Black Water Rising
by Attica Locke
Nomination: Women's Prize Finalist 2010
Date Read: February 1, 2022
Jay Porter is a black attorney that didn’t come by his current life easily. Part of the Civil Rights movement in college, he has seen how ugly being on the opposing side can be, particularly in the South. He was falsely accused of killing a federal agent and, during his trial, spent several months in jail but was narrowly acquitted. He knows how high the stakes can be. Now, armed with his law degree, barely any money in the bank, a pregnant wife by his side, and his precarious solo practice drying up, his entire future is back on the line.
In an attempt to surprise his wife on her birthday, he arranges a candlelit dinner for two aboard a private boat on the bayou. Of course, “private boat” conjures images of luxury but Jay is utterly disappointed by the shabbiness when they arrive. Once they are out on the water, they hear gun shots and a woman’s screams beyond in the darkness. They are able to rescue the mysterious woman but Jay never reports the incident to police.
As part of his college activism, he dated Cynthia Maddox, who he suspected of being a federal agent in hindsight. She is now, of all coincidences, the mayor of Houston. They were lovers at the time and they never properly voiced their good-byes as Jay was hauled off to jail and Cynthia simply disappeared. He is now at her doorstep in City Hall, asking for a favor – to protect the black ship workers who are out on strike and being assaulted by their white union brothers.
From here, three different plot lines unfold with danger lurking at the end of each one. Jay is a really likeable protagonist. A man just trying to find his way out of trouble and unraveling each knot as it comes his way. The attention to detail and the believability of the characters allows Ms. Locke to adeptly spin an entertaining thriller with greed as the ultimate villain. And everyone loves to hate greed.
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