Guide Me Home by Attica Locke: A review

This is the third and apparently final entry in Attica Locke's "Highway 59" series. The action takes place in East Texas (Lufkin) and Houston, areas that I'm somewhat familiar with, having lived here for many years. Locke obviously knows the area well also and her descriptions of places and people are right on.

The main character in the novels is Texas Ranger Darren Mathews. In this instance, Darren is facing early retirement and a potential indictment for actions he has taken. On the plus side, he has finally met a woman that he loves and is planning on remaking his life with her in his beloved farmhouse. But then his peace is shattered by a visit from his estranged mother.

His mother is a cleaner at a sorority house at Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches. She tells Darren that one of the members of the sorority - the only Black member - is missing. Darren is not sure he can trust his mother's story but he feels compelled to investigate. However, when he talks to the sorority members they all insist that the Black member, Sera, is not missing at all.

As Darren investigates and learns more about Sera's family and her hometown, things do not add up. Even though he gets no backup from local law enforcement or the Rangers, he is convinced that his mother, whom he has never trusted, may in fact be on to something and that an innocent young woman's life may depend on him getting this right. All he wants is finally to live in peace but he'll find no peace if it turns out that Sera is actually in danger and he did nothing.

Locke skillfully weaves East Texas history and politics into her story and it all rings true. She also gives us the fuller story of Darren's background and his years of growing up with the uncles who raised him which more fully explains his fraught relationship with his mother. 

While this book could potentially be read as a standalone, I don't recommend it. To get the full effect you really need to read the series from the beginning: Bluebird, Bluebird and Heaven, My Home. You'll be glad you did. 
 

Comments

  1. thecuecardNovember 11, 2024 at 11:21 AM

    Nicely reviewed. I like the sound of this one ... how Darren has to consider info from his untrusting mother. A good conundrum. I still need to start this series.

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    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersNovember 11, 2024 at 12:06 PM

      I think you might enjoy the series. Darren is an interesting character. A Black Texas Ranger offers many angles for a story and Locke explores them well.

      Delete
  2. Lark November 12, 2024 at 4:53 PM

    I've got this one and his other books on my TBR list. They do sound really good.

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  3. Captivated ReaderNovember 13, 2024 at 3:07 PM

    This book sounds wonderful!! I read Black Water Rising and The Cutting Season, both books were written by Attica Locke, back in 2020. Both of these novels were middle of the road reads for me, so have not gravitated towards reading anything else by Ms. Locke. BUT maybe I will after reading your review.

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    Replies
    1. Dorothy BordersNovember 13, 2024 at 4:46 PM

      I read "Black Water Rising" in 2020 and liked it quite a bit - in fact it was a rare five-star read for me. I think the reason I've enjoyed her writing so much is that I can identify the people she's writing about. They are the people that I live among and deal with every day and she describes them so well. Some are heroic and some are decidedly unheroic, but mostly they are just trying to get by with as much honor as possible. That's the way I see Darren Mathews and, I guess, the reason I can identify and sympathize with him.

      Delete
    2. Captivated ReaderNovember 19, 2024 at 5:07 PM

      I know part of my finding "Black Water Rising" to be middle of the road was I listened to the audio edition and didn't are much for the narrator and cheesy musicMuzak in parts of the audio production.

      Delete

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