that affect the low income black community members who received lands from their ancestors. It was frustrating to know how a legality that's not easy to understand can affect the livelihood of the affected. And how the poor and less educated can be easily taken advantage of by others with bad intentions.
The book is divided into 2 parts and narrated from the main character Deena's perspective. You also have some supernatural/mystical elements involved and chapters titled 'Interstitial' refer to this and readers eventually figure out what and who is it about.
It was interesting introducing the Gullah-Geechee community , it always increases my awareness about other cultures and their practices. And what are we if not for our roots and ancestors.

Overall it's a 3.75/5 ⭐ read for me.

Wanda Morris does it again! I couldn't imagaine how she could surpass her tremendous sophomore thriller, but WHAT YOU LEAVE BEHIND is a master class in character, setting, history, love, death, grief, redemption.

This book delves into what happens, especially in the south, when property is passed down from generation to generation without a legal designated owner. It’s an interesting read and one that hopes to educate and make people aware. The main character of Deena is smart, dedicated and compassionate but there was something about the Howie character that didn’t ring true. The book is a page turner full of drama and suspense along with grief and history of the region.
4 Stars

I liked this book a lot, it really kept me reading to find out what was going to happen! I really like Morris' writing and the way she interweaves historical commentary and social horror (idk if that's the right phrasing but it's GOOD) because it really speaks to this place we are at in the world, where there are still so many horrible things going on but often in the dark. I loved Deena and the small magical realism aspect in the book, it felt like just the thing the book needed to make it truly something special. My favorite of hers so far!

The setting of this story is great. There is some excellent culture and history here, but it just didn't shine as a mystery or thriller. The circumstances surrounding the plot felt entirely realistic and relevant.

The mystery takes a backseat to Deena's constant lamentation of her failures and disappointment with her current situation. The repeats didn't add anything to the narrative but slowed it down a lot. And I don't think first-person writing was a good choice for this story. I never felt like I was in the story, but instead reading passive diary entries.

My favorite character was Uncle Duke. I would certainly want him on my team.

Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for providing an eARC for review.

What You Leave Behind by @wandamowrites is a powerful mystery novel with social justice themes. I loved this book and how it combines a mystery with a very real issue involving heirs property rights. I enjoyed the setting of Brunswick, GA and the perspective of the Gullah-Geechee culture which added another layer to this thought provoking novel.

I highly recommend reading this book, especially if you enjoy southern mystery novels told from a unique perspective.

Thank you @williammorrowbooks for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review.

(This same review was shared on the Barnes & Noble website)

Many thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for gifting me a digital ARC of the
Amazing new novel, What You Leave Behind!

What You Leave Behind is a story about a woman named Deena Woods who is struggling from the death of her mother, a brutal divorce, and the loss of her job at a law firm. Because her ex-husband kicked her out of her house, she decides to move back to her childhood home and live with her dad and new wife, Ruth.

While trying to not be resentful and hard on herself, she has an encounter with an older man named Holcomb Gardner on a local island property. He is very distraught about the possible sale of his land and is adamant that he will never sell it. But when she returns to this land later, she discovers that Halcomb and his trailer are gone. Now she thinks something strange is going on and starts to dig into the history of the family and property.

This leads to a crazy story of intimidation, fraud, property theft, murder, and political and police corruption. Between all of this and the love for the characters in the story, you will not want to put it down!

From the very first page of "What You Leave Behind," I was hooked. This isn't just a book; it's a journey into a world rich with history, culture, and mystery. Wanda M. Morris crafts a story that pulls you in and doesn't let go until the very last word.

The story centers around the Gullah-Geechee culture, which I had never encountered before. Morris’s storytelling gave me a high-level sense of their beliefs and traditions. The characters are so well-written. Each one is interesting and has real motivation, making it easy to become invested in their lives.

And then there’s the mystery. Morris has done an excellent job of creating a plot that keeps you guessing until the end. I genuinely didn’t see the ending coming, which is a rare treat. But even if I had, the story was so well-crafted that it wouldn’t have mattered. The plot and the characters are engaging enough that the ending is just a bonus.

I want to mention the book's afterword. It explores the concept of heir’s property rules, which was a significant inspiration for the story. It provides a deeper understanding of the themes Morris explores in the book.

