What do readers think of The Fervent Whites by De'Shawn Charles Winslow? Write your own review.

I read the author's debut novel, In West Mills, and was impressed then as I am now. First, this is a propulsive thriller excellently paced but it is underlying theme that friendship is about the person not the color and those who cannot accept the color are tragedies for their loss of it that resonates.

It's 1982 and James and Ella White have been exonerated for the killing of Paul Hope and released from jail. They decide to return to Fervent, a small subdivision outside NYC, which is unsettling for many of its residents. The Whites are white, a minority in the area, but they had adopted a black child, Morgan, so were accepted, though they were both known for their tempers. Sylvia "Syl" Upshaw and her friend Lafayette "Fate" Jolly are black and are neighbors of the Whites. They have observed that the Whites don't seem to know, in their opinion, how to raise a black child. When Morgan's parents are imprisoned, a secret about his parentage is revealed. Morgan dies in an accident and the Whites learn the secret of his birth was revealed and are out for vengeance.
I loved the characters in this book - even the Whites.

They are excellently drawn and developed. The story unfolds dramatically as we watch Syl and Fate worry about retribution but intervening events bring a few red herrings to the story. Mrs. Talbot was probably my favorite because she was afraid to speak up against discrimination. And the writing flowed so well.
I enjoyed the read and highly recommend.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Old World/Random House for allowing me to read this ARC.