What you leave behind: a novel

Morris (Anywhere You Run, 2022) displays an astonishing mastery of multiple literary forms. At this story's core is a solid mystery, intricately embroidered with characters who seem to jump off the page. She also excels at weaving in elements of the paranormal and inexplicable, like an oddly benevolent Shirley Jackson. This tale is ominous at first, full blown at the finish. Deena Wood is living in a "sad little theater of pain." Her mother died a year ago, her marriage broke up six months before, and she lost her prestigious position at an Atlanta law firm. She returns to her home town of Brunswick, Georgia, her fortieth birthday imminent, to start over--what her folk call a dayclean. Trapped in a dead-end job with insulting assignments, Deena finds an outlet for her doldrums when the mysterious disappearance of an old man enmeshes her in a land-grab conspiracy that victimizes poor Blacks who do not have the documentation to prove they own the land their family has lived on for generations. The narrative is rich with the Gullah language of the Lowlands, the only distinctly African American Creole language, and breathtaking with Deena's outrage. Morris notes in her afterword that over $30 billion of generational wealth has been lost this way in Georgia. Not to be missed.

Morris (Anywhere You Run) returns with a tense and topical legal thriller. Black attorney Deena Wood has moved back to her hometown of Brunswick, Ga., following an ugly divorce, her mother's death, and her firing from an esteemed Atlanta firm. On an afternoon drive to clear her head, Deena encounters Holcomb Gardner, a Black septuagenarian who orders her, at gunpoint, to stay away from his trailer, insisting that he's "not interested in selling" his and his recently deceased sister's property. Unable to shake the interaction, Deena returns to the trailer a week later, only to find Holcomb missing and a "for sale" sign in his yard. Rattled, Deena digs into Holcomb's situation and discovers he and his sister may have been victimized by the legal theory of heirs' rights, which has historically helped white developers sell properties owned by Black families against their will. With similar cases springing up around Brunswick, Deena sets out to determine who's behind them--and whether they'd kill for the chance to profit. Morris nimbly balances character and plot, anchoring the mystery's big questions in the emotional lives of Deena and her fellow Brunswick residents. This entertains as much as it enlightens. Agent: Lori Galvin, Aevitas Creative Management. (June)

A lawyer returns to her childhood home after a crisis and stumbles into a shocking plot and family secrets. Six months after Deena Wood's beloved mother dies, her high-flying job at an Atlanta law firm and her troubled marriage simultaneously collapse, so she goes home to Brunswick, Georgia, to regroup. Deena, who narrates the novel, is still reeling, not just from grief but because her father, whom she adores, has quickly gotten remarried--to Ruth, one of her late mother's friends. Deena takes some comfort being back in the Black community of her childhood and finds a make-do job as a legal consultant at a development firm in Brunswick. One day, hoping to clear her head, she takes a drive out to one of the coastal Golden Isles, where "the wealthy…built their winter retreats on the backs of Black laborers." There she has a frightening encounter with an old Black man who fires a warning shot at her, then accuses her of being sent by some mysterious "they" to get him off his land. After Holcomb Gardner sends her away with a warning, she's nearly run off the road by another car. Her father knows who Holcomb is but seems uncomfortable talking about him or his late sister, Delilah. The mystery deepens when Deena goes back to the island and finds no trace of Holcomb or the trailer he was living in. Instead, there's a huge "For Sale" sign on the property. Deena plunges into the mystery, following a trail of connections in the community that will eventually uncover a scheme to exploit Black landowners via a legal quirk. It also uncovers murders, putting Deena and those she loves in danger. The ghost story woven into the plot tells a tale of old secrets that might not stay buried and restless spirits still trying to protect the living. A legal mystery layered with a ghost story boasts a propulsive plot and lively, engaging characters. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

*Starred Review* Morris (Anywhere You Run, 2022) displays an astonishing mastery of multiple literary forms. At this story's core is a solid mystery, intricately embroidered with characters who seem to jump off the page. She also excels at weaving in elements of the paranormal and inexplicable, like an oddly benevolent Shirley Jackson. This tale is ominous at first, full blown at the finish. Deena Wood is living in a "sad little theater of pain." Her mother died a year ago, her marriage broke up six months before, and she lost her prestigious position at an Atlanta law firm. She returns to her home town of Brunswick, Georgia, her fortieth birthday imminent, to start over—what her folk call a dayclean. Trapped in a dead-end job with insulting assignments, Deena finds an outlet for her doldrums when the mysterious disappearance of an old man enmeshes her in a land-grab conspiracy that victimizes poor Blacks who do not have the documentation to prove they own the land their family has lived on for generations. The narrative is rich with the Gullah language of the Lowlands, the only distinctly African American Creole language, and breathtaking with Deena's outrage. Morris notes in her afterword that over $30 billion of generational wealth has been lost this way in Georgia. Not to be missed. Copyright 2024 Booklist Reviews.

Anthony Award—winning Morris (with a Showtime adaptation in the works for her first novel) follows the bereft lawyer Deena Wood who, while struggling to regain her center, finds herself instead enmeshed in a deadly plot involving illegal land seizures from poor families who have held on to generational homes. With a 75K-copy first printing. Prepub Alert. Copyright 2023 Library Journal

Morris entertains and informs with her latest mystery (following Anywhere You Run). This time, she folds the issue of illegal land grabs into the story of disgraced, divorced Black lawyer Deena, who flees Atlanta and returns to her childhood home in Brunswick, GA. The third gut-punch for Deena is the recent death of her mother and her father's subsequent marriage to one of her mother's best friends. Deena is living temporarily with them and working at a local engineering firm, trying to put her life back together. One day while driving around Gullah Geechee country, Deena encounters Holcomb Gardner, who mistakes her for a realtor and runs her off his land at gunpoint, swearing that he'll never sell. When Deena returns warily to Gardner's oceanfront property, he's gone and there's a For Sale sign posted. Her curiosity piqued, Deena begins investigating. Her search turns up shadowy developers who rip off poor and Black landowners, complicit politicians, and a slew of possible allies and enemies. There are a few too many red herrings and interstitial narratives from a ghostly presence, but Morris brings it all together for a banging finale. VERDICT With deep characterizations, local lore, and a sympathetic heroine, this is another feather in Morris's cap.—Liz French

Morris (Anywhere You Run) returns with a tense and topical legal thriller. Black attorney Deena Wood has moved back to her hometown of Brunswick, Ga., following an ugly divorce, her mother's death, and her firing from an esteemed Atlanta firm. On an afternoon drive to clear her head, Deena encounters Holcomb Gardner, a Black septuagenarian who orders her, at gunpoint, to stay away from his trailer, insisting that he's "not interested in selling" his and his recently deceased sister's property. Unable to shake the interaction, Deena returns to the trailer a week later, only to find Holcomb missing and a "for sale" sign in his yard. Rattled, Deena digs into Holcomb's situation and discovers he and his sister may have been victimized by the legal theory of heirs' rights, which has historically helped white developers sell properties owned by Black families against their will. With similar cases springing up around Brunswick, Deena sets out to determine who's behind them—and whether they'd kill for the chance to profit. Morris nimbly balances character and plot, anchoring the mystery's big questions in the emotional lives of Deena and her fellow Brunswick residents. This entertains as much as it enlightens. Agent: Lori Galvin, Aevitas Creative Management. (June)