Forty Acres

A bold if over-the-top premise nearly overwhelms the plot of Smith’s entertaining debut thriller. Damon Darrell, an internationally famous former trial lawyer, recruits lawyer Martin Grey, a courtroom rival, into a secret conspiracy of powerful black men determined to redress the wrongs of slavery in America by taking revenge on the descendants of the oppressors. Grey is revolted at what form this revenge takes, but his own life and the life of his family is on the line. A terrible final initiation tests all that he holds dear. Smith deftly lays the story’s foundation with potent arguments that the legacy of slavery is far from over, and is a shadow that still haunts America. But these justifications ring hollow for Grey when he confronts the reality of slavery for any human being, regardless of the guilt or innocence of society at large. Unfortunately, a hurried conclusion dissipates much of the power of the intriguing set-up. Agent: Molly Friedrich, Friedrich Agency. (July)