George Dawes GreenReseñas

So much information about the city of Savannah and the city ties with slavery and prohibition. Some of the information uncovers the reality of history. The characters and the setting display interesting reading. Some relationships did not receive the full attention to detail. Not really positive on the father of Jaq. The mixing of the color lines seems a little out of character for the times. The treasure that everyone hunts fails to provide monetary gain. So many red herrings concerning the person behind the deaths of Luke, Guzman, and Billy. Also, multiple killers involved in protecting the sacred image of Savannah.

A very clever and well-written thriller.

50 amazing real life stories. This was an excellent read. I highly recommend it!

I had this as a car read, so the reading happened over the course of maybe a year. That's alright though since it's fine (and probably preferable) to savor in small portions. I think some of the stories should really be heard by everyone. A few brought a tear to the eye, a few were very much "what the ...." moments. The collection is excellent and my favorite story was probably by Darryl McDaniels - D.M.C. of Run-D.M.C.½

I could not get into this one at all. I was excited to get this one and thought it sounded good and that it would be a great story, but it wasn't, at least not for me.
I mean, it seemed like a long book to me of the same information and things being said, and come to find out, it only had 5 chapters. Those were 5 very long chapters and I could not click or connect to this one. Plus, the language in this book was not my thing. I dislike books with an overabundance of profanity and foul language, and this had a lot. I don't remember the last time I read/tried to read a book that had so much profanity like every few words. I mean, I can understand some profanity once in a while and I prefer, or rather can tolerate, maybe a little, but this was too much.
This was supposed to be a type of Southern mystery in Georgia about a dysfunctional family that gets together to solve a murder and a disappearance with buried secrets that have to be uncovered and such. I know other readers have liked this one, so it might be something you'd like, but it was a big miss for me.
Thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for letting me read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Wow! This is an excellent book by a fantastic author.
This needs to be up front because this is a tough book to review. It is kind of a murder mystery, a bit of a history lesson, an analysis of old money southern families and their many eccentricities, told at the pace most people do things in the south.
There will be times where you may ask who is this person or what are they talking about. Be patient and you will find out.
I loved this book.

I love how the author sums up the book: A strange chimera, part history, part memory and part dream.
If you like hidden history with a tinge of gossip, this is the Savannah book for you. A death of a "nobody" reveals the hidden power of the city and what they will do to maintain that position. Not your typical tourist fare.

Interesting premise, but it takes a while to get invested. This gothic tale definitely gives off The Garden of Good and Evil vibes but has more mystery and history thrown in. When a homeless man is found burned up in a sleazebag landlord's rundown holding - everyone is convinced that the landlord was just out to get the insurance money and knew but didn't care about the squatter. Jaq, a young socialite with old money family - happened to be good friends with that squatter. Jaq often worked as a bartender at Bo Peeps and she is enraged at his death. She is furious when her grandmother decides to take on the case - after the sleezy landlord reached out to their family and hired them to "solve the crime" - the only crime, Jaq thinks, it's believing that scumbag. But some things don't add up - while he still may be guilty there are other things that need looking into - things that old money Savannah wants to stay buried. Very interesting and filled with neat characters - just took to long for me to get invested in the story.

I've been to Savannah numerous times, and my son and his wife lived there for a number of years, plus I've taken student groups there as an 8th grade Georgia History teacher. The tone of the city as expressed in this book is about right; it is a humid, sultry, Southern town covered in Spanish moss and old beautiful homes. This novel involves some murders and some land speculation on a site that may be historic. The plot was interesting enough, but the awkward inclusion of political correctness made the reading a bit tedious. I also got the impression the author was trying to write in the same manner as Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, a far superior book. Overall an ok read but one I won't try again.

Loved this one.

When Luke, a young homeless man, is found dead in a burned-out house, Morgana, the matriarch of the dysfunctional, wealthy Musgrove family is called by a local real estate developer to investigate. She recruits her reluctant family members to band together to solve the murder and the disappearance of the victim's friend, Stony.
The writing is polished and the pacing taut. The plot encompasses a mixture of death, life, family drama, secrets, lies, greed, privilege, corruption, racism, and economic disparity. The Savannah setting is atmospheric as the picturesque tourist gloss is peeled away to reveal the city's sordid, ugly history and present. The characters are well-developed, flawed, complex and morally grey.
The Kingdoms of Savannah is a dark, suspenseful, gripping and thought-provoking mystery.
Thank you to BookishFirst and Celadon Books for a copy to review. @CeladonBooks #BookishFirst #KingdomsOfSavannah #CeladonReads #partner

The characters are completely engaging and range from the doyenne of one of Savannah's oldest families to homeless people. Someone has kidnapped part-time archaeologist Stony and killed the always kind and gentle Luke. The investigations of a variety of characters end in a satisfying and surprising ending.½

4.5 This book contained so many of the things I look for in fiction. The setting, the sultry atmosphere of the historical city of Savannah, where the wealthy in their stately mansions live surrounded by the homeless in their various camps. A very unusual matriarch of a wealthy and prominent family whose actions have divided her family. Cons, grifts, corruption and scandals that show the underbelly of a place known for its graciousness and charm. A young woman who has learned the secret of the Kingdom of Savannah a place where many years before escaped slaves had formed their own community and lived free. Unique characters from different walks of life greatly add to the story.

