I started this book with high hopes. They were met as Gary's maturation as an author continues. It was nice to take a step back in time and forget about it all.

well done mystery with a great heroine in Darla. What happened to the governor's daughter- really? That's what she's going to find out, even as she balances possible changes in her personal life. Thanks for the ARC- a good, fast read.

Book Review The Legacy by Gary Gusick
Review by Dawn Thomas

205 Pages
Publisher: Random House Publishing Group – Alibi
Release Date: December 6, 2016

Mystery & Thriller, Police Procedural

Darla and her partner Rita investigate the hanging of the governor’s adopted daughter. Caitlin’s death was treated as a hate crime on the campus of Ole Miss University. During the investigation, Darla finds evidence Caitlin was looking for her birth parents. There is evidence she may have gotten close to finding the answers. Was that the reason for her death?

Darla follows leads which link to a similar death about twenty years ago. It is Darla’s job to determine if the deaths are related. This is the second book I have read by the author. If you like police procedurals like Rizzoli & Isles or the Women’s Murder Club then you will enjoy this book.

Sorry I was not able to read you book but it went to archive before I could get to it. Sorry once again.

Lieutenant Darla Cavannah; an officer attached to the Mississippi Bureau in the Major Hate Crime Division, is at home with husband Dr Stephen Nicoletti looking at photos of the little Chinese girl they are hoping to adopt. When the phone rings, Darla answers, expecting it to be the Adoption Agency. She needs to quickly hide her disappointment when the caller identifies himself as the Governor of Mississippi; Wilson Burnett His (black) adopted daughter; Caitlin has been found outside her University residence in Oxford (Mississippi) strung up. The method used is that of a typical lynching.

Darla reluctantly agrees to work on the case and once again put her personal life on hold. She and her partner Detective Rita Gibbons soon find themselves entangled in one of the nastiest most complicated cases of pure racial hatred, with one person the main suspect, but is the case more complicated than just proving this man’s guilt? Their investigation is going to lead them down many twisted lanes.

Gary Cusick has matured as an author since the last book I read by him; Officer Elvis. This book had my undivided attention from the first page. It is a horrible murder of a young girl just trying to fit into university. She’s been brought up among the elite society which surround her father’s status as governor. She is expecting the same equality at university. Little does she know just how alive and well! racism is at the institute and particularly amongst the sorority members of Delta Beta, her late mother’s sorority.

The characters who play a role in this storyline are so alive as is their interaction with each other. Those whose moral code goes against my own particular beliefs, were well portrayed and I think that it’s thanks to these racist and bigoted characters that I’ve been forced to take a good hard look around the world at the fact that as much as we’d expect that living in the Twenty First Century, racism would be a thing of the past; it is as prevalent as ever before and in some instances, even more so.

I want to congratulate Gary Cusick for tackling the subject of racism and bigotry. Once again, I’m being forced to look at society and ask; “Are we all racists in some shape or form?” “Do we fully understand our own behaviour towards others of colour or religion?”

Treebeard

Breakaway Reviewers received a copy of the book to review.

I really enjoyed this latest Darla Cavannah Mystery. It was a great addition to the series. It had a mesmerizing storyline and great characters. I will be looking forward to seeing where the series takes Darla next.

An exciting story with action, suspense and lots of surprises. The Mississippi environment provides many stereotypes in the story of the relations between white and black in the state. This story is an interesting police procedural, with many emotional hooks to make it engrossing for the reader. Points of interest abound throughout the story as music, food, college life and art rotate through the narrative while the investigation takes place. The book becomes spell-binding as the story continues. definitely a great read.

When a young African American woman is found hanging from a tree on her college campus, Darla Cavannah is called in to track down the killer. But what seems like an obvious hate crime might be covering up something even more sinister. Told from the perspective of multiple characters, The Legacy explores the hatred hiding in the hearts of many, and the extremes to which some people will go to bury their secrets. This novel was well-written and the main characters were fully developed, especially with the subtle introductions to their backstories. My biggest complaint was the reveal at the end. While there are plenty of red herrings throughout the book, the identity of the killer is pretty obvious from the beginning.

This is the first of this series that I've read and it won't be the last. I love books that are set in the deep south and Darla being a transplant from up North makes it even more interesting. The witty dialog exchanges between Darla and her not so polished partner, Rita is catchy as well. There wasn't a lot of things that I didn't like about this series, I've got some catching up to before the next release comes out.
I received a copy of this e-galley in exchange for my honest review.