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Darktown
The award-winning author of The Last Town on Earth delivers a riveting and elegant police procedural set in 1948 Atlanta, exploring a murder, corrupt police, and strained race relations that feels ripped from today's headlines.
Responding to orders from on high, the Atlanta Police Department is forced to hire its first black officers, including war veterans Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith. The newly minted policemen are met with deep hostility by their white peers; they aren’t allowed to arrest white suspects, drive squad cars, or set foot in the police headquarters.
When a black woman who was last seen in a car driven by a white man turns up dead, Boggs and Smith suspect white cops are behind it. Their investigation sets them up against a brutal cop, Dunlow, who has long run the neighborhood as his own, and his partner, Rakestraw, a young progressive who may or may not be willing to make allies across color lines. Among shady moonshiners, duplicitous madams, crooked lawmen, and the constant restrictions of Jim Crow, Boggs and Smith will risk their new jobs, and their lives, while navigating a dangerous world—a world on the cusp of great change.
Set in the postwar, pre-civil rights South, and evoking the socially resonant and morally complex crime novels of Dennis Lehane and Walter Mosley, Darktown is a vivid, smart, intricately plotted crime saga that explores the timely issues of race, law enforcement, and the uneven scales of justice.
Responding to orders from on high, the Atlanta Police Department is forced to hire its first black officers, including war veterans Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith. The newly minted policemen are met with deep hostility by their white peers; they aren’t allowed to arrest white suspects, drive squad cars, or set foot in the police headquarters.
When a black woman who was last seen in a car driven by a white man turns up dead, Boggs and Smith suspect white cops are behind it. Their investigation sets them up against a brutal cop, Dunlow, who has long run the neighborhood as his own, and his partner, Rakestraw, a young progressive who may or may not be willing to make allies across color lines. Among shady moonshiners, duplicitous madams, crooked lawmen, and the constant restrictions of Jim Crow, Boggs and Smith will risk their new jobs, and their lives, while navigating a dangerous world—a world on the cusp of great change.
Set in the postwar, pre-civil rights South, and evoking the socially resonant and morally complex crime novels of Dennis Lehane and Walter Mosley, Darktown is a vivid, smart, intricately plotted crime saga that explores the timely issues of race, law enforcement, and the uneven scales of justice.
384 pages, ebook
First published September 13, 2016
About the author
Thomas Mullen
22 books785 followersThomas Mullen is the author of Darktown, an NPR Best Book of the Year, which has been shortlisted for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize, the Southern Book Prize, the Indies Choice Book Award, has been nominated for two Crime Writers Assocation Dagger Awards, and is being developed for television by Sony Pictures with executive producer Jamie Foxx; The Last Town on Earth, which was named Best Debut Novel of 2006 by USA Today and was awarded the James Fenimore Cooper Prize for excellence in historical fiction; The Many Deaths of the Firefly Brothers; and The Revisionists. He lives in Atlanta with his wife and sons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,228 reviews
August 13, 2016
This is a superb and wonderful read. It is bleak, atmospheric and relentless in the horrors of racism faced by the black community in Atlanta and beyond. As a recent experiment, a unit of 8 black cops has been set up to patrol Darktown. They have no power of arrest and can do nothing in apprehending white perpetrators. Boggs and Smith are two of the black cops who see an ex-cop, Brian Underhill treating a black woman, Lily Ellsworth, brutally after he had crashed into a lamp post. White cops, Dunslow and Rake, let him go. Dunslow, in particular, is a brutal and corrupt cop. Rake does not agree with what he does, but Dunslow is typical of APD cops in that his attitudes and behaviour are common and the black cops are treated with disdain and contempt. There are dirty, corrupt, and murdering cops with bone deep racism who intend to fight the nominal notion of black cops with every breath in their bodies by any means necessary. There is no such thing as a fair judicial system if you are black.
Lily is discovered murdered, and although Boggs and Smith have no powers to investigate, they fly beneath the radar to do so. Rake finds some inner courage to dig deeper into this case, but has do this covertly to escape the wrath of his fellow officers and the dangers it would bring him. There are tragic consequences for the Ellsworth family who live in the countryside where the situation for blacks is considerably worse. It is clear that there are important and powerful elements who will do anything to protect themselves as further murders take place. There is a secret unit used by white police officers to carry out their dirty work known as the Rust Squad that is involved with the case. The racism that the author portrays is harrowing and stomach churning, I found it so hard to read about. As the three cops find themselves working together in an unprecedented manner, they do get resolution to the case. However, the story is all shushed up and gets absolutely no public coverage. There is a tiny acknowledgement that the black police unit is here to stay, but nothing in the way of any power being given to them.
This is an utterly compelling novel. I am not surprised that a TV series based on this book is being made. It has a gripping narrative that keeps the reader completely engaged with the story. The depiction of the segregated society and a police force that feels free to kill, steal, brutalise and charge innocent blacks with impunity is hard hitting. The darkest part of the Southern Soul is laid bare and it is does not make pretty viewing. Absolutely loved this book and would urge others to read it. Highly recommended. Thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
Lily is discovered murdered, and although Boggs and Smith have no powers to investigate, they fly beneath the radar to do so. Rake finds some inner courage to dig deeper into this case, but has do this covertly to escape the wrath of his fellow officers and the dangers it would bring him. There are tragic consequences for the Ellsworth family who live in the countryside where the situation for blacks is considerably worse. It is clear that there are important and powerful elements who will do anything to protect themselves as further murders take place. There is a secret unit used by white police officers to carry out their dirty work known as the Rust Squad that is involved with the case. The racism that the author portrays is harrowing and stomach churning, I found it so hard to read about. As the three cops find themselves working together in an unprecedented manner, they do get resolution to the case. However, the story is all shushed up and gets absolutely no public coverage. There is a tiny acknowledgement that the black police unit is here to stay, but nothing in the way of any power being given to them.
This is an utterly compelling novel. I am not surprised that a TV series based on this book is being made. It has a gripping narrative that keeps the reader completely engaged with the story. The depiction of the segregated society and a police force that feels free to kill, steal, brutalise and charge innocent blacks with impunity is hard hitting. The darkest part of the Southern Soul is laid bare and it is does not make pretty viewing. Absolutely loved this book and would urge others to read it. Highly recommended. Thanks to Little, Brown for an ARC.
August 28, 2016
*Thank you to Netgalley & Little, Brown Book Group for my ARC in exchange for a fair & honest review*
Gosh! This is certainly a powerful piece of social history, and although the story is fictional, it is actually fact based involving the employment of Atlanta's first black police officers, and around which the story is intricately woven.
The year is 1948 and Atlanta ( under pressure from higher up ) has just appointed 8 black police officers. They wear the same uniform as their white counterparts, but there the similarity definitely ends. They have no powers of arrest, they're not allowed to ride or drive patrol cars, and dammit, they're not even allowed into Police Headquarters, that's just for whites. They work out of a basement room within the local YMCA.
Officers Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith, two of the new recruits, are on foot patrol late one night when they come across a white man in a car who's hit a lamppost. He has a young black girl in the passenger seat, and when they try to confront him he drives off. A few blocks later, they come across this car again and the young girl is seen fleeing the car in distress. White officers are called to deal with him, as the black officers aren't allowed to arrest him, but they let him go. When this girl is later found dead among garbage in a back alley, Boggs & Smith decide to initiate their own investigation.
This investigation will bring them to the attention of white officers Dunlow & Rake. Dunlow is someone you don't want to cross, this is one nasty individual, and a complete and utter racist.
Boggs & Smith will face racism, segregation, violence, and hostility at every turn, in their quest to get to the bottom of corruption both within the APD, and also within local politics.
This story takes you into the very gutters of mankind. It will also take you into the brothels as well as the grand parlours of the wealthy,with unsavoury characters galore, as Boggs & Smith slowly uncover this city's many secrets.
This book seethes with tension and injustice, and of course that's down to the author's great skill in allowing us a real peek into those days of the first ever black police officers.
Gosh! This is certainly a powerful piece of social history, and although the story is fictional, it is actually fact based involving the employment of Atlanta's first black police officers, and around which the story is intricately woven.
The year is 1948 and Atlanta ( under pressure from higher up ) has just appointed 8 black police officers. They wear the same uniform as their white counterparts, but there the similarity definitely ends. They have no powers of arrest, they're not allowed to ride or drive patrol cars, and dammit, they're not even allowed into Police Headquarters, that's just for whites. They work out of a basement room within the local YMCA.
Officers Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith, two of the new recruits, are on foot patrol late one night when they come across a white man in a car who's hit a lamppost. He has a young black girl in the passenger seat, and when they try to confront him he drives off. A few blocks later, they come across this car again and the young girl is seen fleeing the car in distress. White officers are called to deal with him, as the black officers aren't allowed to arrest him, but they let him go. When this girl is later found dead among garbage in a back alley, Boggs & Smith decide to initiate their own investigation.
This investigation will bring them to the attention of white officers Dunlow & Rake. Dunlow is someone you don't want to cross, this is one nasty individual, and a complete and utter racist.
Boggs & Smith will face racism, segregation, violence, and hostility at every turn, in their quest to get to the bottom of corruption both within the APD, and also within local politics.
This story takes you into the very gutters of mankind. It will also take you into the brothels as well as the grand parlours of the wealthy,with unsavoury characters galore, as Boggs & Smith slowly uncover this city's many secrets.
This book seethes with tension and injustice, and of course that's down to the author's great skill in allowing us a real peek into those days of the first ever black police officers.
October 1, 2016
Darktown is an excellent book that works at many levels. At heart, it's a crime novel, but beyond that, it has a great deal to say about the time and place in which the story plays out.
Set in Atlanta shortly after World War II, the book opens just after the city government has forced the police department to hire its first eight black officers. But their professional lives are closely circumscribed. Their precinct "headquarters" is in the Negro Y.M.C.A., and they are not allowed to come into the "real" police station. They may only wear their uniforms when they are on patrol and may not even wear them to and from work. They are not allowed to investigate crimes, but must refer the crimes they discover to white detectives who will follow up if and when they feel like it.
As one might expect, particularly in 1948, there's a great deal of resentment directed against these officers from the white community in general and from white police officers in particular, and this plays out in incidents large and small on a daily basis. But even many members of the African-American community are not sure what to think of these eight men. Some are proud to see black men on the force, but others resent the fact that these eight officers are assigned to patrol black neighborhoods and that they are arresting other black people for the crimes they have committed. Some fear that these new black police officers are little better than the white officers who have been harassing them for years.
Two of the new officers are Lucius Boggs, a veteran of the war, and Tommy Smith. On patrol one night, they stop a white man who has driven into "Darktown" and crashed his car into a light pole. In the car with the man is an attractive young black woman who appears to have been beaten up. But when Boggs and Smith attempt to detain the man for white detectives, he simply laughs at them and drives off. Shortly thereafter, the young woman who had been with him turns up dead.
White detectives have little interest in pursuing the case, and so Boggs and Smith decide to do so themselves. But they are severely hamstrung in that they are not authorized to make such an investigation and if they are discovered doing so, they may be fired or worse. Their particular nemesis is a racist white detective named Dunlow, a veteran cop with a long record of brutality, particularly against blacks. Dunlow has a young new partner named Rakestraw, and it remains to be seen whether Rakestraw will follow in Dunlow's footsteps or whether he might be open to newer and more progressive ideas.
This is a beautifully written book with a strong sense of history. The Atlanta P.D. was forced to hire its first eight black officers in 1948, and their mission was circumscribed almost exactly as Mullen describes it here. The story is gripping and the characters, good, bad and in between, are very well developed. The setting is excellent and one can only marvel at the determination of Boggs and Smith to persist in their investigation and in their larger and more important mission of blazing a trail for the black policeman who would follow them. A strong 4.5 stars.
Set in Atlanta shortly after World War II, the book opens just after the city government has forced the police department to hire its first eight black officers. But their professional lives are closely circumscribed. Their precinct "headquarters" is in the Negro Y.M.C.A., and they are not allowed to come into the "real" police station. They may only wear their uniforms when they are on patrol and may not even wear them to and from work. They are not allowed to investigate crimes, but must refer the crimes they discover to white detectives who will follow up if and when they feel like it.
