The Kingdoms of Savannah: WINNER OF THE CWA AWARD FOR BEST CRIME NOVEL OF THE YEAR

As present-day crimes collide with Savannah’s long family histories, society matriarch Morgana Musgrove pushes toward the truth. Using the city itself as a clue, the novel traces family fractures and the lingering memory of violence in a Southern Gothic mystery.

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Work Information

Beneath the city's polished surface, Savannah’s hidden history comes into view.

Morgana Musgrove, matriarch of a prominent Savannah family, is drawn into the secrets of her household after a murder and a disappearance. The novel intertwines the city’s touristic image with the history beneath it, making Savannah itself part of the mystery.

Review Summaries

Many readers enjoy the book’s unsettling sense of place and dense Southern Gothic atmosphere. Others find the cast and plotting layered to the point of feeling crowded, even if they admire the ambition.

Book Information

Publisher: Headline Book Publishing
Published: 2022-07-19
Pages: 304 pages
Language: 英語
Size: 15.2 x 2.4 x 23.2 cm
ISBN-13: 9781035401840
ISBN-10: 1035401843
Price: 5926 JPY
Category: 洋書/Mystery & Thrillers/Thrillers

'The apotheosis of Southern Gothic Noir' NEIL GAIMAN 'Compelling characters and vivid settings make this impressive Southern narrative stand out among the best . . . not to be missed' KARIN SLAUGHTER 'A rich, sprawling, dazzling mystery . . . I savoured every page' RILEY SAGER It begins quietly on a balmy Southern night in Savannah as some locals gather at Bo Peep's, one of the town's favourite watering holes. Within an hour, a man will be murdered and his companion will have 'disappeared'. An unlikely detective, Morgana Musgrove, doyenne of Savannah society, is called upon to unravel the mystery of these crimes. Morgana is an imperious, demanding, and conniving woman, whose four grown children are weary of her schemes. But one by one she inveigles them into helping with her investigation, and soon the family uncovers some terrifying truths - truths that will rock Savannah's power structure to its core. Moving from the homeless encampments that ring the city to the stately homes of Savannah's elite, The Kingdoms of Savannah brilliantly depicts the underbelly of a city with a dark history and the strangely mesmerizing dysfunction of a complex family. 'I've never read a mystery novel any finer than this one . . . utterly satisfying' KURT ANDERSEN 'Green's novels may not come around often, but when they do, they hit hard and stay with you long after the end' KIRKUS, STARRED REVIEW

George Dawes Green, founder of The Moth, is an internationally celebrated author. His first novel, The Caveman's Valentine , won an Edgar Award and became a motion picture starring Samuel L. Jackson. The Juror was a New York Times bestseller, an international bestseller in more than twenty languages, and the basis for the movie starring Demi Moore and Alec Baldwin. Ravens was chosen as one of the best books of 2009 by the Los Angeles Times , The Wall Street Journal , London's Daily Mail , and many other publications. Green grew up in Georgia and now lives in Brooklyn, New York.

Reviews

One of the best crime novels I’ve ever read. A stunning novel based on the real history of Savannah, dark and sad but also funny, the characters are brilliant. Why hasn’t this been made into a HBO show?
I rarely read mysteries but I read this for my book club. It started off a little slow (mainly due to terrible narration which I gave up and switched to print). I then got totally sucked into the different characters, unexpected action, plot twists, treasure hunt, and the canny Morgana, a southern matriarch who takes on the mystery and solves a lot of it by reading body language and understanding human nature. It’s all set in the ranks of Savannah top society and the underbelly of the city and the homeless community. Along the way, there are harsh lessons about the history of slavery and how much is still whitewashed. Fascinating book!
What an amazing book. The history, the characterisation all amazing. I couldn’t put it down. The explanation at the end was also enlightening.
I’m traveling to and from Savannah for work, and was looking for something beyond Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil to read and found this book. Chapters are written in different character points of view and were hard to follow at first. Jaq was by far my favorite and most relatable, but I think that’s part of what makes this book good; there’s a character for every age/walk of life to relate to. The mystery was good and the ending unexpected. While it’s not an “earth shattering, mood altering, mind boggling” stunner novel for me, I still enjoyed it and I’m glad I read it!
Came highly recommended about Savannah. Yes, I appreciated the history and all the streets and cultural things Savannah is known for, but I found the story and characters not quite believable… a young man from a wealthy family living on the streets…Why? A young black woman adopted into a white family… I needed more as to how these characters got here? Why does this matter, like really to them? I know the writer feels he’s addressing that in the story… I had more questions than answers.