Set
in Drexel, MS, during the 1950s, Haines's standalone mystery is
the story of two half-sisters who live in separate worlds owing
to an accident of birth. One sister is white and the other
biracial.
The novel opens when Marlena Bramlett, a young mother
married to the wealthiest man in the area, is raped and beaten
beyond recognition. Marlena had been entertaining her lover at a
picnic in the woods, and her six-year-old daughter is missing
after the attack. Jade Dupree, Marlena's unacknowledged
half-sister (her mother is society dame Lucille Longier and her
father an unknown black man) is determined to find her niece
with the help of white deputy sheriff Frank Kimble.
In a stark
change of pace from her cozy paranormal Sarah Booth Delaney
(Hallowed Bones) series, Haines clearly depicts Southern racial
tensions and family eccentricities so typical of the time. While
suspenseful and violent, her literary thriller never loses sight
of the poignant story at its heart. Transcending the usual
mystery conventions, this is highly recommended.
Jo Ann Vicarel
from the 2/1/06 LIBRARY JOURNAL
