Paper Gods: A Novel of Money, Race, and Politics in Atlanta

Strong characters with very human flaws drive this taut story of political skullduggery from Taylor (The January Girl). When long-serving black Georgia congressman Ezra Hawkins is assassinated in the pulpit of his church, the search begins to find both his replacement and his killer. Atlanta’s black mayor, Victoria “Torie” Dodds, is Ezra’s protégé and the obvious candidate to succeed him, but the town’s white money, represented by a group called the League, has decided that they no longer favor Torie since Ezra let them down on a major transportation bill before Congress. Meanwhile, disgraced white reporter Hampton Bridges investigates the links between Torie and assorted major players, including the League’s Virgil Loudermilk, a political kingmaker. The tension rises as the special election for Ezra’s seat nears and more people die, including Torie’s brother, Chip, who was fired from his job at the mayor’s office after Hampton connected him to a drug lord. The only drawback to this crime thriller is that the political misconduct doesn’t astonish as much as it might in today’s real world of politics. 75,000-copy announced first printing. Agent: Laura Dail, Laura Dail Literary. (Oct.)