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Darktown

By: Thomas Mullen
Narrated by: Andre Holland
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Publisher's summary

In the tradition of our most acclaimed suspense writers, the author of The Last Town on Earth delivers a riveting and elegant police procedural set in Atlanta, a ripped-from-the-headlines depiction of a world on the cusp of great change involving race relations, city politics, and police corruption.

2017 Audie Award Finalist for Fiction

Responding to pressure from on high, the Atlanta Police Department is forced to hire its first black officers. It's a victory of sorts, though the newly minted policemen are met with deep hostility by their white peers, and their authority is limited: They can't arrest a suspect unless a white officer is present; they can't drive squad cars; they can't even enter the station through the front door.

When a black woman who was last seen in a car driven by a white man with connections to the APD turns up fatally beaten, no one seems to care except for Lucius and Boggs, two black cops from vastly different backgrounds, who risk their jobs, the trust the community has put in them, and even their own safety to investigate her death. When their efforts stall, they have to work alongside fellow officers who include the old-school cop Dunlow and his partner, Rakestraw, a young progressive who may or may not be willing to make allies across color lines.

Set in the postwar, pre-civil rights South, and evoking the socially resonant and morally complex crime novels of Dennis Lehane, George Pelecanos, and Walter Mosley, Darktown is a vivid, smart, intricately plotted crime saga that explores the issues of race, law enforcement, and the uneven scales of justice.

©2016 Thomas Mullen (P)2016 Simon & Schuster
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What listeners say about Darktown

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  • Overall
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History of old Atlanta from a different perspectiv

Where does Darktown rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

It's at the top of the list for mysteries.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The two main police officers, especially the preacher's son

Have you listened to any of Andre Holland’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

No, It made me feel somewhat sorry for what the police officers had to endure

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Okay Read

Hard to keep up with narrator. He went a bit fast for so many different character names. Good story tho and makes the reader realize how cruel and degrading some people can be when associating with the black Community.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Gripping and compelling storytelling.

Thomas Mullen has written a masterwork based in the 1940s which rings all too true today. I hope there's more to come about Boggs and Smith's careers in the Police force. Beautifully narrated!

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12 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Excellent !

A compelling blend of crime fiction and history. The narrative uses the first black police officers to serve in Atlanta in 1947. The story focuses on two of them, and on a white "rookie". Corruption, police brutality, and discrimination are rampant. Against the historical backdrop these (3) become involved in trying to solve the murder of a young black woman.
The attitudes and treatment of the black officers, and the black citizens of Darktown, is appalling and difficult to listen to, even if it true to the time and place. An excellent book.
Also, a high recommendation for the narrator. I hope Audible will use him again. Great voice, great narration.

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4 people found this helpful

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Fantastic!

Great story, important history and perfect narration. Finished it in two days. Highly recommend the listen.

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Best Narration Ever

This story was very engaging. The narrator did an excellent job of making distinguishing between characters.

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2 people found this helpful

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great character and story.

narration was superb the characters really were well developed and discussed a very important time in Atlanta's history definitely worth the read

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1 person found this helpful

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Kept Me On Edge

Darktown visually took me back in time. It's very creative how the author wove a time in U.S. History into a graphic illustration of the difficult times officers of color had at that time trying to be part of the Atlanta police force when there own officers couldn't get past color. A must read!

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1 person found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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A must Listen!!!!

The story is great, and the narrator makes it even better! I would recommend this book to any mystery lover!

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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Enjoyed this book!

If ur from Atlanta or know a bit about the city, you'll really like this book!! I believe it to be very close to the truth of how tough it was to be Black police officer in Atlanta during this time.

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1 person found this helpful