The audio book was fantastic and the story as a whole, thoroughly addictive. I think you'll be surprised by how much actual history was weaved throughout, as made evident by the authors concluding note.½

#FirstLine - A soft spring night in Savannah.

This book was s spectacular. It is one of those books that is so atmospheric! You can feel the setting in your bones and the story comes together beautifully. It has so many twists and turns, which kept me glued to the pages. Loved it!

This is a stunning tour de force by the author of The Caveman's Valentine. Like that book, which won the E.A. Poe Award for best first novel, The Kingdoms of Savannah uses a mysterious death and subsequent investigation by “ordinary” citizens to entice the reader into ugly lessons about class, race and injustice. Here in the search for the Kingdom and its soldiers, George Dawes Green uses many true events and real people to, I believe, emphasize the repellent nature of bigotry and our often unknowing complicity in its consequences.

But that is not to deny the pleasure of the beautiful prose and of delving into the dysfunctional, sometimes comical, wealthy Musgrove family dynamic, along with their friends. So many characters are unforgettable: Jaq, Morgana, Ransom, Billy Sugar and his dog Gracie. I was immediately drawn to the personalities of two friends, Stony and Luke; Luke's death is the central mystery whose solution unfolds within atmospheric Savannah, a character in itself, a home for numerous homeless encampments and antebellum mansions. Guess which of those are not on the tourist tours? Guess which – real ones, with the significant addition of a very special island – are on Green's tour?

What a painful and yet always sweet reading this is. Please don't miss this one.

I received a copy of this book from Celadon Books via Bookish. This is an honest review.

At its core, The Kingdoms of Savannah is an outstanding, riveting, contemporary detective story. It’s got the shady characters, suspect motives, vague clues and unexpected connections. But it’s so much more. It’s an unpleasant history lesson about real events and real people that are generally hidden. And it’s these sinister facts and actions that are at the heart of this mystery, and that make this book a gripping literary thriller.

There’s an air or decadence, debauchery, danger, and deceit that permeates this story. Families and relationships are dysfunctional at best, scandalous and murderous at worst; everyone has an agenda, memories are long, grudges held to the extreme. Relationships from the past continuing to the present are snarled like a ball of string – or a ball of snakes. Locations are lushly described. Savannah feels like a fable or fairy tale. Beautiful landmarks, old mansions, riverside communities. We might think of it as a beautiful old large town, but in fact it’s tiny, full of little enclaves – kingdoms – side by side but not mixing. Except when something sinister overlaps and draws them all together.

And the fable or fairy tale past? Not so much. Many Savannahians honored with statues and buildings and stories of bravery or goodness are tarnished when the true history is revealed. Like the Black soldiers who founded their own hidden encampment on an island after the Revolutionary War rather than return to slavery, and how that tale isn’t allowed to be told as an acceptable part of Savannah’s glorious history. Or the story of Charles Lamar who helped engineer the Civil War with the hopes of building an Empire of Slavery, including transporting shiploads of Africans to the South to make them slaves, knowing this would enrage the North.

The Kingdoms of Savannah is captivating. The words are rich and the story flows smoothly. I was quickly caught up in the mystery and history and couldn’t stop turning pages. A story not to be missed. Thanks to Celadon Books for allowing me as a Celadon Reader to read and review an advance copy of The Kingdoms of Savannah. All opinions are my own.

When the investigation continues to unravel the murder of a young man and the disappearing of his companion, Morgana the owner of Musgrove Investigations, and her team members are closing in finding some hideous truth about Savannah’s dark history that hits close to home!
In THE KINGDOMS OF SAVANNAH, Luke and Stony, and Morgana and her investigative team are telling the ghosts and mystery of the south of U.S., specifically Savannah, where there is a Kingdom that not many souls know about it, including myself.
George Dawes Green has deftly written this well-paced, smooth-flowing historical mystery that is mesmerizing and harrowing, yet with a pinch of humor!
THE KINGDOMS OF SAVANNAH has given me an in-depth understanding of the past and present of Savannah, and I enjoyed it tremendously!
I would like to thank BookishFirst and Celadon Books for this delightful opportunity to read and review this novel.
#CeladonBooks
#KingdomsofSavannah

I have nothing but good things to say about this book! First, the characters were excellent. All the major ones were unique and well-developed as individuals. Despite the number of characters, I never had trouble keeping everyone straight. Morgana, in particular, was fascinating. There was so much to discover about her, and the more I read, the more I learned. By the end, I felt like I truly knew and understood this multi-faceted woman, and both her public facade and private self. Other characters, especially Jaq, really came alive through the story.

