Justice will only be found by unearthing a complex web of broken relationships, long-buried secrets, and illicit affairs between Lark’s residents.ĭarren reviews the autopsy reports for both Missy Dale and Michael Wright, revealing Missy was strangled and Michael was savagely beaten with a wood board before drowning. As Darren uncovers more inconsistencies in the Sheriff’s reports and local Black residents Tim, Huxley, Wendy, and the shifty barber Isaac reveal key details about the town’s history, Darren realizes solving the case will be complicated. Wallace “Wally” Jefferson III, Lark’s wealthiest resident and owner of the icehouse, frequents Geneva’s café and quickly becomes suspect in Darren’s eyes. Darren finds himself at odds with many of the white residents of Lark including the Sheriff Van Horn who resents his presence and Darren’s inquiries into his investigation. Through a nonlinear timeline full of flashbacks to the past, the complicated histories of Lark’s prominent residents are slowly revealed. When another body emerges, that of white waitress Missy Dale, the town simmers with rumors and speculation, and Darren is convinced the deaths are somehow connected, especially since Michael visited the local bar where Missy worked before he vanished. Darren discovers the answers to many of his questions can be found at Geneva Sweet’s Sweets, a local diner and social hub for the Black residents of Lark. When he unexpectedly runs into Wright’s widow Randie Winston, the two find themselves drawn to each other in the search for truth but also in their shared struggles. When Darren receives a call from his FBI agent and friend Greg about a murder in Lark, Texas, with a possible connection to the white supremacist group the Aryan Brotherhood, Darren feels compelled to investigate despite his suspension.ĭarren’s journey to Lark to seek answers for the death of a Black man and lawyer Michael Wright takes him into the heart of a small town and the depths of its secrets. This passion led him to abruptly end his pursuit of a law degree and become a Ranger, a decision not supported by his wife or his Uncle Clayton who raised him. The case is personal for Darren, not just because of his friendship with Mack, but because Darren desires to stop all racially motivated crimes. He is suspended from duty, battling alcoholism, and is estranged from his wife. Darren hopes he has done enough to save his friend from an indictment, but the murder weapon is still missing, and Darren has problems of his own. Cut to a courtroom where Darren Mathews, a Black Texas Ranger, takes the stand to give an account of his involvement with his friend Mack’s confrontation with local white supremacist Ronnie Malvo.
The novel opens in Lark, Texas, in October of 2016 with Geneva Sweet attending to the graves of her husband, famous blues guitarist Joe “Petey Pie” Sweet, and son Lil’ Joe.
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