Bluebird, Bluebird by Attica Locke- Book review

I will fully admit I had certain assumptions when I started reading this book and avoided reading it because of those assumptions- African American Texas Ranger, a white town, a murder of an African American and a White Woman, and my assumptions began to take shape. We all know the sayings about assumptions though, don’t we?

While some of my assumptions were true, if you pass this one up strictly due to the description, you will miss such a twisty turny murder mystery that kept my attention from beginning to end. Yes, some things you can imagine would happen, happen, but this is not a paper cut out story. The characters are rich and it has an ending you might not expect.

Darrin Matthews is a black Texas Ranger who is on suspension when he hears about a murder in a mostly white town- first an African American male is found dead and the town doesn’t care much. Then a second body is discovered- a white woman, whom the town knows well. Drawn in by the mystery, Matthews begins investigating even though he is not allowed to.

As he begins investigating, Matthews discovers a bar where the woman worked. In it, he finds a group of Aryan Nation members. This is that type of bar. Turns out it was also the last place where both of the victims were found. This is the part where you think what is going to happen begins to happen.

On the other side, Matthews has unreliable witnesses, family histories that go generations deep, the black/white divide that goes back to slavery days, and Matthews himself is battling his own history and his suspension. To solve this mystery, Matthews must get out of his own way first.

As stated, there may be some initial eye rolling at the mention of a Black Ranger and an Aryan Nation bar, but this is not that story. In some parts it is, but this is more a story about a town with deep secrets that may not always want to be shared outside of town people. It is a town rich with layers that goes beyond the black/white divide.

Even Matthews himself is not the typical cop on suspension character. He is a screw up. He has deep flaws. His addiction is not just to take the edge off, but it is a real addiction where he needs a drink to just get by. His addiction has also ruined his relationships and his career. He too is a complex character.

I had a guess where the ending was going, but it took almost to the end to figure it out. The way she rolls out the story was quite well done. As Matthews finds out information, the story of what happened with the two victims begins to roll out, but stops at the information that Matthews knows. By the end, we see the full night and watch everything play out from beginning to end. It is like getting pieces of a puzzle where the picture isn’t quite clear and even when you figure something out, there is one more piece which changes the perspective.

This was so well done that I am ready to tackle another of her books. I loved this one. I gave it a solid four stars.

*I want to thank NetGalley for the advanced copy. I received it in exchange for an honest review.*