New England White

by: Stephen L. Carter

Published by: Knopf

Reviewed by Michele Heather Pollock

New England White starts like many of the best mysteries: a man is found murdered, and our protagonist is the one to find the body. Julia Carlyle, professor of Divinity and wife of the powerful Lemaster Carlyle, finds the body of her long-ago lover in a ditch by the side of the road, just where she and Lemaster have coincidentally had a bit of a car accident. Like many great mysteries, Julia finds herself at odds with the police and the way they are proceeding, and takes it upon herself to do some investigating of her own. At this point, Carter takes us into some new territory.

The murder cracks apart Julia’s comfortable world—she is an upper-middle class African American living in “the heart of whiteness” in New England. As she delves into the murder investigation, she discovers an uncomfortable connection between the murdered man and her teenage daughter, Vanessa. Julia will do anything to protect her daughter, and getting to the bottom of the murder seems like the only place to start.

Her investigation leads to questions not only about her own past and that of her ex-lover, but into the very heart of her marriage to Lemaster and the source of his power in the African American community. Issues of race and class are thrust to the forefront, as Julia discovers things from her own family’s past, and uncovers secret plots that call into question the entire balance of power between African Americans and white America.

Part political intrigue, part mystery and part family drama, New England White is compelling. The story is very complex. For most of the book, Carter handles this well. Toward the end of the book, some of the plot lines seem to be twisted a bit tightly, and the story grows a bit hard to follow. By the end, however, most of the loose ends are tied up, and all in all it is an enjoyable read.

Armchair Interviews says: Twists and turns, truths and lies—all adding up to a good cozy mystery.