RaveThe New York Journal of BooksDuane Swieczynski has created a great historical fiction/cop novel set in Philadelphia and spanning three generations. The story begins in the race-troubled 1960s, 1965 to be exact, when blacks and whites battled in the streets of many major cities ... Swierczynski does a masterful job of moving back and forth in time, capturing the temper of each era — the venues and societal norms. His characters are unique and multifaceted and the investigations he devises are very authentic ...grit and grime of big city policing and politics are on full display, making this a compelling read.
Thomas Mullen
PositiveThe New York Journal of BooksDarktown proves to be an uncomfortable read at times. Set in post WWII Atlanta, it unabashedly puts racism front and center in the South ... The mystery surrounding the death of the young black woman makes for a gripping tale with many twists and turns ...novel boldly displays the corruption and power wielded by white cops and politicians ... The author’s writing may make some readers flinch as he describes in vivid detail racist acts and language ...a compelling well-crafted read, and a reminder of how far we have come as a nation from a time when race defined success and opportunity. Or have we?