This was my first time reading Wanda M. Morris, and I'm already looking forward to reading more of her work. I've added two of her other books to my reading list and can't wait to get started. If you're looking for a mystery with rich cultural insights and compelling characters, "What You Leave Behind" is definitely for you. I definitely recommend this book!

hank you to NetGalley and William Morrow for this advanced reader's copy in exchange for a thoughtful and honest review.

Book does a great job of exploring barriers to generational wealth for people of color. The main protagonist's work strugglers are relatable. Highly recommend this story for readers who like mysteries with social commentary.

This was such a great time. I found myself fully invested in the characters and the entire multi-level story.

Deena has left her crumbling life in Atlanta, to return home to Brunswick, Georgia for a little reset. She doesn't immediately find it, and is just sort of flailing in life. She is driving around, thinking about her late mother, something she does often since her passing, when she unintentionally trespasses on some waterfront property. The owner is an old man who assumes she is just another in the procession of people who have come buy to get him to sell the property and her sends her away. When that same old man goes missing soon after, the whole strange situation begins nagging at her brain. What other choice does she have but to investigate? Meeting with his remaining family and digging into this story, she learns this goes much deeper than she expected. Disappearances and deaths have occurred... Something nefarious is going on and it is all surrounding land and what some will do in order to take from others, no matter the cost.

I adored Deena. She was very real and incredibly capable as a protagonist. Even through her own personal struggles and her grief, she proves her determination and full heart. We also get some new friends, a REALISTIC second chance romance possibility and this deep rooted mystery that I found so fascinating.

This isn't the first book I have read with the property themes I have found in this book and the fact that this is such an ongoing issue makes me sick. I loved this book so much and I highly recommend it!

Well-written with an intriguing premise and superb characterization, What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris is a gripping read.

The story revolves around thirty-nine-year-old Deena Wood, who recently moved back to her childhood home in Brunswick, Georgia, where she lives with her father and his new wife, Ruth. The move hasn’t been easy for Deena. She is still grieving the loss of her mother and her recent divorce and having to move back home and take up an unfulfilling job after being fired from her position as a litigator in a prestigious law firm in Atlanta hasn’t been a pleasant experience. On a day trip to the south Georgia Coast to clear her mind, she encounters Holcomb Gardner, who looks to be in his seventies living in a trailer, who claims she is trespassing on his property – land that he jointly owned with his sister Delilah. Deena is curious and on looking into the details, discovers that Delilah is recently deceased and when she attempts to meet Holcomb again, she finds him gone -and the land up for sale, which her suspicions as Holcomb had been adamant about protecting what was rightfully his. Deena sets out to find out what happened to the Gardner family and who is behind the realty company that is facilitating the sale of the Gardners’ land.

As Deena embarks on her quest to find out what happened to Holcomb, she uncovers a complex web of illegal land grabs targeting low-income communities, political corruption, corporate greed, conspiracy and murder. As Deena gets closer to the truth, it is evident that there are players in the mix who resort to any means to stop Deena and she will need all the help she can get.

The plot, the writing and the characters grabbed from the very first page and I stayed up all night reading this novel, simply unable to put it down until I reached the end. The story touches upon themes of grief, family, community, inheritance and legacy. The narrative is shared for the most part from Deena’s first-person POV with the other narrators’ perspectives shared in short chapters interspersed throughout the narrative.

I enjoyed following Deena’s character arc and getting to know the people in her support system (Uncle Duke was one of my favorite characters) and thought that the author has done a commendable job of striking a balance between Deena’s home life, personal troubles, family history and the primary plotline, weaving the different threads of the narrative together into a consistently paced, well crafted, suspenseful narrative with enough twist sand surprises (with a touch of the supernatural) to keep you turning the pages. The romance track was maturely handled and did not distract from the main plot. I was satisfied with how the author chose to end the novel and enjoyed the climax, which followed a tension-filled build-up.

The elements of Gullah-Geechee culture and beliefs and the historical detail on Igbo Landing at Dunbar Creek on St. Simons Island, Georgia, incorporated into the plot, certainly enriched the narrative.

Do read the informative Afterword where she discusses the issue of heir’s property and the places and people that inspired this novel.

This was my first time reading Wanda Morris and I look forward to exploring more of her work.

Finally, I love that cover!

