Pleasantville (Jay Porter Series, 2) Hardcover – April 21, 2015

Attica Locke is one of my new favorite authors - her writing is crisp and fast-paced, with character development that can't be beat. Having lived in Houston more than half my life, her stories of the Black community in Houston are fascinating to me - it's a side of life I've not been privileged to participate in but knowing the streets and landmarks throughout her books, along with her intriguing characters, bring these books to life. Pleasantville harbors some fake do-gooders and reaches a shocking conclusion when all is said and done. Greed and the lure of power cause good people to partner with those they'd otherwise never allow into their lives. When the truth comes out about who has been killing young girls in Pleasantville, it breaks my heart... I can't wait for more from Ms. Locke!

A year or so ago, I saw a newspaper story about Attica Locke and her first novel. I immediately knew I had to read that book. After all, it was set in Houston, where I’ve lived for over forty years, and Locke was a Houston native. And to top it all off, she wrote for the hit TV series Empire, a show I’m not particularly fond of, but I was impressed by Locke’s credentials. I loved that book. I then read her second novel, and I loved it as well. And this, Pleasantville, is her third novel, the second to feature a Houston setting and lawyer Jay Porter as the protagonist. Oddly enough for books in a series, in Pleasantville a number of years have passed since Porter first appeared in that debut novel. Locke weaves a tale, set in the 1990s, largely set in and about a black Houston neighborhood (Pleasantville) and the political doings that occur when a young girl is murdered there. I have to admit that the book started slow—for me, anyway. I was well into it, perhaps 150 pages, before I was hooked. But once I was hooked, I was fascinated. And I was clobbered right between the eyes when the resolution came. This is masterful storytelling. And it is masterful writing. Locke creates an almost alternate Houston universe. Landmarks and national figures are authentic, but the other characters are made up, particularly the Houston political figures of the time. We know, especially those of us who have lived in Houston for decades, who was actually in power, but Locke simply creates her own power people in order to fuel her story. I was truly impressed with that, for she does it so skillfully that I was not bothered by her complete creation of a Houston that was similar to the one I know, and yet not authentic at all. I truly recommend this book whether you have lived in Houston or not. It is good, good, good.

Excellent plot, characters to love, of historical significance. Pleasantville was a real suburb of Houston, established originally for comfortably-established Blacks. This novel tells the history of the civil rights struggles, giving wonderful faces to the issues of those years, including troubles within and from without the community. A lovely read that I could not put down, one that sent me scrambling for other books in this series. A must-read for anyone.Attica Locke is a young writer, but an old soul, one who has researched very thoroughly and writes with great sensitivity. The reader gets the idea that some of her sources were folks who personally witnessed the troubles of the day and passed along their stories with tears, laughter, love and heartache woven throughout. WALL STREET JOURNAL Book of the Year, a well-deserved award!

Pleasantville was a planned community after WW II, a Levittown for middle class black families. Hispanic people are moving in and contesting the political power structure. Jay, the protagonist, is a middle- aged attorney whose wife recently died, who hopies to win a large class action lawsuit . His fee will be large enough to retire early.Jay's life suddenly becomes complicated when the town's most powerful political family, whose youngest son is running in a local election, asks him to represent the candidate in a criminal case. Jay does civil cases, has never done criminal work and is still depressed over the loss of his wife, but he's told to take the case or his big lawsuit will be given to an eager young hispanic attorney.The candidate is accused of the rape and murder of a teenage campaign volunteer. He refuses to reveal his alibi for the time of the volunteer's. He claims not to remember her, though her phone number is on his pager. Was the defendant set up by a rival candidate? Will the "alibi person" come forward? Will Jay get his confidence and energy back in time for the trial? Who is breaking into the files in Jay's office? A rival candidate, or someone working for the rival attorney attempting to take over the class-action suit? And most important , if the candidate didn't commit the murder, who did? There's so much circumstantial evidence, that the only way to win is to find a reasonable-doubt substitute.

Pleasantville is a middle class African American neighborhood in Houston with plenty of clout in the Houston mayor’s race. Trouble starts when a girl distributing leaflets disappears snd then turns up dead and a candidate’s nephew is arrested as the culprit. Jay Porter is a lawyer trying to settle a lawsuit related to property damage from oil storage from too long ago. He gets caught up in the campaign, the murder trial, and the future of Pleasantville’s power in local politics. It’s a murder mystery with political intrigue, family complications, and courtroom drama. An excellent read!

When I first worked in Houston I worked for men whose father was an early builder. At that time, things were done on a handshake, and the promises of those handshakes were carried out by the sons. This story is infused with those individuals and points out the the dangers of losing of this. The texture of the writing evokes places that are filled with a history that makes them characters in their own right. The plot twists keep you guessing.