Murder on Second Street: The Jackson Ward Murders
By Rebekah Pierce
Publisher: Rebekah Pierce
Published: July 22, 2013
ASIN: B00E3XWN82
Amazon Synopsis:
It's 1929 and Jackson Ward in
Richmond, VA is known as "The Black Wall Street of America." The
community is thriving as money and prosperity are plentiful, until the body of
Annie Hilks is found floating in the James River in Richmond, VA. The police
don't pay much attention to it; it's just another Negro woman who probably took
her own life. But within two weeks, the bodies of three more Negro women are
found in various locations throughout Jackson Ward, a prominent Negro community
in the City. This is bad for business, and with no other choice left to them,
the community reaches out to Sy Sanford to solve the murders.
Sy has three BIG problems:
he's returned from the Great War with haunting nightmares, he blacks
My Thoughts:
This was a fascinating book
right from the start. It had me up until very late into the night because I had
to finish it before I could put it down. First of all this is a historical
novel, and it was well researched. You don’t often find works cited at the back
of a novel for reference.
Murder on Second Street: The Jackson Ward Murders follows Sy Sanderson, the owner of a security firm in
the Jackson Ward district. He is hired by some the community’s business people
to find the murderer of Negro women that have been turning up in the community
over the past couple of weeks because the Sheriff is white, and “the murder of
Negro women was not horrific enough for Sheriff Mason to do anything about it.”
This novel speaks volumes
about the great racial divide that still existed in the late ‘20’s and early ‘30’s.
Sy Sanderson was a veteran of World War I. The novel describes some of his memories
of being integrated into white society in France and the shock of returning
from war as a decorated officer to racism and segregation. The difference
between the way Negroes veterans were treated in other parts of the world and
how they were treated in America when they returned must have been particularly
painful to them. Heroes in Europe; worthless dirt in the USA.
Along with racism, Murder on Second Street also deals with
spousal abuse and how it was dealt with in that era. We also watched as Sy
struggled with what we would now recognize and diagnose as post-traumatic
stress disorder, or PTSD, a condition that many veterans suffer from. And it,
in turn, is probably what led him to his alcoholism. As a writer, Ms. Pierce has the amazing
ability to take a large number of themes and blend them together into a
cohesive, comprehensive whole.
I really came to care for the
two main characters Sy and Lena in this novel and really felt bad for them at
the situations they were in – Lena for the abuse, both of them for being in
love with one another and not being able to do anything about it. Sy’s
situation nearly had me in tears toward the end of the novel. Lena was a sweet
young woman and I felt bad for her that she got trapped in a loveless (at least
on the part of her husband) marriage with a brutal, abusive man.
I really loved this book not
only for the excellent writing, but also for the insight into what segregation
was like during that time. This was not just a story, but a look into American
history of the late 1920’s. Though the story itself is fiction, the culture of
the place and time are real.
This book is a definite
must-read. I gave it 5 stars out of 5.
Thank you very much to the
author Rebekah Pierce for providing a copy of this book in exchange for a fair
and honest review. A positive opinion was not required. All thoughts are my
own.
About the Author:
I have been writing and teaching English literature for over
thirteen years. I have always loved mystery novels which featured protagonists
who had their own demons to fight as they saved the day, so to speak. Murder
on Second Street: The Jackson Ward Murders is a blend of history and
fiction. The plot is set during a very pivotal time in American history: 30
days before the infamous Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929. I will also be
releasing a new historical fiction novel set in Richmond, Virginia in 1862
called The Secret Life of Lucy Bosman. Over the years, I've also
written and directed several award winning full-length and short plays several
of which have been performed on Off-Broadway. I've been a member of several
local writers' groups for both fiction and drama where my work has been widely
received and supported.
Life/Artist Mission Statement
The mission of Rebekah Lynn Pierce is to be a
positive inspiration to her fellow man/womankind through the light and joy of
her spirit which resonates through her literary works thereby allowing her to
be able to walk through opened doors of opportunity.
Books
by Rebekah:
Murder
on Second Street: The Jackson Ward Murders –
Sex,
Lies & Shoeboxes –
On
the Cusp of Humanity: A Collection of Short Modern Plays - http://www.amazon.com/Cusp-Humanity-Collection-Short-Modern-ebook/dp/B00E8HWN8I
Social
Media:
I am humbled at your kind words and thoughts. In fact, I am moved to tears. Thank you so much for seeing the work as it is: a love of history and humanity.
ReplyDeleteRebekah
You are sincerely welcome. Thank you for letting me share it with my readers.
ReplyDelete