We all had fun owning the libs when woke corporations decided to dethrone Aunt Jemina. Same when the Indian maid disappeared from the Land o’ Lake butter cartons.
Imagine, though, if you walked into an antique store and saw dolls sold that mocked your facial features. The shop owner featured in The Grinning Golly Murders might think of the statues as “relics of a dark era in our history.” As owner Dolly Mercier pointed out, “the fact that so many people find it odious today shows that we have made progress – even if there is still more work to be done.”
Reasonable people could disagree with her, politely. But what happens when woke 20-somethings discover the statues and blast pictures all over social media? Riots and protests ensue – and that’s just part of the inciting incident in this first work of fiction by reporter and Townhall editor Jeff Charles.
The title comes from “golliwog” – the name of the dolls or statues that play into stereotypical black features. In the first chapter, New Orleans reporter Jackson Harlow stumbles over Mercier’s dead body, with a blood-covered golliwog resting next to her head.
Harlow is a young black reporter who loves listening to jazz and drinking Voodoo Ranger IPA when he’s not chasing leads, hounding corrupt politicians, or solving murders. From time to time, he breaks the “fourth wall” to share his thoughts with the reader. It gives the book a chatty feel, which, along with the detailed descriptions of New Orleans and the characters living there, reminds me of the best in noir.
Harlow interviewed Mercier just a week before the murders to talk about the controversy, and why people wouldn’t talk to one another. During that flashback we learn Mercier was far more than a stereotypical older white Louisianian; she’d marched in civil rights marches in the ‘60s. As she told Harlow, most of the protestors outside her shop were white people who were trying to score virtue points, not listen to the other side.
The cast of characters ranges from the newsroom’s staff to the cynical and careworn New Orleans police detective who alternately works with and clashes with Harlow. Rednecks with a secret show up, along with protestors, politicians, and, worse, sleazy political operatives. Harlow himself doesn’t escape from the social media clickbait flames.
Once I read the flashback of Dolly Mercier’s life, I devoured this book in just a few hours. Charles does a wonderful job of moving the main character from newsroom to police station to his interviews chasing suspects. I was hooked and couldn’t stop reading.
We also get to see into the mind of the egocentric killer, who calls our reporter/detective Harlow every few chapters to taunt him. The author brings equal skill depicting the worlds of a progressive social activist with a troubled conscience, versus the good ole’ boys of a "Heritage Club."
If I could make one minor suggestion for improvement in this book: take the time and spend the dollars for one more copy edit. There were only a few minor errors, but one was quite annoying. I spent too much time puzzling over the age of one of the bad guys: he’d been described as 52 early on, then, at a crucial moment later, described as 38 “three years earlier.” That took me out of the story for a few moments. I know it is expensive to hire a line editor for self-publishing projects, but it is worth it.
Charles won me over immediately with his use of beautiful language. His similes and metaphors are worthy of quoting: “…blood spots painting Rorschach tests…”, “My poker face is usually harder to read than a Latin textbook.” and “…about as smart as carrying a cocktail umbrella in a tsunami.” Let me end the quotes with this wonderful description of a motivated reporter: “His fingers flew over the keyboard like a swarm of angry bees.”
Charles’ work combines the culture wars of today with a compelling mystery you can read over the weekend at the beach. By the end, one culprit is caught, but our reporter Harlow knows there are more leads to follow. I’m looking forward to his next outing in the series. Meanwhile, I’m going to be looking for a Voodoo Ranger IPA.
Editor's Note: Just as protagonist Jackson Harlow learned, there's more than one side to a story. The mainstream media continues to deflect, gaslight, spin, and lie about President Trump, his administration, and conservatives.
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