Black Water Rising (Harper Perennial): 1 (Jay Porter) - Softcover

"This debut thriller charges out of the gate, boldly establishing Locke as a name to look out for in years to come."--Sarah Weinman, National Post

"Publishers like to pepper their hypewithwords like 'superlative, ' 'auspicious, ' 'universal, ' and 'dazzling' (all used about this book), claims that are usually ignored. This time, though, they're absolutely right. If you only read one suspense novel this summer, make it Black Water Rising."--Mystery Scene Magazine

"An astonishingly accomplished debut . . . It's a completely absorbing, gorgeously written early 1980s story . . . Locke will earn well-deserved comparisons to Dennis Lehane for this work . . . This author is destined for literary stardom."--Dallas Morning News

"Locke expertly etches a portrait of her anxiety-ridden protagonist, and she animates the complex plot with the assurance of a practiced screenwriter."--Kirkus Reviews

"Black Water Rising [is] a strong and whip-smart debut from Attica Locke. Set in the author's native Houston, it's both a compelling mystery and a sharp, literate portrait of the social layers within that city's black community."--Seattle Times

"Locke, a screenwriter with both film and TV credits (including a forthcoming HBO miniseries about the civil rights movement) steers a gritty drama to a satisfying end . . . Locke remains an author to watch."--Publishers Weekly

"Locke deftly moves between past and present action . . . [putting] her in the company of master thriller writers such as Dennis Lehane or Scott Turow. . . . Attica Locke [is] a writer wise beyond her years."--Los Angeles Times

"[An] extraordinary debut. . . . This kind of racial authenticity and insight is rarely seen in the genre outside of Walter Mosley and Dennis Lehane. Plus, [Locke] really knows how to build suspense."--Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

"Black Water Rising is an excellent book by any measure, but as a debut, it is nothing short of astonishing."--BookPage

"A crackling good Houston-based mystery that captures the spirit of the boomtown era of the early 1980s . . . Intriguing . . . In the guise of a summer mystery, [Locke] subtly examines the history of race relations and the transition to an integrated America."--West University Examiner

When African-American lawyer Jay Porter jumps into the bayou to save a drowning white woman in Houston, Texas, in 1981, he finds his practice and life in danger when he becomes embroiled in a murder investigation involving Houston's elite.