Penumbra

by Carolyn Haines

Jade Dupree is a beautician and an undertaker's assistant with a gift for smoothing the ravages of death from the faces of her clientele. But her strange talent isn’t the only thing that sets her apart from the townspeople of tiny Drexel, Mississippi.

Jade is half-black and the unacknowledged bastard daughter of Drexel’s ''first lady,'' the imperious Lucille Longier. Jade’s half sister, the pale, fragile, and legitimate Marlena, is married to Lucas Bramlett, the wealthiest man in the region. While the entire town knows of the blood bond between the two women, no one dares speak the truth out loud.

Though her talents as a hairdresser are highly sought after by Drexel’s elite, Jade accepts that she’ll never truly be part of the town and lives her life the best she can. But on one hot summer day in 1952, Jade’s world is turned inside out when Marlena, on a tryst with her lover, is savagely beaten and her young daughter kidnapped. Determined to find her niece before it’s too late, Jade accepts help from a white sheriff’s deputy, Frank Kimble. The forbidden attraction that ignites between them threatens to add to the violence already brewing in town.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Thriller, Historical, Mystery Thriller, Southern

239 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 4, 2006

About the author

Carolyn Haines is the USA Today bestselling author of over 70 books. In 2020, she was inducted into the Alabama Writers Hall of Fame. She was the recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Alabama Library Association, the Harper Lee Award for Distinguished Writing, the Richard Wright Award for Literary Excellence, as well as the "Best Amateur Sleuth" award by Romantic Times. Born and raised in Mississippi, she now lives in Alabama on a farm with more dogs, cats, and horses than she can possibly keep track of.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't particularly like thrillers, I don't even like mysteries because they are all normally written the same. This, however knocked my socks off. Where has Carolyn Haines been all my life? I am just blown away by her writing. She took something so usually boring and cliché and turned into a spine tingling, OMG what is going to happen next kind of story. There are so many stories inter-tangled with each other and that worked out beautifully. I am defiantly looking forward to more of her writing.

[☺~Tina~☺ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went back and forth on this one between a 3 and 4 but since the overall book was good, I'll stick with a 4. What made me want to take away a star was the ending. I'm not sure if the author plans to do a sequel or not, but I think everything could have been finished in this book. If another book is printed, then a ton of questions will be answered, if not then this was a poor ending to a good book.

I picked this up as a free read on Amazon. Not what I normally read but since I'm from MS, it piqued my interest. I won't repeat the synopsis it gives a good breakdown of what the book is about and I was left wanting more. This book gave us a good view of how the good ole' south felt about blacks and mixed races. But Jade (half black/ half white) isn't the one causing all the problems. NO the big issues started with her birth mom and ended with her sister (white). Even though Jade had to fight for everything, including love, she still keeps her head held up, makes a good living for herself and even finds love.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Haines explores the themes of racism, greed, depravity and family bonds all in a small Southern town. Though the writing is top notch in Penumbra there is no "happy ever after" to be found within its pages. Instead you'll find a book rich with descriptive, poetic language and infused with memorable characters like Jade and Melona, half-sisters divided by race lines and an entire town's willingness to keep a secret unspoken.

I found this novel both powerful and disturbing and though the ending was disappointing to me, I'm not sorry to have read it.

Grade: B+

[Dana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Still thinking about all the twists and turns in this book. Note ***SPOILER*** I still can't figure out if Lucas knew his wife, Marlena was cheating before........... I don't think he did but Marlena's mother did and if you read the book you know what she did. Here is my question if you can answer it. Does anyone think that Lucas found out what his mother-in-law did? Why did Junior visit his house? Dotty saw him there and but 2 + 2 together somewhat. I did not like Dotty at first but I wish there was another book telling her story. She turned out a different woman than at the start. But so did Marlena & Jade. I will have to write it in my mind I guess.

Frank was a very interesting and I hope Carolyn wrote more books with him as one of the main characters. I will be looking for him again.

[Sharron · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyed is not the right word for my feelings about this book as the theme is disturbingly real and troublesome. Though set in the period after World War 11 and in an atmosphere of racial turmoil, there were many instances where I was reminded of situations that in my experience still exist. The story, told from the point of view of Jade, the local hairdresser is beautifully written and the characters are full complexities. The mystery is not complex but the dynamics of the characters is well explored.

I found the book to be very melancholic and was only disappointed in the ending which leads me to believe there may be a sequel.

[Ginger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've had this book on my Kindle for awhile and decided to read it for a challenge. Boy, am I glad I did! Great mystery set in Mississippi. Fast-paced, suspenseful, and quite the page turner. The last 50-60 pages had my heart pounding and palms sweating. Would love to see this made into a movie! Loved it!