As one might expect, particularly in 1948, there's a great deal of resentment directed against these officers from the white community in general and from white police officers in particular, and this plays out in incidents large and small on a daily basis. But even many members of the African-American community are not sure what to think of these eight men. Some are proud to see black men on the force, but others resent the fact that these eight officers are assigned to patrol black neighborhoods and that they are arresting other black people for the crimes they have committed. Some fear that these new black police officers are little better than the white officers who have been harassing them for years.
Two of the new officers are Lucius Boggs, a veteran of the war, and Tommy Smith. On patrol one night, they stop a white man who has driven into "Darktown" and crashed his car into a light pole. In the car with the man is an attractive young black woman who appears to have been beaten up. But when Boggs and Smith attempt to detain the man for white detectives, he simply laughs at them and drives off. Shortly thereafter, the young woman who had been with him turns up dead.
White detectives have little interest in pursuing the case, and so Boggs and Smith decide to do so themselves. But they are severely hamstrung in that they are not authorized to make such an investigation and if they are discovered doing so, they may be fired or worse. Their particular nemesis is a racist white detective named Dunlow, a veteran cop with a long record of brutality, particularly against blacks. Dunlow has a young new partner named Rakestraw, and it remains to be seen whether Rakestraw will follow in Dunlow's footsteps or whether he might be open to newer and more progressive ideas.
This is a beautifully written book with a strong sense of history. The Atlanta P.D. was forced to hire its first eight black officers in 1948, and their mission was circumscribed almost exactly as Mullen describes it here. The story is gripping and the characters, good, bad and in between, are very well developed. The setting is excellent and one can only marvel at the determination of Boggs and Smith to persist in their investigation and in their larger and more important mission of blazing a trail for the black policeman who would follow them. A strong 4.5 stars.
October 24, 2016
Darktown by Thomas Mullen is a 2016 Atria publication.
This book came highly recommended to me due to my love of crime fiction. I had no idea, until I had finished the book, that a television program was made based on this story that starred Jamie Foxx. I’ll have to check that out sometime.
But, as for the novel, this is an outstanding historical crime novel that depicts the atmosphere in Atlanta just after the second world war and before the civil rights movement. Atlanta has just hired eight black men as police officers to work the ‘Darktown’ area of Atlanta, a groundbreaking move, but a political one, which was made under pressure.
Boggs and Smith are two of those black men hired as beat cops for Darktown. They only have so much power, though. If anything serious happens, they have to call in the ‘real’ cops. They work out of the YMCA, not the police station. They are resented by the white officers, of course, especially Dunlow, a rogue, racist cop that once patrolled the area.
But, when a white man plows into a pole on their beat, Boggs and Smith see a young, black woman in the passenger side with a black eye. Later, the woman is found dead, discarded like garbage. Dunlow, is not interested in solving the crime, but his new partner Rakestraw, is not as apathetic. Still, Boggs and Smith will have to risk their jobs and maybe their lives to solve the murder, on their own.
Wow, this was such an authentic depiction of this era and the attitudes about race at that time. The crime story is a real stunner, with several mind blowing twists along the way. The suspense, at times, is nearly unbearable, and I admit I had to wipe the sweat off my palms a few times.
The characters were well drawn, some clearly bad, corrupt, and evil, while others struggled with the complexities of race and prejudice and with doing the right thing, no matter what. Smith and Boggs were also complex in their own way, and of course I loved their partnership and their commitment to truth, despite the obvious danger they faced, but they did encounter some support from an unlikely source.
The pacing is quick, the dialogue is sharp, but very, very raw, so be prepared. This story is very gritty, very real, and not always easy to digest. But, the book is extremely well written, is riveting and maybe one of the best crime stories I’ve read this year. It’s definitely deserving of the attention and high praise it’s received!!
I highly recommend this to those who enjoy gritty crime thrillers, or historical mysteries.
4.5 stars
This book came highly recommended to me due to my love of crime fiction. I had no idea, until I had finished the book, that a television program was made based on this story that starred Jamie Foxx. I’ll have to check that out sometime.
But, as for the novel, this is an outstanding historical crime novel that depicts the atmosphere in Atlanta just after the second world war and before the civil rights movement. Atlanta has just hired eight black men as police officers to work the ‘Darktown’ area of Atlanta, a groundbreaking move, but a political one, which was made under pressure.
Boggs and Smith are two of those black men hired as beat cops for Darktown. They only have so much power, though. If anything serious happens, they have to call in the ‘real’ cops. They work out of the YMCA, not the police station. They are resented by the white officers, of course, especially Dunlow, a rogue, racist cop that once patrolled the area.
But, when a white man plows into a pole on their beat, Boggs and Smith see a young, black woman in the passenger side with a black eye. Later, the woman is found dead, discarded like garbage. Dunlow, is not interested in solving the crime, but his new partner Rakestraw, is not as apathetic. Still, Boggs and Smith will have to risk their jobs and maybe their lives to solve the murder, on their own.
Wow, this was such an authentic depiction of this era and the attitudes about race at that time. The crime story is a real stunner, with several mind blowing twists along the way. The suspense, at times, is nearly unbearable, and I admit I had to wipe the sweat off my palms a few times.
The characters were well drawn, some clearly bad, corrupt, and evil, while others struggled with the complexities of race and prejudice and with doing the right thing, no matter what. Smith and Boggs were also complex in their own way, and of course I loved their partnership and their commitment to truth, despite the obvious danger they faced, but they did encounter some support from an unlikely source.
The pacing is quick, the dialogue is sharp, but very, very raw, so be prepared. This story is very gritty, very real, and not always easy to digest. But, the book is extremely well written, is riveting and maybe one of the best crime stories I’ve read this year. It’s definitely deserving of the attention and high praise it’s received!!
I highly recommend this to those who enjoy gritty crime thrillers, or historical mysteries.
4.5 stars
August 30, 2016
3.5 Atlanta, pre civil right era, forced to hire eight back police officers. Officers pretty much in name only, few rights, only allowed to patrol the black neighborhoods, not allowed in the white only police station, need to call on white police officers to make an arrest. Yet, Boggs and Smith are determined to do their jobs to the best of their ability. Grim reality, racial bias, racial tension, this book captures this era, 1949, extremely well. When a young black woman is found dead, the white officers have little incentive to solve the case, except for one who will risk much to expose the murderer.
This is a great look back at history, and intellectually this book appeals. Yet, emotionally I never felt I actually got to know these characters or I knew them only as part of this hideous time period. Of course one can't help but be appalled by the actions of so many, those afraid to step up and those with actual hatred in their hearts, but I still felt emotionally disconnected. So many of these characters were a stereotype, big bellied corrupt white cops, bullies and hard drinkers, striking fear in the black population, using them as scapegoats. I just wish some of them would have been more complex, more well rounded. Of course this may just be my interpretation, my impression. So a good look back historically but left me wanting more.
ARC from Netgalley.
This is a great look back at history, and intellectually this book appeals. Yet, emotionally I never felt I actually got to know these characters or I knew them only as part of this hideous time period. Of course one can't help but be appalled by the actions of so many, those afraid to step up and those with actual hatred in their hearts, but I still felt emotionally disconnected. So many of these characters were a stereotype, big bellied corrupt white cops, bullies and hard drinkers, striking fear in the black population, using them as scapegoats. I just wish some of them would have been more complex, more well rounded. Of course this may just be my interpretation, my impression. So a good look back historically but left me wanting more.
ARC from Netgalley.
November 14, 2016
Darktown A Novel
Genre – Historical Fiction
It is a historical fact that Atlanta’s first black police officers were hired in 1948. There were eight officers hired. Seven of the eight officers were veterans of WWII. This book presents a fictional account of how events might have transpired in a mystery of the death of black women.
The black officers were not allowed at the Atlanta Police Headquarters, they were assigned to the basement of the Negro YMCA. They were only allowed to patrol in predominantly black neighborhoods. The black officers were not considered real officers by their white “peers” and were often subject to jeers and name calling.
On patrol one night Officers Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith (black officers) heard a crash and went to investigate. The discovered a white man driving a Buick had run into a lamp pole. Officer Boggs asked for the driver’s license and registration (the driver smelled of alcohol). The passenger in the car was a young black woman, who based on Officer Smith’s observation had a puffy red lip on one side of her face. The driver refused to provide the requested documents. The Buick drove off and Boggs and Smith had to use a call box to request a patrol car locate the Buick, to make an arrest. Black officers were not assigned patrol cars.
White officers Lionel Dunlow and Denny Rakestraw were dispatched to the call. Officer Dunlow a long time cop did not consider the black officers to be real cops. Officers Dunlow and Rakestraw did find the car and Dunlow talked to the driver while Rakestraw called in his license and registration. No warrant or other negative information was on the driver’s record. Dunlow dismissed the driver leaving Rakestraw confused as to why Dunlow did not write a ticket for drunk driving or the accident.
A day or two later Boggs and Smith, while on patrol, discovered a body in a dump. Smith was sure the body was the same woman that was in the Buick days earlier. He recognized the bright yellow dress. They called for help at a call box. Their sergeant Officer McInnis (a white officer) responded to the scene. They told him that they were sure this was a woman seen with the driver of the car they had approached days ago.
There was not much interest in a dead black woman. However, during the course of the story Officers Boggs and Smith continue to investigate, while off duty. Unknown to them Office Rakestraw also has questions and investigates on his own. Many twists and turn continue during the course of their investigations.
Great story!!!
August 5, 2021
An easy 5 stars and one of the best of 2016.
This started slowly. It took me a while to get a feel for the characters and manage my reactions to the racism that underlines every single aspect of 1948 Atlanta. Even more so because I was acutely aware of how difficult I found it just reading about it, never mind having to actually experience or live though anything like it. Some of the scenes between white and black characters are so fraught with tension and unequal power dynamics that it's more than uncomfortable. You have a physical as well as an emotional reaction. But this is the author's skill; he makes you feel the hatred, disgust, injustice, and anger, the sense of trying to push against a tide, the fear of what such inequality means for someone's very safety. Most impactful of all was Boggs and Smith's brave and determined attempts to try and find out what happened to a young black girl, who was deemed so worthless that she was dumped like garbage at the side of the road. And this is how the book creeps up on you. One moment I was thinking about whether or not I was really enjoying it, then I was so invested that everything else was forgotten. The last third of the book is so tense I couldn't decide whether I couldn't stop reading or if I should put the book down to give my mind and heart a necessary rest.
Mullen is masterful with his sense of place- the writing is often grating, but its very nature drags you down into the gutter of the time. On top of that, it's also a damn good whodunnit. I really hope there's more to come. This deserves to be right up there with the best.
Many thanks to Thomas Mullen, Little Brown, Book Group LTD, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
This started slowly. It took me a while to get a feel for the characters and manage my reactions to the racism that underlines every single aspect of 1948 Atlanta. Even more so because I was acutely aware of how difficult I found it just reading about it, never mind having to actually experience or live though anything like it. Some of the scenes between white and black characters are so fraught with tension and unequal power dynamics that it's more than uncomfortable. You have a physical as well as an emotional reaction. But this is the author's skill; he makes you feel the hatred, disgust, injustice, and anger, the sense of trying to push against a tide, the fear of what such inequality means for someone's very safety. Most impactful of all was Boggs and Smith's brave and determined attempts to try and find out what happened to a young black girl, who was deemed so worthless that she was dumped like garbage at the side of the road. And this is how the book creeps up on you. One moment I was thinking about whether or not I was really enjoying it, then I was so invested that everything else was forgotten. The last third of the book is so tense I couldn't decide whether I couldn't stop reading or if I should put the book down to give my mind and heart a necessary rest.
Mullen is masterful with his sense of place- the writing is often grating, but its very nature drags you down into the gutter of the time. On top of that, it's also a damn good whodunnit. I really hope there's more to come. This deserves to be right up there with the best.
Many thanks to Thomas Mullen, Little Brown, Book Group LTD, and Netgalley for this copy in exchange for an honest review.
November 27, 2017
An enthusiastic 4 stars! Darktown is another novel that has me ending 2017 on a reading upswing.
Mullen's book features a small group of black police officers in Atlanta in 1948. They are the first black officers in the city. They have to work out of the basement of a YMCA, they can't wear their uniforms anywhere other than in the black neighbourhood they patrol and they are subject to unabashed racism within the force and more broadly. Against this backdrop, Mullen constructs a mystery around the murder of a young black girl who was last seen in the car of a former white police officer. Two of the new black police officers set out to figure out happened, essentially doing so at their own peril. I found that Mullen did a great job combining a complex multilayered story with this ugly historical context. Figuring out how to survive -- not to mention how to do the right thing -- is pretty much impossible when the leadership and pervasive culture sanction violence and the violation of basic human rights. This wasn't too long ago, and don't we know it? Powerful and engaging fiction. Highly recommended.