The story itself was excellent. There were plenty of mystery aspects as Morgana (and her reluctant family) try to solve the murder of one man and the disappearance of another, as well as try to unravel what the "Kingdoms" actually are, and if the treasure is real. I loved the way Morgana conducted her investigation, especially the way she elicited whatever help she needed along the way.

In addition, there was a lot of information about Savannah in this novel. The author does an excellent job of including plenty of history, as well as sharing lesser-known information about more modern times.

Definitely a 5-star read! Highly recommended!

Savannah, Georgia

Morgana Musgrove runs a little detective agency. Unexpectedly, she is approached by a client from jail. Archie Guzman is convicted for arson and is facing a murder charge. He is hated by everyone and all evidence shows that he was the one who burned Luke Kitchens alive. He pays big money to prove he is innocent. Morgana involves her family in this case. While investigating the crimes, Musgrove's are facing their own family problems and at the same time they uncover secrets and history of Savannah. 👻

I loved the real historical events of Savannah which made this gripping mystery even more interesting. Reader can explore dark secrets of slavery and ghosts of Savannah while interacting with multiple fascinating characters. I really enjoyed reading this book.

Morgana, an elite socialite of Savannah society, has been called upon to solve a murder and a kidnapping. She owns a failing detective agency. So, she jumps at the chance to try and salvage her business and her reputation. But, as the truth starts to unfold, the city of Savannah may be under attack and Morgana can do nothing to save its hierarchy.

I had such high hopes for this book and I realize I am in the minority with this review. The majority of the reviews are 5 stars. But, I never connected to the characters much and the story itself is a bit disjointed. But, the mystery and the intensity kept me reading. So, it could just be me!

But, I loved the setting of Savannah. It is one of my favorite places. The author did a fabulous job with the quirks and the historical lore surrounding this wonderful city.

Need a book with a fabulous setting…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today!

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

Příběh sochařky, svobodné matky, která je povolána do funkce porotkyně k procesu, který na první pohled vypadá
jako jasná záležitost. Ale při procesu pozná, že je celý zmanipulovaný s cílem osvobodit dvojnásobného vraha.
Napínavý příběh s překvapivým koncem.

Dreadful - could not make it past page 10 and did not even flick to the end to check what happened.

Having a place the story starts and a place it's going: that's important. (Neil Gaiman, introduction, 13)

And let me tell you, when you start your day with two homicide detectives explaining what happened the night before, it's downhill from there. (Ed Gavagan, "Whatever Doesn't Kill Me," 168)

And I thought to myself, This is the real nature of every communication between parent and child. We send them lots of love, they laugh out loud at us, and we don't even know they're doing it. " (Adam Gopnik, "LOL," 183)

The thing about war is it does not disappoint, but it's also way more than you bargained for. (Sebastian Junger, "War," 233)

And sadness is a kind of delicate emotion that's easily trampled by other feelings... (Junger, 237)

I felt bad that I didn't feel bad. I mean, I realized later that I was in shock. And you know, the shock spares you for a little while the things you're gonna have to feel later. (Junger, 238)

But the lesson to me is that with a great deal of persistence and a little bit of common sense, even if the thing you're chasing may not exist, you can sometimes will it into being. (Matthew McGough, "My First Day with the Yankees," 282)

And the thing I love so much about saying yes is that where you start at the beginning of the day and where you end up can be two totally different places based on all the things that you say yes to. (Elna Baker, "Yes Means Yes?" 290)

I refused to hide something about myself that was true, and I refused to be embarrassed about something so that other people could feel more comfortable. (Aimee Mullins, "A Work in Progress," 313)

And what I love about performing is taking a group of individuals and, through a shared emotional experience, turning it into a collective. But my job as a flight attendant is to take a collective and to turn it back into a group of individuals. (Faye Lane, "Fireworks from Above," 386)½

Couldn't get into it.

One to dip in and out of (hence the very long reading time) but almost all the stories here are excellent. I'd heard many already from the podcast but they work just as well on the page. Frequently choked me up in public too, if you ever saw a slightly teary looking guy on the Jubilee line at 8am that may have been me.