[Tara Chevrestt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a mixture of mystery, horror, and historical fiction. Def. unique. It's ugly, dark, and suspenseful. My heart actually pounded double throughout the last quarter.


It's about how selfishness and greed destroy a person...how karma can get you...how sometimes love causes pain.

Jade is half white, half black. Her adopted father is the chauffeur/handyman for a wealthy white woman--her real mother. He's been in love with the witch for all his life...and his wife knows it, so Jade has been taught to never love, as it only leads to heartache. Her adopted mother loves her father, who loves the white woman, who doesn't love him back. It's a mess. So it's no wonder she has doubts about allowing herself to love Frank, the white deputy.

Meanwhile, people are being beaten up, raped, and chained in cabins around town. A girl is dead. Her father doesn't seem to care. A campsite of evil, depraved loggers is nearby with a chained up, naked woman...

With each page, I was not only immersed in history (5 cent cheese and cracker, 2 dollar gas...the clothing, the songs, the cars), but I felt the edge of a nasty darkness on each page...I knew bad things were about to happen.

This is real, solid literature. It scares you, makes you think, makes you fret, worry, and it doesn't end with a cheesy, predictable HEA. Matter of fact, I hate the ending. HATE it. Oh, not because there's no HEA--that wasn't possible--but the heroine I liked so much throughout the book lost all my respect on the very last page. After generations of slavery and servitude, she has the chance to break that mold and becomes a slave instead. That's all I'm going to say. It totally disgusted me and that's why I'm not giving it a five. Oh--and well, I found some of the characters just plain dumb at times. I mean, your friend has been raped and left for dead and you still don't lock your doors????? Um... Also, the romance came out of nowhere. It was literally just two people staring at each other on a porch and suddenly they're tearing each other's clothes off. Though by the end, I was totally rooting for them.

Full review: http://wwwbookbabe.blogspot.com/2013/...

[Carmen Slaughter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was enthralled while reading this book and felt certain it would earn five stars. Then I read the last two chapters. I'm not sure if the author was trying to live up to the title of the book or if there were plans for a sequel. Either way, the ending was less than satisfactory. Some of the minor characters seemed to gain better closure than the main characters. I stuck with the four star rating because Haines did an excellent job blending the elements of mystery and paranormal fiction. Ms. Haines has a way with descriptive language and dialogue. I knew exactly who these people were and what this town looked like. Lastly, she did a great job addressing the racial tension of that time without being trite. I just wish she'd invested a little more time in wrapping up an otherwise excellent story.

[Richard Philbrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've never read anything by this author before and had no idea what I was getting into when I downloaded the free version to my Kindle. Excellent read. A real page-turner through the last part of the book. Ms. Haines knows how to keep you up well past your bedtime to find out how things work out in this one.

[Julia Spencer-Fleming · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nobody writes Southern better than Carolyn Haines. She can write light, as in her bestselling Bones series, or she can write dark, as in this gripping standalone that explores the grimy undertones of a small southern town. Like IN THE HEAT OF THE NIGHT, only better.

[Kimberly Wyman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I got through it. It was ok, but wasn’t my favorite. Interesting perspective on that time, so I did enjoy that aspect of the book and writing.

[Mel Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

I liked this and read it all in one day. I liked it until the ending. I guess everything can’t be sunshine and rainbows. 😞

[Christy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Post World War II, Jade Dupree owns her own beauty shop and is also the undertaker’s assistant in the small Southern town of Drexel, Mississippi. Jade is half-black, her white mother Lucille Longier having handed her over to her black handyman and his wife to raise. Jade’s white half-sister Marlena is married to Lucas Bramlett, the wealthiest man in Drexel. Although Jade’s skills as a hairdresser are sought after by the rich, white women of Drexel, she understands she will never be considered anything but black and these women are not above pointing this out. When Marlena is brutally raped and her daughter disappears, Jade begins to spend time with her sister, hoping to find out who raped her and where her daughter is. Sheriff’s deputy Frank Kimble is investigating the case and he and Jade share an attraction for one another which Frank is more than willing to pursue but Jade reluctant.

Haines excels at portraying the temperamental atmosphere of a small Southern town’s racial infrastructure. There is a melancholy cast to the story, told from Jade’s point of view, that brings to heart the biases blacks faced during that era, as well as the prejudices some held against whites and their own race. The mystery isn’t a complex one and more tertiary to the story than the complexities of and interactions between characters.

[Gina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read ! This book kept me up at night. Set in Drexel Mississippi in the mid 50's. Loved Jade and Marlena's characters. Jade is of mixed race and the unacknowledged bastard daughter of an elitist. Jade's half sister, Marlena, is married to the wealthiest man in the region. While the entire town knows of the blood bond between them, no one talk's about it.

