The Kingdoms of Savannah

This haunting literary thriller set in Savannah, Ga., from Edgar winner Green (Ravens) opens with crimes against two members of the city’s sizable homeless community—the stabbing murder of Luke Kitchens, a genial white kid in his early 20s, and the apparent abduction of Luke’s drinking buddy, Stony, a 43-year-old Black woman—a constituency not generally high among police priorities. But that changes with pressure from Luke and Stony’s friends Jaq Walker, a fearless Black aspiring documentarian, and her uncle by marriage, Ransom, disgraced scion of the powerful white Musgrove clan. And then most crucially of all, formidable family matriarch Morgana Musgrove, the operator of a detective agency left to her by her late husband, gets involved after receiving a suspiciously large retainer to investigate. As the uneasy allies work their respective contacts in an increasingly desperate effort to save Stony, as well as to figure out who wanted to make her disappear and why, they get unmistakable warnings to back off, including a second murder and a suspicious “suicide.” Deeply rooted in Savannah’s at times horrific history, yet looking hopefully toward the future, this provocative page-turner is sure to enthrall a broad spectrum of readers. Green is writing at the top of his game. Agent: Molly Friedrich, Friedrich Agency. (July)