There's a second book in this series, The Lightning Men, that I hope to get to soon.
Mullen's book features a small group of black police officers in Atlanta in 1948. They are the first black officers in the city. They have to work out of the basement of a YMCA, they can't wear their uniforms anywhere other than in the black neighbourhood they patrol and they are subject to unabashed racism within the force and more broadly. Against this backdrop, Mullen constructs a mystery around the murder of a young black girl who was last seen in the car of a former white police officer. Two of the new black police officers set out to figure out happened, essentially doing so at their own peril. I found that Mullen did a great job combining a complex multilayered story with this ugly historical context. Figuring out how to survive -- not to mention how to do the right thing -- is pretty much impossible when the leadership and pervasive culture sanction violence and the violation of basic human rights. This wasn't too long ago, and don't we know it? Powerful and engaging fiction. Highly recommended.
There's a second book in this series, The Lightning Men, that I hope to get to soon.
November 10, 2016
This is not an easy book to read. It is filling with dark events, dark thoughts. Get used to reading the N word countless times. You'd like to think that the white cops are caricatures but then you read the history behind the story, like it took until 1948 for the Supreme Court to abolish the “white primary” but how Governor Talmadge proclaimed they could still keep Negroes from voting “with pistols”.
The book is based on the real life story of the first eight “colored” police officers in Atlanta. They are not allowed cars, not allowed to arrest a white person, not allowed in the white police HQ, hell, not even allowed to wear their uniforms on the way or from the courthouse when the are called to testify.
The death of a black woman is at the heart of the mystery. This isn't something the homicide detectives even show up to check out. One of the black officers decides to investigate on his own, something the Negro police are strictly forbidden from doing. A white rookie runs a parallel investigation. The author does a good job of keeping the belief systems true to the time. Even the rookie, who isn't a racist, promotes hiring more Negro officers so they can police Darktown without help from the white officers as a “better kind of segregation”. And he repeatedly keeps quiet when white officers harass the blacks because he was reluctant to make enemies.
Mullens does an excellent job of mixing history and story. The history is important because it would be too easy to dismiss the prejudice and bigotry as exaggerated. Unfortunately, not. But he doesn't overdo it. The story moves along at a solid clip.
This book would make an excellent book club selection. It's a shame the editor didn't see fit to include a reading guide along with the novel.
September 3, 2019
“Whoever debases others is debasing himself.”
― James Baldwin
****4.5 Stars****I started this story with some trepidation. Current events seem disturbing enough these days and I wasn’t sure that I’d have the stomach for more of the same in a novel. However, once I settled into the story, I couldn’t put it down. It’s a literary thriller with a murder but it’s so much more than that.
This was a powerful, thought-provoking and very well-written novel that’s based on the author’s imagining of a historical event in 1948 when Atlanta hired eight black policemen for the first time. As such, it’s a blistering and dark account of racism and bigotry in the postwar, pre-civil rights South. There was (maybe) one sympathetic white policeman in this story and some often abused or even killed black citizens with impunity without being punished.
The black officers were relegated to the basement of a YMCA away from police headquarters, denied uniforms in public, squad cars and permission to arrest white people. Two of these new policemen, against orders and on their own, decide to investigate the death of a young, black woman. I felt a growing sense of unease as these officers faced danger and retribution from the white police force.
This was a fantastic novel, an important story to tell and I highly recommend reading it!
― James Baldwin
****4.5 Stars****I started this story with some trepidation. Current events seem disturbing enough these days and I wasn’t sure that I’d have the stomach for more of the same in a novel. However, once I settled into the story, I couldn’t put it down. It’s a literary thriller with a murder but it’s so much more than that.
This was a powerful, thought-provoking and very well-written novel that’s based on the author’s imagining of a historical event in 1948 when Atlanta hired eight black policemen for the first time. As such, it’s a blistering and dark account of racism and bigotry in the postwar, pre-civil rights South. There was (maybe) one sympathetic white policeman in this story and some often abused or even killed black citizens with impunity without being punished.
The black officers were relegated to the basement of a YMCA away from police headquarters, denied uniforms in public, squad cars and permission to arrest white people. Two of these new policemen, against orders and on their own, decide to investigate the death of a young, black woman. I felt a growing sense of unease as these officers faced danger and retribution from the white police force.
This was a fantastic novel, an important story to tell and I highly recommend reading it!
Read
September 11, 2016My sincere thanks to the author, Thomas Mullen, Edelweiss, and Atria/Simon & Schuster for providing this e-galley to read and review. Darktown isto be published September 13, 2016.
The Hook - This superior review by my friend Trish captured my attention. I knew I had to read Darktown
Trish’s Review
The Line - Per the request of the publisher, Atria Books, I will not quote a line until Darktown is published. Instead I will mention a few references to black veterans returning from World War II. Not only were they not given a welcoming homecoming, they did not receive an iota of the respect that white soldiers took for granted. You can better understand where one character, Tommy Smith is coming from when it is revealed that his father never knew him. When his father returned from the first world war to his pretty wife and son and marched in a Veterans Parade proudly wearing the uniform in which he served our country, he was beaten to a pulp and hung from a tree by white men who felt he was acting uppity Negro.
The Sinker - Thomas Mullen’s Darktown is a fictional relating of the first black policemen hired in Atlanta, GA. Two of these, war veterans Lucius Boggs, a preacher’s son and Tommy Smith are those that we follow in their new roles. Their white counterparts meet them with extreme hostility. In one review these white officers are called their peers. Peers? They cannot arrest white suspects, drive squad cars, or set foot in the police headquarters. Boggs and Smith make a traffic stop when a white man hits a lamppost on their watch. A white man is driving with a black female passenger, an odd mix in this colored community. The encounter does not go well. Later they see the woman thrown out of the vehicle and rather than picking her up they pursue the white driver.
Why, you ask, would they take this job? Boggs is somewhat of a romantic not seeing the whole picture even into the few months he has been an officer. He quickly finds out that he will be arresting the people he resides with, for marital dispute, gambling, drinking and other societal problems. It seems a no-win situation. So why continue what Boggs calls “the sham of being a Negro officer”? He explains it as needing purpose.
When the black woman turns up dead, Boggs and Smith set out to find her killer, but are thwarted at every turn. This unapproved detectiving find them pushing the envelope with their superior as well becoming a thorn in the side of a veteran white, racist cop, Dunlow and his rookie partner, Rakestraw.
When I need a professional review my go-to source is Kirkus. I find their praise and criticism is balanced. However, I do not always agree with them. In the review of Darktown Kirkus states:
”The trouble is that the characters exist as signifiers of ideas rather than people. It's a given that the racist cop will have a drooping belly, and so on. And because the characters lack the specificity that would give the reader a stake in them, the various indignities and atrocities read as both unpleasant and familiar things to endure on the way to a foregone conclusion.
A great historical subject deserves better than this by-the-numbers rendition.
“
There is no question in my mind that the primary characters, both black and white were developed by Mullen and were not stick figures. I was definitely a stakeholder. I did not see the forgone conclusion that Kirkus did, and I honestly don’t understand their reference to ”by-the-numbers rendition”.
Darktown is contextually based on fact though the characters are fictional. The treatment of the black officers, use of racial slurs, the brutal racism exhibited, are tough to read but seem accurate to this era of history. Each of the four main characters tells their story and maintains their own voice.
Darktown is moody in tone and depicts Atlanta in all its grittiness. Rakestraw, “Rake”, describes the other side of his love for the South beautifully in a passage that I’ll add when the book is published.
Darktown is a page-turner, violent and raw and is one of my favorite reads of 2016.
There is a possibility that the story of this period of Atlanta’s Police Department will be continued. As much as I enjoyed Darktown I’m not certain if I need more.
The Hook - This superior review by my friend Trish captured my attention. I knew I had to read Darktown
Trish’s Review
The Line - Per the request of the publisher, Atria Books, I will not quote a line until Darktown is published. Instead I will mention a few references to black veterans returning from World War II. Not only were they not given a welcoming homecoming, they did not receive an iota of the respect that white soldiers took for granted. You can better understand where one character, Tommy Smith is coming from when it is revealed that his father never knew him. When his father returned from the first world war to his pretty wife and son and marched in a Veterans Parade proudly wearing the uniform in which he served our country, he was beaten to a pulp and hung from a tree by white men who felt he was acting uppity Negro.
The Sinker - Thomas Mullen’s Darktown is a fictional relating of the first black policemen hired in Atlanta, GA. Two of these, war veterans Lucius Boggs, a preacher’s son and Tommy Smith are those that we follow in their new roles. Their white counterparts meet them with extreme hostility. In one review these white officers are called their peers. Peers? They cannot arrest white suspects, drive squad cars, or set foot in the police headquarters. Boggs and Smith make a traffic stop when a white man hits a lamppost on their watch. A white man is driving with a black female passenger, an odd mix in this colored community. The encounter does not go well. Later they see the woman thrown out of the vehicle and rather than picking her up they pursue the white driver.
Why, you ask, would they take this job? Boggs is somewhat of a romantic not seeing the whole picture even into the few months he has been an officer. He quickly finds out that he will be arresting the people he resides with, for marital dispute, gambling, drinking and other societal problems. It seems a no-win situation. So why continue what Boggs calls “the sham of being a Negro officer”? He explains it as needing purpose.
When the black woman turns up dead, Boggs and Smith set out to find her killer, but are thwarted at every turn. This unapproved detectiving find them pushing the envelope with their superior as well becoming a thorn in the side of a veteran white, racist cop, Dunlow and his rookie partner, Rakestraw.
When I need a professional review my go-to source is Kirkus. I find their praise and criticism is balanced. However, I do not always agree with them. In the review of Darktown Kirkus states:
”The trouble is that the characters exist as signifiers of ideas rather than people. It's a given that the racist cop will have a drooping belly, and so on. And because the characters lack the specificity that would give the reader a stake in them, the various indignities and atrocities read as both unpleasant and familiar things to endure on the way to a foregone conclusion.
A great historical subject deserves better than this by-the-numbers rendition.
“
There is no question in my mind that the primary characters, both black and white were developed by Mullen and were not stick figures. I was definitely a stakeholder. I did not see the forgone conclusion that Kirkus did, and I honestly don’t understand their reference to ”by-the-numbers rendition”.
Darktown is contextually based on fact though the characters are fictional. The treatment of the black officers, use of racial slurs, the brutal racism exhibited, are tough to read but seem accurate to this era of history. Each of the four main characters tells their story and maintains their own voice.
Darktown is moody in tone and depicts Atlanta in all its grittiness. Rakestraw, “Rake”, describes the other side of his love for the South beautifully in a passage that I’ll add when the book is published.
Darktown is a page-turner, violent and raw and is one of my favorite reads of 2016.
There is a possibility that the story of this period of Atlanta’s Police Department will be continued. As much as I enjoyed Darktown I’m not certain if I need more.
August 25, 2016
Once I read that this book was to be turned into a TV series starring Jamie Foxx as the lead character it bought this character to life and made it so easy to imagine the scene.
Set in Atlanta in 1948 the police department is forced to hire its first black officers. This causes a large amount of friction not only with the community but also with the white police officers. The black officers are policemen but with a difference, they can't arrest white suspects, they can't drive squad cars and they have to work out of a gym rather than the police headquarters.
The two lead characters are black officers Boggs and Smith and when a black woman who was last seen in a car driven by a white man turns up fatally beaten, no one seems to care except for the two officers. They both work to uncover the truth while been pressured from all sides, they will risk their jobs, the trust the community has put in them, and even their own safety to investigate her death.
There are some excellent characters in this novel and the dialogue is well constructed. A very good book and an excellent subject for a new series.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.
Set in Atlanta in 1948 the police department is forced to hire its first black officers. This causes a large amount of friction not only with the community but also with the white police officers. The black officers are policemen but with a difference, they can't arrest white suspects, they can't drive squad cars and they have to work out of a gym rather than the police headquarters.
