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A Carter Brothers Novel
by Blair Underwood, Joe McClean
Harlem Shuffle meets The Godfather in this fierce and dazzling crime family saga presented by award-winning actor and producer Blair Underwood and written by filmmaker Joe McClean, set in the Black Bottom neighborhood of Detroit in the dark and dangerous days of the 1930s.
In 1908 Alabama, precocious young Benjamin Carter brings deadly consequences down upon his father's head when he dares to use a white drinking fountain instead of the "colored" one.
With his fierce and protective older brother Jasper, Ben escapes Alabama, joining the Great Migration to Black Bottom, Detroit's flourishing Black neighborhood. There, the brothers rise from the ashes to become kingpins of this new community, owning businesses, playing politics, and diving into Detroit's violent criminal underbelly.
Through their wit and grit, Ben and Jasper establish the Carter dynasty, securing a prosperous future for their families. But heavy are the heads that wear the crowns. Seeing their children come of age, young men and women fueled by ambitions of their own, the brothers clash over which direction to steer the Carter empire.
With the scent of brotherly discontent, competing Detroit power players will use every advantage—and weakness—to bring the family to its knees.
In Sins of Survivors, Hollywood legend Blair Underwood and Joe McClean have created a scorching crime saga featuring a dynamic cast of characters—a thrilling and cinematic story about family and what it means for a Black community to not just survive, but thrive.
"This debut tightens its hold by yanking heartstrings, sparking outrage, and twisting expectations; it's a must-read for fans of Walter Mosley, George Pelecanos, and Attica Locke." —Booklist (starred review)
"Actor Underwood and filmmaker McClean debut with a satisfying and gritty crime saga set in 1930s Detroit…[they] seamlessly weave rattling depictions of Northern racism and well-rounded portraits of Black Bottom's citizens into a down and dirty noir story." —Publishers Weekly
This information about Sins of Survivors was first featured
in "The BookBrowse Review" - BookBrowse's membership magazine, and in our weekly "Publishing This Week" newsletter. Publication information is for the USA, and (unless stated otherwise) represents the first print edition. The reviews are necessarily limited to those that were available to us ahead of publication. If you are the publisher or author and feel that they do not properly reflect the range of media opinion now available, send us a message with the mainstream reviews that you would like to see added.
Any "Author Information" displayed below reflects the author's biography at the time this particular book was published.
Blair Underwood is a two-time Golden Globe and Tony nominee and an Emmy, Grammy, and eight-time NAACP Image Award-winning actor, director, and producer. He made his acting debut in the 1985 musical film Krush Groove, and, from 1987 to 1994, starred as attorney Jonathan Rollins in the NBC legal drama series L.A. Law. Underwood has starred in numerous film, television, and stage productions, including Sex in the City, Set It Off, Madea's Family Reunion, and Self Made: Inspired by the Life of Madam C. J. Walker. Underwood received his first Tony Award nomination as Best Lead Actor in a Play after starring in the 2020 Broadway revival of the Pulitzer Prize-winning drama A Soldier's Play.
Joe McClean is a screenwriter and director whose 2013 breakout indie feature, Life Tracker, screened at dozens of film festivals and sci-fi conventions before streaming on demand in one hundred million homes through cable providers. His follow-up, the indie darling The Drama Club, premiered at Grauman's Chinese Theatre in 2017 before finding a home on Tubi. His most recent endeavor, Viral, which he wrote and produced, was directed by and stars Blair Underwood.
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