Many thanks to William Morrow for the digital review copy via NetGalley. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

3.75 stars rounded up. This story starts slowly, but fortunately picked up in the second half. I really enjoyed the character of Deena. Ruth and Rae are great supporting characters. There's a touch of ghost/connection to ancestors magic that I found unnecessary, but understand how it connects to the larger picture of the novel.

"Deena Wood’s life has fallen apart in the aftermath of losing her beloved mother, her marriage, and her prestigious job at an Atlanta law firm. She needs what the Geechee people of coastal Georgia call a “dayclean,” a fresh start.

She returns to her childhood home in Brunswick, Georgia, to heal. But her return is anything but the respite she thought it might be. To make peace with all her loss, she often drives through the city. One day, she unwittingly finds herself on the oceanfront property of a loner widower who is fighting to keep land that has been in his family since the end of the Civil War. He threatens her and warns her to never return. But shortly after, he disappears, and his very expensive property is quickly put up for sale. Curious about what has happened to the man, Deena digs into his disappearance and finds a family legacy at risk. What starts out as a bit of curious snooping, turns into a deadly game of illegal land grabs and property redevelopment in poor and rural communities with dark and powerful forces at work.

Without realizing it, Deena finds herself caught up in a nightmarish scheme that threatens her community and her family. She’ll need help and finds it in a close but unlikely source because she knows she must do whatever it takes to stop the sinister forces at play before she becomes their next target."

Thanks to NetGalley and William Morrow for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

I appreciate novels that teach me while entertaining me. This is true of What You Leave Behind by Wanda M. Morris.

In addition to sharing a compelling story about Black families in coastal Georgia, this novel introduced me to heirs property: homes and land that pass between generations of a family in the absence of legal documents. This becomes problematic when one family member wants to sell the property, forcing all others to ‘buy out’ that person or risk losing the property, often the home in which they are living. It can occur anywhere, but predominantly impacts Black families living in the rural South. It’s a factor of my white privilege that I wasn’t aware of this term or practice and its dangers for people who inherit their home in this way.

This plot has elements of a legal thriller, mystery, family drama, the supernatural, and a bit of politics; it also links to the Geechee-Gullah culture. Ms. Morris skillfully blends these many elements into a cohesive story that held my attention from beginning to end. The characters are nuanced and I wasn’t sure who I could trust, which kept me turning the pages.

I’m grateful this book was put on my reading radar by Cindy Burnett and the Thoughts From a Page podcast; I read an egalley and listened to a private interview with the author as a patron perk. Thank you to William Morrow and NetGalley for the review copy.

Wanda is such a breath of fresh air. There is a dearth of crime writers that look and sound like me and I've been so happy since Wanda has begun publishing! The way she writes her books, the settings are so vivid and she drops the reader directly into the action. This book was fraught with emotion, as her main character, Dena (who is never at work, chile, it was stressing me TF out) is struggling with the loss of her mother and her father's rapid remarrying. She's also very nosy, which gets her into a heap of trouble.
Now... yall know how I feel about magic and spirits and the solution to big problems being supernatural-- take that as a hint or a spoiler -- but it was manageable for me. Stellar novel.

I do really love this narrator, Abbot-Pratt, but felt her voice was too young for this character. She didn't 'sound like what she'd been through' if that makes sense. Loved the second narrator Lynette Freeman. She gave us a rich, seasoned voice with a great accent.

Overall, great book! Already can't wait for the next novel.

In the thriller ‘What You Leave Behind’, Wanda Morris has given us a page turner involving intimidation, fraud, property theft, murder, and political and police corruption. That would have been enough to grab my attention and keep me engaged. But Ms. Morris has, above all, given us the character of Deena and by extension her family and its history.
Deena has been hit with a number of life altering blows: her mother’s death, the loss of her job, and a divorce. She certainly deserves the right to feel stuck in the physical and mental muck she finds herself in when she returns to her hometown of Brunswick, Georgia and its adjacent barrier islands. Here she is confronted with not only her past, but that of African-American history and culture dating back to slavery.
For me, how Deena reestablishes her life is the core of this novel. Her way forward is made possible by exploring her family’s past and helping someone else with bigger problems. Her quest tapes into her generational capacity for endurance and resilience.
This is the third of Ms. Morris’ novels, all written in a voice which is very personal and full of depth and compassion. Lots of lessons to ponder and be learned in this fascinating and powerful book.
Thank you to the author, the publisher William Morrow and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review an ARC.