The two lead characters are black officers Boggs and Smith and when a black woman who was last seen in a car driven by a white man turns up fatally beaten, no one seems to care except for the two officers. They both work to uncover the truth while been pressured from all sides, they will risk their jobs, the trust the community has put in them, and even their own safety to investigate her death.
There are some excellent characters in this novel and the dialogue is well constructed. A very good book and an excellent subject for a new series.
I would like to thank Net Galley and Little, Brown Book Group UK for supplying a copy of this novel in exchange for a honest review.
August 12, 2016
The experience of two black police officers forms the kernel of Thomas Mullen's explosive new novel set in a 1948 Atlanta that was “two parts Confederate racist to two parts Negro to one part something-that-doesn’t-quite-have-a-name-for-it-yet.” Black policemen are as discriminated against in their own headquarters as are black civilians, so these beat cops must have strong moral grounding and resilient natures to put up with the task at hand. Their poorly equipped office is in the basement of the YMCA, run by a man who’d had his door kicked down twelve times for imagined crimes. That man was happy to find a place in his building for the new Darktown police force.
The Wiki for Darktown reports that the Negro neighborhood of Atlanta
One enters a fiction about race relations written by a white man with a certain amount of trepidation. At the start of the novel we are treated to descriptions of truly despicable behaviors, epithets, taunts, and conditions to which Atlanta's first black officers were exposed, and while we suspect it is all too true, we are not comfortable. No one likes to be reminded how bad it must have been. Not long into the narrative, however, we almost imperceptibly begin to relax into the telling of a crime story that involves shadowy power well beyond the reach of a Negro beat cop a few months into the job. A young, pretty black woman is found dead in a garbage heap and the last known person to have been with her was a white ex-cop, fired for corruption some time ago along with some mates on the force.
This is not a novel just about race. This is a novel about policing. One of the things that Mullen reveals to us in this book is the true nature of “the job”: the thorny ethical conundrums and moral relativism that haunts those mean streets. We suspect that police officers have to deal with these difficulties every day of their working lives, and we begin to question whether any man or woman is up to the task. After all, some difficult choices are often made quickly, on the spur of a moment when the police themselves may be facing physical danger.
What is moral relativism? It is the notion that there is no universal concept of right or wrong, good or bad, and that truth and goodness must be examined from the place at which the individual stands. It’s why justice is so hard to nail down, and why judges and juries are so important. But this concept can be stretched to unsupportable lengths, and we are presented with examples of that in this book. It makes for thoughtful reading.
Mullen challenges us with this novel, and if I said "we relax into the reading," I certainly didn't mean for the last half of the story, which ramps up the tension to terror.
The film rights for this novel were optioned in a competitive bidding war long before its publication date. The film contract was eventually won by Sony TV with Jaime Foxx as executive producer, Rachel O’Connor producing. It does have a cinematic feel: dark, hot, buggy nights loaded with sweat, blood, and moral conundrum.
Mullen could easily make this first in a series, he was so competent in involving readers with his characters and their edgy situation in the context of crime within and without the Atlanta police force. It feels all kinds of relevant today, as the white population is waking up to race in America and how "discriminatory behavior" manifests. The Epigraph at the beginning of the novel is a quote from one of the first black officers to be inducted into the Atlanta Police Department, Officer Willard Strickland:
An interview with Thomas Mullen has been published on my blog. In it the author answers questions about this new series and the nature of policing. It is a read you won't want to miss.
The Wiki for Darktown reports that the Negro neighborhood of Atlanta
stretched from Peachtree Street and Collins Street (now Courtland Street), past Butler Ave. (now Jesse Hill Jr. Ave.) to Jackson Street. It referred to the blocks above Auburn Avenue in what is now Downtown Atlanta and the Sweet Auburn neighborhood. Darktown was characterized in the 1930s as a "hell-hole of squalor, degradation, sickness, crime and misery”.Because white police officers did not often want to respond to citizens living in Darktown, the neighborhood was unconstrained and plagued by bad behaviors. In 1948 the Atlanta Police Department trained and hired eight black men, some WWII veterans, to patrol Darktown and keep the peace.
One enters a fiction about race relations written by a white man with a certain amount of trepidation. At the start of the novel we are treated to descriptions of truly despicable behaviors, epithets, taunts, and conditions to which Atlanta's first black officers were exposed, and while we suspect it is all too true, we are not comfortable. No one likes to be reminded how bad it must have been. Not long into the narrative, however, we almost imperceptibly begin to relax into the telling of a crime story that involves shadowy power well beyond the reach of a Negro beat cop a few months into the job. A young, pretty black woman is found dead in a garbage heap and the last known person to have been with her was a white ex-cop, fired for corruption some time ago along with some mates on the force.
This is not a novel just about race. This is a novel about policing. One of the things that Mullen reveals to us in this book is the true nature of “the job”: the thorny ethical conundrums and moral relativism that haunts those mean streets. We suspect that police officers have to deal with these difficulties every day of their working lives, and we begin to question whether any man or woman is up to the task. After all, some difficult choices are often made quickly, on the spur of a moment when the police themselves may be facing physical danger.
What is moral relativism? It is the notion that there is no universal concept of right or wrong, good or bad, and that truth and goodness must be examined from the place at which the individual stands. It’s why justice is so hard to nail down, and why judges and juries are so important. But this concept can be stretched to unsupportable lengths, and we are presented with examples of that in this book. It makes for thoughtful reading.
Mullen challenges us with this novel, and if I said "we relax into the reading," I certainly didn't mean for the last half of the story, which ramps up the tension to terror.
The film rights for this novel were optioned in a competitive bidding war long before its publication date. The film contract was eventually won by Sony TV with Jaime Foxx as executive producer, Rachel O’Connor producing. It does have a cinematic feel: dark, hot, buggy nights loaded with sweat, blood, and moral conundrum.
Mullen could easily make this first in a series, he was so competent in involving readers with his characters and their edgy situation in the context of crime within and without the Atlanta police force. It feels all kinds of relevant today, as the white population is waking up to race in America and how "discriminatory behavior" manifests. The Epigraph at the beginning of the novel is a quote from one of the first black officers to be inducted into the Atlanta Police Department, Officer Willard Strickland:
”I must tell you, it was not easy for me to raise my right hand and say, ‘I, Willard Strickland, a Negro, do solemnly swear to perform the duties of a Negro Policeman.’”Many thanks to Thomas Mullen for bringing us this absorbing and difficult story, and to Netgalley and Atria Books for sharing the e-galley with me in advance of publication on September 13, 2016.
An interview with Thomas Mullen has been published on my blog. In it the author answers questions about this new series and the nature of policing. It is a read you won't want to miss.
September 24, 2019
My first foray into crime fiction. Essentially it's about the murder of a young mixed race girl and the attempts of one of Atlanta's black police officers to solve it. Problem is, it's 1948 and the few black policemen have very little authority and are viewed with contempt by their fellow white officers. For me the racism and the murder weren't integrated with sufficient artistry to make this compelling. The racism was dealt with in a very formulaic way and never quite as angering or heartbreaking as it might have been. Partly this was due to the rather uninteresting cast of characters. I'd describe it as competent rather than inspired. The kind of novel that probably would be more successful as a movie. I did quite enjoy it but it won't live in my memory.
May 12, 2017
Darktown is remarkable, brilliant, infuriating and suspenseful. Darktown a fictionalized account of Atlanta's first black police officers in the late 1940's. As you can expect they were treated like garbage. They couldn't arrest white people, carry guns, drive police cars, wear their uniforms when off duty, and they were headquartered out of the YMCA. This book was difficult to read at times, it made me incredibly angry and made question how much race relations have changed in 70 years. I recommend this book to everyone but be warned the word Nigger gets thrown around very liberally. Also I just found out that Darktown is being turned into a tv show to be produced by Jamie Foxx.
October 8, 2016
When I first read a description of Darktown, a novel based on the experiences of the first black officers on the Atlanta Police Department, I assumed that it would be similar to Chester Himes’ Coffin Ed Johnson and Gravedigger Jones series, the only other books I’ve read about black police officers in the mid-twentieth century. I couldn’t have been more wrong. Darktown has neither the randy humor of A Rage in Harlem nor the charming volatility of Mouse in Walter Mosley’s Devil in a Blue Dress. What it does have is the dark realism of Ellroy's L.A. Confidential, the plot twists of Polanski’s Chinatown, and the stark portrayal of racism seen in Twelve Years a Slave.
The story focuses on Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith, WWII veterans and two of the eight men sworn in as the first African American police officers sworn in Atlanta. Author Thomas Mullen did an excellent job of describing the humiliation conditions that these dedicated men had to work under. They could not arrest white people or work in white neighborhoods. They could not have squad cars. The only shift they could be assigned was from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.. They were not allowed to enter the police station but were assigned dingy office space in the basement of the colored YMCA. Even the oath that they were administered served to remind them that they were second class citizens. “I, _____, a Negro, do solemnly swear to perform the duties of a Negro policeman…”
What amazes me is that, on top of these humiliations, these men had to endure the lack of support from the majority of the white officers they served with. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to be a police officer who went out every night to fight crime, knowing that if they got into trouble, they would likely not get any backup. The fact that they still persisted, knowing that there was a very real possibility that the bullet that could end their lives might come from another officer’s gun is inconceivable to me. I have tremendous respect for these men.
I also could not avoid making connections between the events described in Darktown and the shooting of black men by police officers that have been reported too frequently in the news of late. I believe that the vast majority of police officers today are dedicated professionals but the behavior of the small minority that have their actions recorded on video makes me wonder if we as a people still have a way to go to put the Jim Crow era behind us. Wasn’t it William Faulkner who said, “The past is never dead. It's not even past.”
The story focuses on Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith, WWII veterans and two of the eight men sworn in as the first African American police officers sworn in Atlanta. Author Thomas Mullen did an excellent job of describing the humiliation conditions that these dedicated men had to work under. They could not arrest white people or work in white neighborhoods. They could not have squad cars. The only shift they could be assigned was from 10:00 p.m. to 6:00 a.m.. They were not allowed to enter the police station but were assigned dingy office space in the basement of the colored YMCA. Even the oath that they were administered served to remind them that they were second class citizens. “I, _____, a Negro, do solemnly swear to perform the duties of a Negro policeman…”
What amazes me is that, on top of these humiliations, these men had to endure the lack of support from the majority of the white officers they served with. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to be a police officer who went out every night to fight crime, knowing that if they got into trouble, they would likely not get any backup. The fact that they still persisted, knowing that there was a very real possibility that the bullet that could end their lives might come from another officer’s gun is inconceivable to me. I have tremendous respect for these men.
I also could not avoid making connections between the events described in Darktown and the shooting of black men by police officers that have been reported too frequently in the news of late. I believe that the vast majority of police officers today are dedicated professionals but the behavior of the small minority that have their actions recorded on video makes me wonder if we as a people still have a way to go to put the Jim Crow era behind us. Wasn’t it William Faulkner who said, “The past is never dead. It's not even past.”
September 15, 2016
4.5 stars!
Despite wearing the same uniforms as the white police force, the first black police officers in Atlanta, GA shared none of the other benefits afforded to white officers at the time. Forced to work out of the basement of the YMCA, provided with no patrol cars, not allowed to investigate anything and not even allowed to step foot in the white police station, one has to wonder why Atlanta made them police officers at all.
Darktown delved into that mystery and many more. Boggs and Smith, both black officers, one freshly back from WWII and the other the son of a preacher, commanded absolutely no respect from anyone. Not from other officers and not even from the black community, which they were tasked with protecting. It seems that the entire world resented them for one reason or another.
One night, a vehicle took down a light pole right in front of them. Upon discovering the white driver was drunk, and had a bruised young, black woman in the car, Boggs and Smith called the white police. (Since they were not allowed to arrest the man themselves, they had no other choice.) But while waiting for the white cops to arrive, the man just drove off, and there was nothing the black officers could do about it. A few days later, the young black woman turns up dead and the black officers just can't let that go.
Leaving off the plot so as not to spoil anything, I'll focus now on how this book made me feel. I'm aware of the shameful behavior that went on in my country, but this book went into specifics, and they were very difficult to read. The treatment of blacks in that area, during that time period, (1948), was deplorable. There's no other word for it. Every single aspect of their life was controlled by whites. They couldn't look a white person in the eye. They couldn't defend themselves, verbally or physically, when wrongfully accused of something. They had to ride in the back of the bus-often while the white people in the front openly disparaged them. Some of the incidents recounted here turned my stomach.
