Bluebird, Bluebird

By: Attica Locke

Narrated by: J. D. Jackson

Length: 9 hrs and 25 mins

Publisher's summary

A "heartbreakingly resonant" thriller about the explosive intersection of love, race, and justice from a writer and producer of the Emmy-winning Fox TV show Empire (USA Today).

"In Bluebird, Bluebird, Attica Locke had both mastered the thriller and exceeded it." (Ann Patchett)

When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules - a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger, knows all too well. Deeply ambivalent about growing up black in the lone star state, he was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could. Until duty called him home.

When his allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels up Highway 59 to the small town of Lark, where two murders - a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman - have stirred up a hornet's nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes - and save himself in the process - before Lark's long-simmering racial fault lines erupt.

From a writer and producer of the Emmy winning Fox TV show Empire, Bluebird, Bluebird is a rural noir suffused with the unique music, color, and nuance of East Texas.

©2017 Attica Locke (P)2017 Hachette Audio

Critic reviews

"Attica Locke knows Texas, a place that has shaped both her characters and her life. Locke's new book, Bluebird, Bluebird, is evidence of her deep knowledge and love of her community and a deep talent for writing hype thrillers that also manage to be timely, relevant, and keenly insightful." (Joe Ide, author of IQ and Righteous)

"With Bluebird, Bluebird, Attica Locke brings freshness and vitality to a beloved form. Her storytelling touch is just so strong! From the first beautifully done scene until the finale, this is a very propulsive novel concerning old deeds that keep influencing the present, injustice, and courage - a powerful and dramatic look at contemporary black life in rural America." (Daniel Woodrell, author of The Maid's Version)

"Locke's writing is both sharp-edged and lyrical. This is thoughtful, piercing storytelling with the power to transport." (Diana Evans, Financial Times)

Bluebird, Bluebird

Loved the story but the ending was a puzzle. It left me looking for more. The narrator JD Jackson kept the story alive. Very good narrator and a good book.

To the narrator

The grocery stores’ name is pronounced “brook-shure” not “brook-shire” here in East Texas.
Linda from Tyler

A taste of East Texas

This captures the flavor of the East Texas piney woods. Backwards and bigoted. Good story, well narrated. Maintains a good pace and holds the reader's interest.

Nice Texas Mystery

It’s funny how I take US 59/69 to head to North Louisiana and pass through East Texas. This story was great. I just wish the narrator would have pronounced the Brookshire Brothers store the way we do (Brook-sures). The story had plenty of depth and the characters were quite interesting.

Wish I’d read instead of listening

This was a pretty compelling mystery, but there was something missing...somehow the characters lacked depth for me. Maybe it was the fact that I didn’t enjoy the voice. sometimes the narrator can influence my opinion, and I didn’t enjoy his voice.

Fantastic narrator

I love some of Attica Locke’s other books. This one dragged a bit & the side stories were long... suspense not there. That said I liked the characters and there were moments of fascinating insight her writing. But the narrator....perfect. Excellent voice , & I appreciate that he didn’t try to alter it significantly for female/other characters

LOVED EVERYTHING

Firstly, shoutout to Attica Locke for writing such a poignant, provocative narrative. The pace was steady and the settings were beautifully displayed and imagined. I kinda felt that one or two characters could have been developed more, but it didn't hurt the overall story.

Amazing! It could not stop listening to the book!

This is one of the few books that have kept me interested in the last few months. I haven't found anything intriguing or really exciting at Audible. However, this book was my treat for the new year. Wow! I love the reader and the storyline. The story about race, politics, and family sounds so familiar in the current political climate. It was a great lesson, and this is to say a lot, as I have a political science and a law degree. Fabulous!

I just could not connect or care about the main character

I made myself finish it but I just could not care about the main character. The performance was good, though.

kinda blah

made you feel like you were in Texas, with its rich descriptions. however the plot was blah. you can figure out who did it 15 minutes in.

performance was incredible tho.