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.

    ReplyDelete
    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.

    ReplyDelete

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