Thomas Mullen took an unflinching look at the relationship between blacks and whites. As difficult as it was to read, I imagine it must have been even more difficult to write. To avoid making the same mistakes in the future, we have to be familiar with the mistakes we've made in the past, and this book shoves those mistakes right under our noses. Do you have the strength and stamina to look them right in the face? If you do, I highly recommend Darktown.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the free advance copy of this book.*
Despite wearing the same uniforms as the white police force, the first black police officers in Atlanta, GA shared none of the other benefits afforded to white officers at the time. Forced to work out of the basement of the YMCA, provided with no patrol cars, not allowed to investigate anything and not even allowed to step foot in the white police station, one has to wonder why Atlanta made them police officers at all.
Darktown delved into that mystery and many more. Boggs and Smith, both black officers, one freshly back from WWII and the other the son of a preacher, commanded absolutely no respect from anyone. Not from other officers and not even from the black community, which they were tasked with protecting. It seems that the entire world resented them for one reason or another.
One night, a vehicle took down a light pole right in front of them. Upon discovering the white driver was drunk, and had a bruised young, black woman in the car, Boggs and Smith called the white police. (Since they were not allowed to arrest the man themselves, they had no other choice.) But while waiting for the white cops to arrive, the man just drove off, and there was nothing the black officers could do about it. A few days later, the young black woman turns up dead and the black officers just can't let that go.
Leaving off the plot so as not to spoil anything, I'll focus now on how this book made me feel. I'm aware of the shameful behavior that went on in my country, but this book went into specifics, and they were very difficult to read. The treatment of blacks in that area, during that time period, (1948), was deplorable. There's no other word for it. Every single aspect of their life was controlled by whites. They couldn't look a white person in the eye. They couldn't defend themselves, verbally or physically, when wrongfully accused of something. They had to ride in the back of the bus-often while the white people in the front openly disparaged them. Some of the incidents recounted here turned my stomach.
Thomas Mullen took an unflinching look at the relationship between blacks and whites. As difficult as it was to read, I imagine it must have been even more difficult to write. To avoid making the same mistakes in the future, we have to be familiar with the mistakes we've made in the past, and this book shoves those mistakes right under our noses. Do you have the strength and stamina to look them right in the face? If you do, I highly recommend Darktown.
*Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the free advance copy of this book.*
August 22, 2016
It is Atlanta, 1948, and Officers Lucius Boggs and Tommy Smith are walking their beat in ‘Darktown.’ They are two of only eight black police officers in Atlanta. However, their powers are, to put it mildly, limited. They have guns, but are wary of drawing them. They cannot use the police station, or even look at reports filed there, but have their own squadroom in the basement of a local building. They are paid less than white colleagues, are not allowed overtime, are unable to patrol ‘white’ areas or arrest white suspects. Atlanta in 1948, in other words, is a segregated, divided, unequal city where the first black police officers are both an affront and figures of fun to white police officers and viewed with suspicion by their own community. One evening, Boggs and Smith witness a man hit a lamppost and drive off. When confronted, he taunts the officers and his passenger, a young black girl, later jumps out of the car and runs away.
This is the story of what happens when that young girl turns up dead and of the determination of Boggs and Smith to investigate the crime (another part of policing which is denied them). For the man in the car turns out to be an ex-cop and it does not take long to discover that the police are more than willing to overlook the involvement of one of their own. Also heavily involved in the story are Officer Denny Rakestraw and his partner, the racist, overbearing Dunlow. Rakestraw is a man who feels apart from both his fellow officers and – especially – his partner. Before long, he will be torn between his duty as an officer and his duty to the truth. Atlanta in 1948 is a time when he will be forced to take sides…
The crime element of this novel is interesting enough, but the author really makes this time, and place, come alive. For Boggs and Smith, as well as the inhabitants of Darktown, it is a time of daily, petty humiliations. As far as the Atlanta police force is concerned, it is a time of corruption and intolerance. Politics, murder and violence combine in the segregated streets of Atlanta, when a man is attacked for straying into the wrong area, when a city is utterly divided by race and when justice is denied the citizens of Darktown. A wonderful, gritty crime novel, with excellent characters and a great plot. This is sure to be a huge hit and, considering the news stories from America, seems sadly all too relevant. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
This is the story of what happens when that young girl turns up dead and of the determination of Boggs and Smith to investigate the crime (another part of policing which is denied them). For the man in the car turns out to be an ex-cop and it does not take long to discover that the police are more than willing to overlook the involvement of one of their own. Also heavily involved in the story are Officer Denny Rakestraw and his partner, the racist, overbearing Dunlow. Rakestraw is a man who feels apart from both his fellow officers and – especially – his partner. Before long, he will be torn between his duty as an officer and his duty to the truth. Atlanta in 1948 is a time when he will be forced to take sides…
The crime element of this novel is interesting enough, but the author really makes this time, and place, come alive. For Boggs and Smith, as well as the inhabitants of Darktown, it is a time of daily, petty humiliations. As far as the Atlanta police force is concerned, it is a time of corruption and intolerance. Politics, murder and violence combine in the segregated streets of Atlanta, when a man is attacked for straying into the wrong area, when a city is utterly divided by race and when justice is denied the citizens of Darktown. A wonderful, gritty crime novel, with excellent characters and a great plot. This is sure to be a huge hit and, considering the news stories from America, seems sadly all too relevant. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
May 15, 2018
If you're looking for a historical crime fiction book packed full of interesting characters, a great plot, and thought provoking sub themes, look no further than Darktown by Thomas Mullen , the first book in what I hope turns out to be a long running series set in Atlanta during the early days of desegregation in the police force.
Officers Boggs and Smith are two black cops who see an ex-cop, Brian Underhill mistreating a black woman, Lily Ellsworth, whilst patrolling their beat. She later turns up dead, her body left among the trash in an alleyway. It's Boggs in-particular who stands up as one of 8 cops on the 'black cop experiment' to investigate the murder.
Corruption, racism, murder, and heavy handed violence abound throughout this fascinating look at policing in Atlanta circa 1948. The book reads as more than a crime novel, and that's part of the appeal. It's a character driven read that feels more meaty than the page count.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Andre Holland and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Holland brings a raw yet comparatively smooth intensity that is a perfect compliment to the story.
My rating: 5/5 stars. The second book, Lightening Men was published in Sept. 2017, however I'm holding out for the Audible audiobook edition which promises to be just as good as this.
Officers Boggs and Smith are two black cops who see an ex-cop, Brian Underhill mistreating a black woman, Lily Ellsworth, whilst patrolling their beat. She later turns up dead, her body left among the trash in an alleyway. It's Boggs in-particular who stands up as one of 8 cops on the 'black cop experiment' to investigate the murder.
Corruption, racism, murder, and heavy handed violence abound throughout this fascinating look at policing in Atlanta circa 1948. The book reads as more than a crime novel, and that's part of the appeal. It's a character driven read that feels more meaty than the page count.
I listened to the audiobook, narrated by Andre Holland and thoroughly enjoyed every minute. Holland brings a raw yet comparatively smooth intensity that is a perfect compliment to the story.
My rating: 5/5 stars. The second book, Lightening Men was published in Sept. 2017, however I'm holding out for the Audible audiobook edition which promises to be just as good as this.
January 8, 2017
Historical fiction piece set in Atlanta post WWII dealing with the integration of black cops into a world dominated by whites. The struggles of those new officers in dealing with the established cops, the expectations of the black community and the seemingly endless resentment from all sides. But not everybody is against them.
August 14, 2018
What an unexpected treat!!! This moody noir tale was all about history and atmosphere. As America grapples with police brutality and race, this book imagines what almost certainly was the painful process of integrating the police force in Atlanta, late 1940s. I would imagine this was steeped in part in historical fact and some flights of fancy. Not many think about the conditions on the first line of protection in civil society.
What must it have been like to be the first black police officers? Only allowed to only police their neighborhoods, on foot, no firearms and always deferential to any white officers and/or white people. Not allowed in the police station, were managed by white officers, everyone expecting and indeed setting them up for failure. As Negroes they had to be morally upstanding, twice as clean as the other cops and had to endure innumerable slights and insults. This was a well done mystery with two Negro cops trying to solve a murder. This one gets thorny for a variety of reasons but mostly because it's a Negro woman that gets killed after being seen in a car with a white ex-cop. In addition to the racism and Jim Crow indignities the Negro cops also have to confront the loyalties associated with blue line. It is with the help of some progressive characters including one young cop and some conflicted Negro characters (conditions do not benefit the Negros to help out Negro cops. White cops can make things very bad for Negroes in that era) that they are able to solve the case.
I'm not a mystery/crime novel reader by nature but HBalikov told me to try this one. Aside from a few rather episodic cliffhangers and incredibly coincidental events, this was a very rich and rewarding read. I want to read the next in the series because I want to know how Smith and Boggs (and Rakestraw) are doing. Thanks H!! Highly recommended!!
4.3 Stars
Listened to this on Audible narrated by Andre Holland. This appears to be the only book he has narrated so far, though he is a successful actor. I think his novice nature shows here. There is a ton of potential, but he doesn't distinguish enough between the character voices. His voice however is quite easy to listen to for hours. He kept my attention.
What must it have been like to be the first black police officers? Only allowed to only police their neighborhoods, on foot, no firearms and always deferential to any white officers and/or white people. Not allowed in the police station, were managed by white officers, everyone expecting and indeed setting them up for failure. As Negroes they had to be morally upstanding, twice as clean as the other cops and had to endure innumerable slights and insults. This was a well done mystery with two Negro cops trying to solve a murder. This one gets thorny for a variety of reasons but mostly because it's a Negro woman that gets killed after being seen in a car with a white ex-cop. In addition to the racism and Jim Crow indignities the Negro cops also have to confront the loyalties associated with blue line. It is with the help of some progressive characters including one young cop and some conflicted Negro characters (conditions do not benefit the Negros to help out Negro cops. White cops can make things very bad for Negroes in that era) that they are able to solve the case.
I'm not a mystery/crime novel reader by nature but HBalikov told me to try this one. Aside from a few rather episodic cliffhangers and incredibly coincidental events, this was a very rich and rewarding read. I want to read the next in the series because I want to know how Smith and Boggs (and Rakestraw) are doing. Thanks H!! Highly recommended!!
4.3 Stars
Listened to this on Audible narrated by Andre Holland. This appears to be the only book he has narrated so far, though he is a successful actor. I think his novice nature shows here. There is a ton of potential, but he doesn't distinguish enough between the character voices. His voice however is quite easy to listen to for hours. He kept my attention.
April 4, 2023
Top 50 Books of 2016
5 Stars +++ Most Anticipated Book of 2016! Worth all the hype and more. CONGRATS, to Mullen: Landing Amy Pascal & Jamie Foxx Team For 1940s TV Crime Drama About Race ‘DARKTOWN.’
Thomas Mullen has brilliantly crafted a cast of unforgettable characters in DARKTOWN with a mysterious murder, a southern black woman in 1948, amid strains of the civil rights movement.
Top Cop Procedural Thriller and Best Cover of 2016! A gritty cop procedural, in which the streets of 1948, the sweltering heat and humidity of an Atlanta, GA summer- a city just as dangerous for black cops, as for criminals.
The city’s first African American officers. An induction- However, unfortunately, here in the South, these officers were not respected, or treated equally as the whites. NOWHERE close. Second class citizens, only moving a little from the back of the bus, and now in, even greater danger.
Meet Officer Lucius Boggs and his partner Tommy Smith. From different backgrounds, their office was in the basement of the Negro YMCA, a makeshift precinct. Off color, jokes were made and slang terms relating to their “walking a beat” compared to the running of laps, or paperwork/lifting weights, in relation to their ramshackle headquarters (hot in the summer, cold in the winter).
Things were as good as they could be for a Southern Negro in Atlanta, or were they settling?. Were they any different in Alabama or North Carolina? How long would it take to walk to Chicago where so many people had ventured for in the search for a better life? Were there choices?
The novel chronicles the case of a black woman who turns up fatally beaten after last seen in a car driven by a white man, which deepens the divide in the police department.
Atlanta police officers were ordered to abide by a strict moral code—no drinking, even at home, and no womanizing—but that had not entirely sunk in with Tommy Smith. The Negro officers dutifully avoided alcohol, as they knew all too well that a witness could report them and get them suspended, but for Smith, the idea of suddenly becoming a chaste man was altogether too much.
