THE EYES OF WILLIE McGEE by Alex Heard

A Tragedy of Sex, Race, and Secrets in the Jim Crow South. 
 In 1945, Willie McGee, a young African-American man from Laurel, Mississippi, was sentenced to death for allegedly raping Willette Hawkins, a white housewife. This case eventually attracted the attention of the world once McGee was found guilty and sentenced to the electric chair. His cause was partially made so public due to the efforts of  the Civil Rights Congress, a left-wing communist organization. His case was heard by the US Supreme Court and brought to the attention of President Truman. It attracted the attention of such notables as William Faulkner, Josephine Baker, Albert Einstein, Jessica Mitford, Paul Robeson, and Norman Mailer. Letters from  all over the world were sent to various judges involved as well as the President, asking for clemency and arguing Willie McGee's innocence. He was eventually executed in 1951 and his story was remembered and told of another innocent black man getting an unfair trial in the white south.
Alex Heard carefully researches this story, not only looking to determine McGee's guilt or innocence but the  various stories and rumors that surround it.

Willette Hawkins was the woman that was allegedly raped. She never identified McGee as her attacker, only that it was a black man. When McGee was picked up and questioned by the police he stated that he had been having a relationship with Hawkins and that the sex was consensual, something that Hawkins denied until the end. Heard speaks to her family members and tries to track down family of McGee. He discovers many discrepancies, such as many stated it was common knowledge about the relationship but no one had ever seen them together. Heard examines why an alleged rape victim was so vilified and how rape was defined and treated during this period.

Heard examines other infamous cases in the South, such as the Scottsboro Boys, and various other trials and lynchings of that time.

He examines the politics, such as the NAACP not wanting to be as involved in the case due to the connection of left-wing Communist organizations. Lawyers that defended McGee and other such infamous defendants are also discussed and the threats to their lives that they withstood in order to fight for what they believed in.

Heard gives a fascinating and balanced look at a period of history in the not-so-distant past. Highly recommended, it was a good companion read to To Kill a Mockingbird.

my rating 4.5/5

A RELIABLE WIFE BY Robert Goolrick

synopsis from publisher:
He placed a notice in a Chicago paper, an advertisement for "a reliable wife." She responded, saying that she was "a simple, honest woman." She was, of course, anything but honest, and the only simple thing about her was her single-minded determination to marry this man and then kill him, slowly and carefully, leaving her a wealthy widow, able to take care of the one she truly loved.
What Catherine Land did not realize was that the enigmatic and lonely Ralph Truitt had a plan of his own. And what neither anticipated was that they would fall so completely in love. 

I have mixed feelings about this book. I had no idea what it was about before I started it, only that it was a popular book club pick. And it was the first pick for my first IRL book club. Book clubs are fun! But I digress.


A Reliable Wife almost lost me in the first few pages what with all the talk about the train not being on time and then Ralph Truitt's sexual thoughts about his neighbors. But with the introduction of Catherine Land, it started to get quite interesting. She definitely was not what she seemed and I was very surprised by a few twists and turns. Even parts I thought I predicted, had twists that I did not.

I am no prude, but there was a  lot of perverted sex in this book, or I should say, perverted sex thoughts by Ralph Truitt, though he isn't a bad guy. Besides his sex obsession, he is obsessed with locating and bringing home his son from his first marriage, even though Ralph is aware that the real father was his wife's lover. Tony, the son, is quite bitter and depraved himself. Maybe they are related.
This was also a very descriptive work, overly descriptive in my opinion. You could skim awhile and still end up in the same scene.
I think the novel was saved for me by the complexities of Catherine and even those of Ralph. Catherine is several people in this book but we see the real her quite often and I appreciated taking the journey to redemption with her.

I just think a little editing could have really helped.

my rating 3.5/5

SKINNY DIP by Carl Hiaasen

Joey Perrone is on a romantic Caribbean cruise with her husband, Chaz. She has been aware that things are not going so great in their marriage but she did not expect him to toss her overboard. Good-looking but idiodic Chaz forgot that Joey is an excellent swimmer or maybe he just didn't think even she could survive. And she nearly doesn't until she encounters a bale of Jamaican pot to hold on to. She is then rescued by Mick Stranahan, an island recluse and former cop. Joey decides not to contact the police but instead get revenge on Chaz her own way, a little bit gaslighting, a little bit blackmail.

This is the second book by  Hiaasen that I have read but it won't be the last. I love his humor, the Florida locales, the brilliantly written characters. Joey is kick-ass but sympathetic. As mad as she is, she just wants to know WHY? Why kill her and not divorce her. She has money but Chaz gets none of it. Besides revenge, she needs to know his motive.
Chaz thinks he has committed the perfect murder and that there is no body for the cops to find.  He is vile and disgusting and not smart at all. And he is in way over his head!
Mick is the fun loner, having been married seven times or so, but the all leave because they don't want to live the island life. Will Joey be different?

This book made me laugh. I can't believe it had been on my shelf for years. I thought I had already read it. Now to read more of his awesome work.

my rating 4.5/5

THE SCENT OF RAIN AND LIGHTNING by Nancy Pickard

synopsis from the publisher:
One beautiful summer afternoon, Jody Linder, a young English teacher, is unnerved to see her three uncles parking their pickups in front of her parents' house—or what she calls her parents' house, even though they have been gone almost all of Jody's life. The polished boots, pressed jeans, fresh white shirts, and Stetsons—her uncles' visiting clothes—are a disturbing sign.
The three bring shocking news: the man convicted of murdering Jody's father is being released from prison and returning to the small town of Rose, Kansas. It has been twenty-six years since that stormy night when Jody's father was shot and killed and her mother disappeared...


I was first acquainted with Pickard's writing with The Virgin of Small Plains, which was quite enjoyable. This latest was pretty good, though a little predictable. But considering that I had/have been in a huge reading slump, I must give it props as I read it in a couple of days. I then went on to read another book by her, The Whole Truth, one of her earlier works, also interesting.

I said predictable but that was not for the whole book, just some elements. It has been some time between reading and this review, but I am fairly certain that I changed my mind several times about the murders. I also liked Jody. She was strong-minded and not even a little whiny or annoying which can end a book for me almost immediately.  Also, not to be snotty but I am normally not a huge fan of mid-west locales but it works with Pickard's stories. She has a couple that take place in Southern Florida and I like that better.

Anyway, I do recommend this if you enjoyed The Virgin of Small Plains. If not, you really should check out this writer. Her novels are engaging and fast-paced.

my rating 4/5

Blog and Reading Stuff

I have been having another dry reading month, though not as bad as March. I don't know why these things go in cycles.
I did read To Kill a Mockingbird, The Scent of Rain and Lightning, The Eyes of Willie McGee but have not written any reviews of those (blog drought). I also finished The Transformation of Bartholomew Fortuno and managed a review of that.
I did some rereading of John Grisham's earlier work just to be reading something! as well as Carol Goodman's The Seduction of Water, one of my favorites. I started a mystery called Crossing Places, but I figured early on the killer and was so annoyed at some of the writing (why keep mentioning that the archeologist is overweight and the detective is happily married, yet have them thinking about each other and not the horrible crime?) that I stopped. I would have thrown the book across the room, but it was on my Kindle.

Despite my reading drought, I still ordered the new Kindle and can't wait until the end of the month when it will be delivered! Maybe a new Kindle will bring me my reading mojo back. And my blogging mojo, that is gone too.

I am enjoying another Nancy Pickard book called The Whole Truth, but I have no idea what I will start once that is finished. I have so many great books waiting for me but I think I have to stick with mystery until I am back on my game.

I hope everyone else is having a great summer and great reading!