When her husband dies, Morgana Musgrove inherits a detective agency, among her husband’s many assets. The current matriarch of a wealthy Savannah family with roots going back to the 1800s, Morgana is a powerful force to be reckoned with – respected and feared by most – including her four disparate adult children.
When Guzman, a local real estate developer whose recent arson charge also includes manslaughter, asks Morgana to clear his name, her son Ransom, a lawyer who lives on the street, and her spirited granddaughter Jaq, assist for reasons of their own.
Jaq was friends with the victim and is also searching for Stony, an eccentric homeless woman and archeologist who has gone missing. Stony claimed to have discovered evidence of a 200-year-old settlement on a remote island known as “the Kingdom.” Guzman knew Stony and may know where she is.
As the Musgroves stumble their way to answers, ugly secrets that Savannah’s elite wish to remain hidden will be uncovered.
If you were a fan of Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil by John Berendt (or the movie adaptation), or if you like reading literary mysteries, set aside time for The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green. This slow burning, character-driven novel mixes historical elements into its mystery and simply oozes with atmosphere.
-Carol
Read it or Weep 