Boggs had always felt marked for something bigger, a curse of being raised by a reverend. The son of a minister, and though he had chosen not to follow in his father’s footsteps, the idea of tomcatting across town the way his partner did was utterly foreign to him.
The white officers were the worst!
One day they would most likely run over them and insist it was an accident. They had been officers for just under three months, walking the beats around Auburn Avenue (the neighborhood where both had lived all their lives save the war years), and the West Side, on the other side of downtown.
Although Atlanta’s eight Negro officers had not yet been entrusted with squad cars (hello), they did have uniforms, (yippee) plus fire arms, (living on the edge) which terrified a number of white people in Atlanta and beyond. They were not detectives, only beat cops. They had no squad cars and were forbidden from entering the white headquarters. They could not conduct investigations. By the time they walked to a call box to call in a report, and the whites came, they did nothing but laugh in their faces.
White people were not often found in Sweet Auburn, the wealthiest Negro neighborhood in Atlanta—Possibly in the country. Adventurous whites looking for gambling, or whores in the darker parts of town would normally troll along Decatur Street by railroad tracks, a half-mile to the south.
On the West side of town was where most of Atlanta’s colored neighborhoods were in dire conditions. The end of the war had brought a population to the city with farmers fleeing sharecropping to find something only slightly less horrible. Families packed into one room apartments with poor living conditions, no garbage collection or enforcement of housing codes.
The novel revolves around an investigation. A woman, light-skinned and young, in her early twenties, in a canary-yellow sundress, was with a white man in a car driving reckless. Colored officers only patrolled the colored parts of town, where whites were infrequent visitors. This man said Boggs did not have the power to arrest him when they stopped him. They were worried about the girl. The Buick took off almost running them over.
“Stop, or I’ll call the real cops.” Smith shook his head, “Funny how that don’t work.”
Atlanta, GA. Two parts Confederate racist to two parts Negro to one part something that doesn’t quite have a name. Neither city or country but some odd combination, a once sleepy railroad crossing that had exploded due to the wartime need for material and the necessities of shipping it. The South was very good a providing cheap, non-unionized labor. So the town continued to grow.
Twenty blocks away we meet Officer Denny Rakestraw and partner Lionel Dunlow. Rake had seen Dunlow beat at least a dozen men (usually blacks) rather than arresting them, and instructed those on what to say to stand witness at a trial. From bribes from bootleggers and numbers runners, and madams.
Dunlow ranked high on Boggs’ and Smith’s list of most hated white officers. They were called "jungle monkeys” and verbally and physically abused daily. Dunlow never arrested white men. Only blacks. Boggs was smart and the white officers made fun of his prolific writing skills when writing reports. Dunlow falsified reports, beaten people, re-typed their reports, eliminating critical information, murder, racial injustice, corruption. They were not even allowed to identify bodies in the morgue. A detective had to be present. How could they bring him down?
Rake had survived against steep odds for years in Europe—from threats collaborators and spies. Back home in Atlanta, however, he was finding the moral territory more difficult to chart than he expected. Rake refused to play along with Dunlow’s sick games. He was smart.
Could he be an ally for Boggs and Smith- Someone to count on to get in places they couldn’t? Could he be trusted? Rake’s mother never permitted the N word to be spoken in their house growing up. He grew up respecting everyone, no matter their color.
The colored officers were only allowed to work the 6-2 shift, and there were only eight of them, so the white officers had occasion to visit what was now the colored officers’ turf. No white cops had ever had Auburn Ave. beat. Now they seem interested.
The woman they had seen earlier in the yellow sundress with the white man turns up dead. In a garbage dump surrounding by decaying food, hardly recognizable. A six- year old boy Horace saw the pretty lady in the yellow dress running. The lady was banging on someone’s door. The white man had stopped to find her.
Smith and Boggs had seen her in that car with the white man who hit her and they were not able to help. A desperate search for answers for this girl and her unknown family. The white officers couldn’t care less about a dead colored girl, especially one found in a dump.
The man’s name was Brian Underhill (a former cop) and he was selectively left out of the report. They were obsessed trying to find out more about the mysterious Black Jane Doe. A yellow dress, a heart-shaped locked, and a birthmark on her right shoulder was all they had to go on.
What was the connection between Underhill and Dunlow?
From murder, corruption, and conspiracy. The dark underbelly of Atlanta. Black cops were denied overtime and made far less than white cops, and when they had been needed in a courtroom, the judge even refused to let them enter in uniform. They had to carry their uniforms and change in a custodial closet. Everything they had to encounter was dangerous.
Worn down, fighting against every turn, Boggs and Smith have no other choice than to break a few rules, even risk being fired to get to the bottom of this cruel murder. Will they have some help?
Smith says to Bogg: “Remind me why we are doing this?” “To be upstanding citizens and paragons of our race. To provide a good example for colored kids. There weren’t better jobs.” Give me more . . . .
•“Maceo Snipes” shot in the back for being the first Negro voter in Taylor County.
•“Isaac Woodard” War veteran blinded two years ago by SC cops for daring to wear his Army uniform.
•“The Malcolms and Dorsey's” Two married couples including another vet and a pregnant woman, ambushed and murdered on a bridge over the Apalachee River.
Smith opened his eyes. “Give me those keys.”
WOW, Mullen delves deep – from suspense, mystery, crimes, racial injustices, dirty law enforcement, and a changing world in the South--amid city politics and police corruption. Men of courage, willing to fight and risk their lives for justice. From hatred to hope.
If you have read any of Karin Slaughter’s books set in Atlanta, from women to racial cop corruption- fans will devour Mullen’s ride through DARKTOWN.
In Slaughter’s Cop Town, set in 1970 Atlanta, the city was still bubbling over with racial and political unrest. From women, blacks to whites. A divided town. Look where we are today in 2016? Almost 70 years later. We are still dealing with similar racial issues.
When reading DARKTOWN set in 1948 Atlanta, compared to Cop Town set in 1970 Atlanta---“There is still nothing pretty about this divided cop town. But in exposing its ugliness, Slaughter forces us to question whether times really have changed.
There was no precedent to follow, no Jim Crow Guide to Colored Policing. They had survived into adulthood by proceeding warily, yet now they were expected to walk with a heavy step and newfound power through their neighborhoods. In some parts, they were expected to vanish.
It is no surprise the highly anticipated DARKTOWN is more than just a fictional crime thriller- infused with historical details and timely controversial subjects. It has been picked up by Hollywood! Deadline. So Excited.
Interview with Mullen:
Indeed, Mullen accomplished his goal in a bold way, and hoping we hear more from these unforgettable courageous characters. Entertaining and Insightful. His best yet!
Having spent my entire career in Atlanta, in the media industry, I love revisiting the vibrant city, from past to present, watching these areas come alive again today. In some ways, we have come a long way, and others- we are back living in the darkness.
ArtsATL
A Conversation with Thomas Mullen, author of “Darktown”
A special thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
JDCMustReadBooks
Also purchased Audiobook narrated by talented Andre Holland (currently listening). Highly recommend.
Check out Lightning Men (Darktown #2), coming Sept 12, 2017.
5 Stars +++ Most Anticipated Book of 2016! Worth all the hype and more. CONGRATS, to Mullen: Landing Amy Pascal & Jamie Foxx Team For 1940s TV Crime Drama About Race ‘DARKTOWN.’
Thomas Mullen has brilliantly crafted a cast of unforgettable characters in DARKTOWN with a mysterious murder, a southern black woman in 1948, amid strains of the civil rights movement.
Top Cop Procedural Thriller and Best Cover of 2016! A gritty cop procedural, in which the streets of 1948, the sweltering heat and humidity of an Atlanta, GA summer- a city just as dangerous for black cops, as for criminals.
The city’s first African American officers. An induction- However, unfortunately, here in the South, these officers were not respected, or treated equally as the whites. NOWHERE close. Second class citizens, only moving a little from the back of the bus, and now in, even greater danger.
Meet Officer Lucius Boggs and his partner Tommy Smith. From different backgrounds, their office was in the basement of the Negro YMCA, a makeshift precinct. Off color, jokes were made and slang terms relating to their “walking a beat” compared to the running of laps, or paperwork/lifting weights, in relation to their ramshackle headquarters (hot in the summer, cold in the winter).
Things were as good as they could be for a Southern Negro in Atlanta, or were they settling?. Were they any different in Alabama or North Carolina? How long would it take to walk to Chicago where so many people had ventured for in the search for a better life? Were there choices?
The novel chronicles the case of a black woman who turns up fatally beaten after last seen in a car driven by a white man, which deepens the divide in the police department.
Atlanta police officers were ordered to abide by a strict moral code—no drinking, even at home, and no womanizing—but that had not entirely sunk in with Tommy Smith. The Negro officers dutifully avoided alcohol, as they knew all too well that a witness could report them and get them suspended, but for Smith, the idea of suddenly becoming a chaste man was altogether too much.
Boggs had always felt marked for something bigger, a curse of being raised by a reverend. The son of a minister, and though he had chosen not to follow in his father’s footsteps, the idea of tomcatting across town the way his partner did was utterly foreign to him.
The white officers were the worst!
One day they would most likely run over them and insist it was an accident. They had been officers for just under three months, walking the beats around Auburn Avenue (the neighborhood where both had lived all their lives save the war years), and the West Side, on the other side of downtown.
Although Atlanta’s eight Negro officers had not yet been entrusted with squad cars (hello), they did have uniforms, (yippee) plus fire arms, (living on the edge) which terrified a number of white people in Atlanta and beyond. They were not detectives, only beat cops. They had no squad cars and were forbidden from entering the white headquarters. They could not conduct investigations. By the time they walked to a call box to call in a report, and the whites came, they did nothing but laugh in their faces.
White people were not often found in Sweet Auburn, the wealthiest Negro neighborhood in Atlanta—Possibly in the country. Adventurous whites looking for gambling, or whores in the darker parts of town would normally troll along Decatur Street by railroad tracks, a half-mile to the south.
On the West side of town was where most of Atlanta’s colored neighborhoods were in dire conditions. The end of the war had brought a population to the city with farmers fleeing sharecropping to find something only slightly less horrible. Families packed into one room apartments with poor living conditions, no garbage collection or enforcement of housing codes.
The novel revolves around an investigation. A woman, light-skinned and young, in her early twenties, in a canary-yellow sundress, was with a white man in a car driving reckless. Colored officers only patrolled the colored parts of town, where whites were infrequent visitors. This man said Boggs did not have the power to arrest him when they stopped him. They were worried about the girl. The Buick took off almost running them over.
“Stop, or I’ll call the real cops.” Smith shook his head, “Funny how that don’t work.”
Atlanta, GA. Two parts Confederate racist to two parts Negro to one part something that doesn’t quite have a name. Neither city or country but some odd combination, a once sleepy railroad crossing that had exploded due to the wartime need for material and the necessities of shipping it. The South was very good a providing cheap, non-unionized labor. So the town continued to grow.
Twenty blocks away we meet Officer Denny Rakestraw and partner Lionel Dunlow. Rake had seen Dunlow beat at least a dozen men (usually blacks) rather than arresting them, and instructed those on what to say to stand witness at a trial. From bribes from bootleggers and numbers runners, and madams.
Dunlow ranked high on Boggs’ and Smith’s list of most hated white officers. They were called "jungle monkeys” and verbally and physically abused daily. Dunlow never arrested white men. Only blacks. Boggs was smart and the white officers made fun of his prolific writing skills when writing reports. Dunlow falsified reports, beaten people, re-typed their reports, eliminating critical information, murder, racial injustice, corruption. They were not even allowed to identify bodies in the morgue. A detective had to be present. How could they bring him down?
Rake had survived against steep odds for years in Europe—from threats collaborators and spies. Back home in Atlanta, however, he was finding the moral territory more difficult to chart than he expected. Rake refused to play along with Dunlow’s sick games. He was smart.
Could he be an ally for Boggs and Smith- Someone to count on to get in places they couldn’t? Could he be trusted? Rake’s mother never permitted the N word to be spoken in their house growing up. He grew up respecting everyone, no matter their color.
The colored officers were only allowed to work the 6-2 shift, and there were only eight of them, so the white officers had occasion to visit what was now the colored officers’ turf. No white cops had ever had Auburn Ave. beat. Now they seem interested.