Jade's talents as a hairdresser are highly sought after by Drexel's elite, Jade accepts that she'll never truly be part of the small southern town and lives her life the best she can. But on one hot summer day in 1952, Jade's world is turned inside out when Marlena, on a tryst with her lover, is beaten and her young daughter kidnapped. Determined to find her niece before it's too late, Jade accepts help from a white sheriff's deputy. The attraction that sparks between them threatens to add to the violence already brewing in town. Definitely a page turner. Loved it...

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would give this 3.5 stars for the ending, but I enjoyed the book overall, so I bumped it to a 4. Haines did a wonderful job depicting the south and racial influences of the past. Though highly disturbing at times because our world has become so modern when it comes to bi-racial relationships, the detail in writing is what took me back to a place in time where these kind of incidences occurred. I feel let down by the ending; the story was stopped very short; almost as if the writer was on a deadline and just had to put words on paper to turn it in and publish it. I would hope for a sequel to answer some questions and perhaps focus on the new issue the relationship that begun between Jade and Frank.

[Beth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Centered around a small southern town in 1952. Jade, a beautiful and talented beautician who happens to be half white/black and raised by her father and his wife is rejected by her real mother, a prominent southern lady. Jade's half sister Marlena is brutally attacked while meeting her secret lover and her young daughter is kidnapped. Its up to Jade and Deputy Frank Kimble to find the little girl before its too late. The underlying violence and bias is strong in this town and they must work fast to solve this crime. An action packed story filled with romance, betrayal and drama as the plot unfolds.

[Sue Ross · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an intense mystery. Carolyn Haines is the author of the Sarah Booth Delaney mysteries. Penumbra was a totally different type of mystery. You get to see the "dark side" of Carolyn in this one and even some reminders of the way things used to be. Loved the characters, well most of them. There were a few who got what they had coming. If you love or even like Carolyn's books, you will enjoy this one as well.

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had the potential to be a good book, I just feel like she left it very open ended at the close. It was an easy read, but a bit scattered at times. Eluded to supernatural influences which was a concept I wish would have been used to play a bigger role. Enjoyed the story line & relationships throughout the story but was frustrated by the end.

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still can't decide whether I loved or hated this book! The storytelling was excellent and I enjoyed the characters, but the events were pretty horrific and the conclusion was very unsatisfactory. I did respect the "reality" of the conclusion. In real life there are often bad endings. But it left me wishing for something different.

[Ann · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author writes well and the book is easy to read. However, its almost as if the author is trying too hard to be edgy by including violence, language, and scenes that seem odd and sometimes just down right silly.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Slow to "get into" this book, but definitely worth the slowness when you get to the end of the book. Very suspenseful!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another awesoem book by Carolyn Haines. I have enjoyed the entire "Bones" series and all of the single novels that she has written.

[Kay Shostak · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good story - great characters and scenery.

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

a favorite.....loved the time period as written. It was a trip back in time for me!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome Awesome Awesome !!!

[Libbie Dellinger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wonderful! I couldn’t put it down!

[pj vassale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kept waiting for the happy ending, there wasn't one.

[Chrissie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ich weiß gar nicht, wo ich anfangen soll. Die Prämisse war ja eigentlich ganz interessant, aber an der Durchführung hat es etwas gehapert. Es gab zu viele Aspekte, die mir gar nicht gefallen haben.

Zum einen nimmt der deutsche Titel jegliche Spannung aus dem Buch und ist ein einziger Spoiler. Der Hauptteil der Charaktere ist einfach nur unsympatisch und lädt nicht gerade dazu ein, mehr über sie lesen zu wollen und die Hauptpersonen konnten das leider auch nicht wettmachen. Ich kann auch wirklich gar nichts mit den erotischen Andeutungen anfangen. Die waren einfach nur lieblos dahin geklatscht und waren nicht nur unnötig, sondern auch ziemlich nervig. Mir persönlich haben sie den Lesefluss zerstört.
Das übernatürliche Element war mir irgendwie zu seicht ausgearbeitet (da wäre garantiert mehr drin gewesen!), und die Auflösung sowie das Ende selbst waren einfach nur frustrierend.

[Terri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whoa. Holy shit. That is one tough ugly book. Good kinda prevailed but corruption also won. So many horrific characters. A few truly good people. A handful of flawed. The writing was excellent, sense of place, character development. Some really excellent writing but about ugly ugly stuff. Example - “Frank had no patience for the cruelty of a mob, even if it was one garbed in Sunday Best and singing hymns .”

[Digby · Rating 1 out of 5]

silly plot