The woman they had seen earlier in the yellow sundress with the white man turns up dead. In a garbage dump surrounding by decaying food, hardly recognizable. A six- year old boy Horace saw the pretty lady in the yellow dress running. The lady was banging on someone’s door. The white man had stopped to find her.
Smith and Boggs had seen her in that car with the white man who hit her and they were not able to help. A desperate search for answers for this girl and her unknown family. The white officers couldn’t care less about a dead colored girl, especially one found in a dump.
The man’s name was Brian Underhill (a former cop) and he was selectively left out of the report. They were obsessed trying to find out more about the mysterious Black Jane Doe. A yellow dress, a heart-shaped locked, and a birthmark on her right shoulder was all they had to go on.
What was the connection between Underhill and Dunlow?
From murder, corruption, and conspiracy. The dark underbelly of Atlanta. Black cops were denied overtime and made far less than white cops, and when they had been needed in a courtroom, the judge even refused to let them enter in uniform. They had to carry their uniforms and change in a custodial closet. Everything they had to encounter was dangerous.
Worn down, fighting against every turn, Boggs and Smith have no other choice than to break a few rules, even risk being fired to get to the bottom of this cruel murder. Will they have some help?
Smith says to Bogg: “Remind me why we are doing this?” “To be upstanding citizens and paragons of our race. To provide a good example for colored kids. There weren’t better jobs.” Give me more . . . .
•“Maceo Snipes” shot in the back for being the first Negro voter in Taylor County.
•“Isaac Woodard” War veteran blinded two years ago by SC cops for daring to wear his Army uniform.
•“The Malcolms and Dorsey's” Two married couples including another vet and a pregnant woman, ambushed and murdered on a bridge over the Apalachee River.
Smith opened his eyes. “Give me those keys.”
WOW, Mullen delves deep – from suspense, mystery, crimes, racial injustices, dirty law enforcement, and a changing world in the South--amid city politics and police corruption. Men of courage, willing to fight and risk their lives for justice. From hatred to hope.
If you have read any of Karin Slaughter’s books set in Atlanta, from women to racial cop corruption- fans will devour Mullen’s ride through DARKTOWN.
In Slaughter’s Cop Town, set in 1970 Atlanta, the city was still bubbling over with racial and political unrest. From women, blacks to whites. A divided town. Look where we are today in 2016? Almost 70 years later. We are still dealing with similar racial issues.
When reading DARKTOWN set in 1948 Atlanta, compared to Cop Town set in 1970 Atlanta---“There is still nothing pretty about this divided cop town. But in exposing its ugliness, Slaughter forces us to question whether times really have changed.
There was no precedent to follow, no Jim Crow Guide to Colored Policing. They had survived into adulthood by proceeding warily, yet now they were expected to walk with a heavy step and newfound power through their neighborhoods. In some parts, they were expected to vanish.
It is no surprise the highly anticipated DARKTOWN is more than just a fictional crime thriller- infused with historical details and timely controversial subjects. It has been picked up by Hollywood! Deadline. So Excited.
Interview with Mullen:
Indeed, Mullen accomplished his goal in a bold way, and hoping we hear more from these unforgettable courageous characters. Entertaining and Insightful. His best yet!
Having spent my entire career in Atlanta, in the media industry, I love revisiting the vibrant city, from past to present, watching these areas come alive again today. In some ways, we have come a long way, and others- we are back living in the darkness.
ArtsATL
A Conversation with Thomas Mullen, author of “Darktown”
A special thank you to Atria and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
JDCMustReadBooks
Also purchased Audiobook narrated by talented Andre Holland (currently listening). Highly recommend.
Check out Lightning Men (Darktown #2), coming Sept 12, 2017.
January 19, 2017
Set in Georgia, the Deep South, in the years of racial segregation just after the Second War this is the story of Atlanta's first black police offices. The eight of them co-habit in a dark and dingy space below the YMCA and are treated dreadfully by the majority of the white public and other white police officers. But their very positions make this such an important time in US history. The setting for Mullen's novel therefore is quite compelling and without surprise it contended for several major awards in 2016.
The story also is compelling. It centres around two of the officers, Boggs and Smith, as they pursue the murder of a young black woman. It is quite refreshing to read something new and innovative in the genre of crime fiction. Mullen manages to create some wonderful characters also in the entourage around the story, though several of them are from from likeable. It's the sort of book that as you read it, you can easily see it's transition to the screen. The problem is that if that happens, it is so rarely well done. But again credit to the author, for making the story come alive in the mind of the reader.
The story also is compelling. It centres around two of the officers, Boggs and Smith, as they pursue the murder of a young black woman. It is quite refreshing to read something new and innovative in the genre of crime fiction. Mullen manages to create some wonderful characters also in the entourage around the story, though several of them are from from likeable. It's the sort of book that as you read it, you can easily see it's transition to the screen. The problem is that if that happens, it is so rarely well done. But again credit to the author, for making the story come alive in the mind of the reader.
October 31, 2016
I want to thank GR friends Carol and James for their incredible reviews on this moving novel. This is a deftly crafted crime noir novel with heavy racial tension. Although the time frame of DARKTOWN is post WWII in the late 1940’s, the racial tension begs similarities to 2016.
Darktown is one of the parts of Atlanta where “colored” people resided in the 1940’s. After WWII, progressive Congressmen ordered the Atlanta Police Department to hire black officers to patrol the black areas of Atlanta. Many of the white police are not pleased with this dictum and go out of their ways to make the first Negro police officer’s lives horrendous.
The gritty and seedy crimes in “Darktown” showcase the dirty politics of Atlanta at that time. The reader is treated to an engrossing murder mystery layered in political muck. It’s a complicated crime mystery that adds complexity of bigotry. Author Mullen writes his characters realistically and fully developed. This pre civil rights Atlanta was a complicated time and great fodder for Mullen, and he uses it brilliantly.
This is a timely read in that our country is currently suffering with citizens questioning police treatment of black people. “Black Lives Matter” movement is running strong in 2016 America. “Darktown” is an uncomfortable read that causes the reader to reflect on American history and treatment of people of color. America has come far, yet it is not perfect. I highly recommend this fine novel as an extraordinary crime noir novel. I highly recommend it as a timely novel that explores race, law enforcement, and justice.
Darktown is one of the parts of Atlanta where “colored” people resided in the 1940’s. After WWII, progressive Congressmen ordered the Atlanta Police Department to hire black officers to patrol the black areas of Atlanta. Many of the white police are not pleased with this dictum and go out of their ways to make the first Negro police officer’s lives horrendous.
The gritty and seedy crimes in “Darktown” showcase the dirty politics of Atlanta at that time. The reader is treated to an engrossing murder mystery layered in political muck. It’s a complicated crime mystery that adds complexity of bigotry. Author Mullen writes his characters realistically and fully developed. This pre civil rights Atlanta was a complicated time and great fodder for Mullen, and he uses it brilliantly.
This is a timely read in that our country is currently suffering with citizens questioning police treatment of black people. “Black Lives Matter” movement is running strong in 2016 America. “Darktown” is an uncomfortable read that causes the reader to reflect on American history and treatment of people of color. America has come far, yet it is not perfect. I highly recommend this fine novel as an extraordinary crime noir novel. I highly recommend it as a timely novel that explores race, law enforcement, and justice.
August 20, 2018
I won this book in a Goodreads Giveaway a very long time ago. I kind of wish I had read it a few years ago when things in the US weren’t quite so openly depressing but alas I read it now and it hurt my heart so much.
Dark Town is a mystery and an unflinching look at race relations in the not so long ago past. Even worse, much of it is depressingly still very relevant today.
It takes place in the 1940’s when segregation and racism was on full awful display. And if today’s news gets you down, reading this book right now sure won’t help your state of mind. There is so much prejudice and hatefulness in this story that it will make you angry and sad. This is not a book you want to pick up thinking you’ll escape into. A murder occurs and the author delves deep into everyone involved in the situation. What is uncovered is a whole lot of cover ups, corruption, and other assorted ugliness.
It’s very well written and the descriptive language is so very excellent.
"A harsh word would knock him over"& "He hit the door like it owed him money."
You should definitely read it if you enjoy a good gritty historical murder mystery. But I’m warning you, it’s probably going to make your blood boil.
Dark Town is a mystery and an unflinching look at race relations in the not so long ago past. Even worse, much of it is depressingly still very relevant today.
It takes place in the 1940’s when segregation and racism was on full awful display. And if today’s news gets you down, reading this book right now sure won’t help your state of mind. There is so much prejudice and hatefulness in this story that it will make you angry and sad. This is not a book you want to pick up thinking you’ll escape into. A murder occurs and the author delves deep into everyone involved in the situation. What is uncovered is a whole lot of cover ups, corruption, and other assorted ugliness.
It’s very well written and the descriptive language is so very excellent.
"A harsh word would knock him over"& "He hit the door like it owed him money."
You should definitely read it if you enjoy a good gritty historical murder mystery. But I’m warning you, it’s probably going to make your blood boil.
June 19, 2017
This book was very hard to read at times. It was also something i was glad i did read! So sad that people treat others this way! And even sadder it still goes on today.
October 1, 2016
For many years I’ve been recommending Thomas Mullen’s The Many Deaths of The Firefly Brothers as a great American novel set during the Depression era, with its compelling period detail and a couple of superb protagonists in the guise of notorious bank robbers Jason and Whit Fireson. On the strength of this, I was keen as mustard to read Mullen’s Darktown, set in the racially charged era of 1940’s Atlanta…
I will quite honestly say that I was held in Darktown’s thrall from start to finish, and felt genuinely engaged with the essence of the period, Mullen’s bold and engaging characterisation, and the compelling plotline which gravitated between claustrophobic tension and heartfelt emotion throughout. Being so firmly rooted within the conflict and racial tension of this period, the language and terms used completely reflect the era, and with our modern day sensibilities there is a slight uneasiness at the language used. However, being so much of its time, and as a testament to the weight of dignity he throws behind his maligned black characters, and the white protagonists, some sympathetic, some hostile, the rhythm, vernacular and cadence of the language used plays an essential role in the book. The depth of Mullen’s historical research shines through from the references to the inherently unjust limitations placed upon black citizens not only in their segregation from whites, but also the lack of legal redress available to them. This is mirrored in the very strict restrictions placed upon his black police officers, Boggs and Smith, as to how they conduct their police business, and the added layer of scrutiny and danger that they have to operate within. Likewise, the impunity that white police officers such as Dunlow operate under is sharply at odds with the black officer’s experience, and gives the crooked Dunlow a very long leash from which to pursue his corrupt ways. Mullen traverses a significant amount of individual black and white experience across different realms of society throughout the book, from a lowly farmer to the higher echelons of political power, and with the distinctive backdrop of the racially and socially divided Atlanta as his backdrop, the depth and realism of his chosen period is perfectly integrated throughout.
The characterisation throughout the book is never less than perfect, with all of the main protagonists, as well as lesser characters having sharply drawn edges, and more importantly, being absolutely believable in their depiction, Consequently, such is the level of emotional engagement with them as a reader, you are completely drawn into their individual stories of bravery, certitude, honour or corruption throughout. Mullen depicts beautifully their moments of doubt, the battle to retain their moral centre when pushed to the limit by injustice and racism, or the depths of depravity that wearing a police badge or holding a position of power can reveal in those that society has deigned to be above all others. The moral integrity of both black officer, Boggs, and white officer Rakestraw, operating from both sides of the racial divide is explored throughout. It was extremely gratifying to see that although this is a book firmly rooted in the differences between black and white experience both figuratively and racially that Mullen avoids plummeting his characters into overly moralistic tropes. Instead he leaves area of grey where we witness as readers bad people doing bad things, and good people being driven to bad actions navigating their way through the tinderbox flashpoints that racial division stirs up, and can then draw our own conclusions on the veracity of their actions.
This is an intelligent, thoughtful and emotionally compelling read, peopled by a sublime cast of characters and a balanced and realistic portrayal of weighty issues, firmly located in the fascinating and tumultuous period of post war America. Cut through with moments of raw emotion, thought-provoking social observation, and never less than totally engrossing, Darktown is something really quite special indeed, and at times with its exploration of racial divide in America, made this reader ponder how far American society has really progressed when looking at these issues with a contemporary eye. Highly recommended.
I will quite honestly say that I was held in Darktown’s thrall from start to finish, and felt genuinely engaged with the essence of the period, Mullen’s bold and engaging characterisation, and the compelling plotline which gravitated between claustrophobic tension and heartfelt emotion throughout. Being so firmly rooted within the conflict and racial tension of this period, the language and terms used completely reflect the era, and with our modern day sensibilities there is a slight uneasiness at the language used. However, being so much of its time, and as a testament to the weight of dignity he throws behind his maligned black characters, and the white protagonists, some sympathetic, some hostile, the rhythm, vernacular and cadence of the language used plays an essential role in the book. The depth of Mullen’s historical research shines through from the references to the inherently unjust limitations placed upon black citizens not only in their segregation from whites, but also the lack of legal redress available to them. This is mirrored in the very strict restrictions placed upon his black police officers, Boggs and Smith, as to how they conduct their police business, and the added layer of scrutiny and danger that they have to operate within. Likewise, the impunity that white police officers such as Dunlow operate under is sharply at odds with the black officer’s experience, and gives the crooked Dunlow a very long leash from which to pursue his corrupt ways. Mullen traverses a significant amount of individual black and white experience across different realms of society throughout the book, from a lowly farmer to the higher echelons of political power, and with the distinctive backdrop of the racially and socially divided Atlanta as his backdrop, the depth and realism of his chosen period is perfectly integrated throughout.
The characterisation throughout the book is never less than perfect, with all of the main protagonists, as well as lesser characters having sharply drawn edges, and more importantly, being absolutely believable in their depiction, Consequently, such is the level of emotional engagement with them as a reader, you are completely drawn into their individual stories of bravery, certitude, honour or corruption throughout. Mullen depicts beautifully their moments of doubt, the battle to retain their moral centre when pushed to the limit by injustice and racism, or the depths of depravity that wearing a police badge or holding a position of power can reveal in those that society has deigned to be above all others. The moral integrity of both black officer, Boggs, and white officer Rakestraw, operating from both sides of the racial divide is explored throughout. It was extremely gratifying to see that although this is a book firmly rooted in the differences between black and white experience both figuratively and racially that Mullen avoids plummeting his characters into overly moralistic tropes. Instead he leaves area of grey where we witness as readers bad people doing bad things, and good people being driven to bad actions navigating their way through the tinderbox flashpoints that racial division stirs up, and can then draw our own conclusions on the veracity of their actions.
This is an intelligent, thoughtful and emotionally compelling read, peopled by a sublime cast of characters and a balanced and realistic portrayal of weighty issues, firmly located in the fascinating and tumultuous period of post war America. Cut through with moments of raw emotion, thought-provoking social observation, and never less than totally engrossing, Darktown is something really quite special indeed, and at times with its exploration of racial divide in America, made this reader ponder how far American society has really progressed when looking at these issues with a contemporary eye. Highly recommended.
September 28, 2016
This book was great, and painful. Great in the way great books can be great, when they're well-written with lots of character development and a sense of time and scenery that really puts you there.
But it's painful, too. The goddamned HATE in this book. There's good-natured, don't-know-no-better hate. There's vicious-hateful-to-the-fucking-core hate. And everywhere in between. Hate and degradation and hate and injustice and hate. And prejudice. And hate.
This is the story of the first (and only) 8 colored police officers in the City of Atlanta in the 1940's. Disallowed to have squad cars, arrest white suspects, conduct any investigations, and even approach the police headquarters.
This is the exciting, moving, and heartbreaking story of Atlanta's Negro Officers, and their attempt to bring to justice the murderer of a pretty, young, colored girl.
And it is such a good story.
But it's painful, too. The goddamned HATE in this book. There's good-natured, don't-know-no-better hate. There's vicious-hateful-to-the-fucking-core hate. And everywhere in between. Hate and degradation and hate and injustice and hate. And prejudice. And hate.
This is the story of the first (and only) 8 colored police officers in the City of Atlanta in the 1940's. Disallowed to have squad cars, arrest white suspects, conduct any investigations, and even approach the police headquarters.
This is the exciting, moving, and heartbreaking story of Atlanta's Negro Officers, and their attempt to bring to justice the murderer of a pretty, young, colored girl.
And it is such a good story.
April 17, 2023
Thomas Mullen impressed me with his debut novel and now I’m eager to return for more. This time, we delve into post-war Atlanta, a hotbed of segregationist sentiment and Black suppression. While the city needs policing, it is apparent that there are issues that will require a less uniform race. Still, as Mullen addresses throughout, respect and equality are not present, leaving a small band of Black officers to struggle as they try to keep the peace in the city’s predominantly African American communities. A murder leaves some aghast, while others could care less, forcing a handful of cops to try to find justice amongst all the hatred. Thomas Mullen does it again, in this series debut, sure to be a hit.
While the Second World War ushered in a great deal of change, the race wars of America remained strong in the late 1940s. After being pressured to show a more integrated force, the Atlanta police hire their first Black officers in 1948. These men are trained, but there is a great deal of resentment towards them, both from their brothers in blue and by the general public, many of whom feel they are no better than the scum that wander the street. With significant limitations placed on them, this small group of Black officers try to swim against the current and keep parts of Atlanta safe that many others would not deign to visit.
Officers Boggs and Smith are two of these men, having grown up in Black America from vastly different families. Still, they share the inability to be taken seriously, while trying to patrol the streets of Darktown, the predominantly Black community. After a black woman turns up fatally beaten, her lifeless body triggers a memory in the two cops. They saw her recently accompanied by a white man and being slapped around. While this might trigger action in many other parts of the country, APD’s white officers could not care less, feeling that it is one fewer Black roaming the streets at night. As Boggs and Smith try to investigate, they are stonewalled by a wily cop named Dunlow, who has control of the streets and much of the APD force.
As the story unfolds, Boggs and Smith learn more about the victim and determine that her past may have come up to bite her, though this is no reason to dismiss her murder as anything less than a crime. As Dunlow tries to shut down the operation, he makes it clear that these Black police officers should stand idly by and simply serve as window dressing, leaving the real work to the white majority, none of whom could care less about the murder. Still, there is something to be said about dedication and perseverance, including a determination to keep the streets free of crime, no matter the colour of someone’s skin. Mullen keeps the reader guessing in this novel, which touches on race relations, policing, and the need for colourblind justice, even in the Deep South.
I am a great fan of historical fiction, particularly when mysteries are woven into it. Thomas Mullen has impressed me with what little of his I have read, always able to transport the reader back in time and touching on some of the issues of the day. Strong themes emerge in the solid narrative, which lays the groundwork for a stellar story, developing with each passing chapter. The characters are also highly important, fuelling the racial divide effectively and keeping the reader in awe of the treatment handed down by both sides. Plot twists emerge, as in many other mystery novels, but they are all locked in race and cultural divisions, adding something new to the book that kept me flipping pages well into the evening. I can only hope the next book in this series proves to be as exciting, as I have so much more than I would like to learn, both about Boggs and Smith, as well as the growth or recession of Atlanta’s police force.
Kudos, Mr. Mullen, for laying the groundwork for a stellar series.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
While the Second World War ushered in a great deal of change, the race wars of America remained strong in the late 1940s. After being pressured to show a more integrated force, the Atlanta police hire their first Black officers in 1948. These men are trained, but there is a great deal of resentment towards them, both from their brothers in blue and by the general public, many of whom feel they are no better than the scum that wander the street. With significant limitations placed on them, this small group of Black officers try to swim against the current and keep parts of Atlanta safe that many others would not deign to visit.
Officers Boggs and Smith are two of these men, having grown up in Black America from vastly different families. Still, they share the inability to be taken seriously, while trying to patrol the streets of Darktown, the predominantly Black community. After a black woman turns up fatally beaten, her lifeless body triggers a memory in the two cops. They saw her recently accompanied by a white man and being slapped around. While this might trigger action in many other parts of the country, APD’s white officers could not care less, feeling that it is one fewer Black roaming the streets at night. As Boggs and Smith try to investigate, they are stonewalled by a wily cop named Dunlow, who has control of the streets and much of the APD force.
As the story unfolds, Boggs and Smith learn more about the victim and determine that her past may have come up to bite her, though this is no reason to dismiss her murder as anything less than a crime. As Dunlow tries to shut down the operation, he makes it clear that these Black police officers should stand idly by and simply serve as window dressing, leaving the real work to the white majority, none of whom could care less about the murder. Still, there is something to be said about dedication and perseverance, including a determination to keep the streets free of crime, no matter the colour of someone’s skin. Mullen keeps the reader guessing in this novel, which touches on race relations, policing, and the need for colourblind justice, even in the Deep South.
I am a great fan of historical fiction, particularly when mysteries are woven into it. Thomas Mullen has impressed me with what little of his I have read, always able to transport the reader back in time and touching on some of the issues of the day. Strong themes emerge in the solid narrative, which lays the groundwork for a stellar story, developing with each passing chapter. The characters are also highly important, fuelling the racial divide effectively and keeping the reader in awe of the treatment handed down by both sides. Plot twists emerge, as in many other mystery novels, but they are all locked in race and cultural divisions, adding something new to the book that kept me flipping pages well into the evening. I can only hope the next book in this series proves to be as exciting, as I have so much more than I would like to learn, both about Boggs and Smith, as well as the growth or recession of Atlanta’s police force.
Kudos, Mr. Mullen, for laying the groundwork for a stellar series.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
October 21, 2017
Atlanta, 1948, and the city has its first black officers of the law…with significant qualifications.
This is the story of two pairs of police: one white and one black. Each has a man who is more measured in his response to crime and one who isn’t. That’s where the similarity ends. More later on this.
Atlanta is a brutally racist town. Mullen makes it clear that this is not merely segregation. It is racial subjugation codified in law and enforced at every opportunity.
It would be another quarter of a century before Atlanta elected a black Mayor (Maynard Jackson,1973). In between, it became the epicenter of the civil rights movement and became known as the “Black Mecca” with much improved educational, economic and artistic opportunities.
But that is in the future. Mullen paints a bleak and brutal picture of life in Atlanta. I have had to put this book aside many times because of its intensity and the questions it raises. Mullen’s sharp writing is certain to offend with its subject matter, language and descriptions of violence. Yet, what is evident to me, is his compassion and his meticulous construction. I have read a lot of Walter Mosley who shows us an equally bleak picture of Los Angeles in the 1950s-60s. Both have articulate characters that help clarify, for us 21st Century readers, what things were like back then.
Obviously, the biggest question of all is: “How much have things really changed? Is Mullen asking what is in the future for Atlanta? In 1990, the percentage of black residents was 67%.
Gentrification has had an adverse effect. In 2010, it declined to 54%. Some speculate that it is now below 50%. That is data that reflects on both race and class. The politics of the city and its metropolitan region bears close watching.
But, I am going off on a tangent. The book exists on its own as a first-class entertainment. First-class, because it can both make us feel……..and think.
This is the story of two pairs of police: one white and one black. Each has a man who is more measured in his response to crime and one who isn’t. That’s where the similarity ends. More later on this.
Atlanta is a brutally racist town. Mullen makes it clear that this is not merely segregation. It is racial subjugation codified in law and enforced at every opportunity.
It would be another quarter of a century before Atlanta elected a black Mayor (Maynard Jackson,1973). In between, it became the epicenter of the civil rights movement and became known as the “Black Mecca” with much improved educational, economic and artistic opportunities.
But that is in the future. Mullen paints a bleak and brutal picture of life in Atlanta. I have had to put this book aside many times because of its intensity and the questions it raises. Mullen’s sharp writing is certain to offend with its subject matter, language and descriptions of violence. Yet, what is evident to me, is his compassion and his meticulous construction. I have read a lot of Walter Mosley who shows us an equally bleak picture of Los Angeles in the 1950s-60s. Both have articulate characters that help clarify, for us 21st Century readers, what things were like back then.
Obviously, the biggest question of all is: “How much have things really changed? Is Mullen asking what is in the future for Atlanta? In 1990, the percentage of black residents was 67%.
Gentrification has had an adverse effect. In 2010, it declined to 54%. Some speculate that it is now below 50%. That is data that reflects on both race and class. The politics of the city and its metropolitan region bears close watching.
But, I am going off on a tangent. The book exists on its own as a first-class entertainment. First-class, because it can both make us feel……..and think.
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