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Smokey Dalton #5
War at Home
It's summertime in 1969 when African-American P.I. Smokey Dalton heads east to look for a missing college student. Daniel Kirkland never showed up for his spring semester at Yale and seems to have disappeared without a trace.
The search for Daniel takes Smokey from the hallowed halls of the nation's wealthiest university to the poorest slums on the outskirts of New Haven. The harder he searches, the more he learns about the dark side of the antiwar movement, in which the idealistic young Daniel may have become involved. And he keeps hearing rumors about bombs.
When the trail finally leads Smokey to New York City, he discovers that someone might be trying to kill Daniel. Rumors become more concrete, and Smokey knows it's only a matter of time before a bomb goes off. Because Smokey, a Korean War veteran, recognizes the pattern: he has stumbled into a war. A war at home.
In this blistering new book, award-winner Kris Nelscott continues her hard-hitting look at the turbulence of the late sixties and early seventies, all in the guise of the modern crime novel.
352 pages, Paperback
First published March 1, 2005
27 people are currently reading
68 people want to read
About the author
Kris Nelscott
33 books39 followersKristine Kathryn Rusch is an award-winning mystery, romance, science fiction, and fantasy writer. She has written many novels under various names, including Kristine Grayson for romance, and Kris Nelscott for mystery. Her novels have made the bestseller lists--even in London--and have been published in 14 countries and 13 different languages.
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
May 18, 2016
Smokey Dalton is once again looking for one of Grace Kirkland’s sons. This time it is Daniel, an intelligent black teen and former Yale student now caught up in the Revolution. Sightings of Daniel in the vicinity of Yale dovetail with Smokey’s restless feet, so he decides to investigate in person. Thankfully, its summer, so Jimmy can come, along with Malcolm as a co-investigator and child caregiver. Rising unrest in Chicago feels particularly threatening, so the investigation has the added benefit of giving him a chance to scope out new places to live.
A Chicago housing project, from TheRealStreetz.com
As usual, one of the things I enjoy most about this series is the insight into the social climate of the later 1960s from the perspective of an older black man. Although Jimmy is from Memphis and traveled with Smokey before landing in Chicago, it is the first time Malcolm has ever been out of Chicago. Staying in motels and visiting the Yale campus exposes all of them to new situations, some positive, some not so much.
Yale, Brandford Courtyard
Mysteries are always about the missing person, and Smokey finds himself conflicted about his assessment of Daniel. On the one hand, as he runs into the institutionalized racism and economic elitism embedded in the Yale culture, he can understand and sympathize with frustration. On the other hand, as a Korean War veteran, he has a hard time sympathizing with the ‘tear down the government’ mentality many of the student groups are espousing.
From SDS archives: http://www.sds-1960s.org/index.htm
In his search, Smokey runs into a range of rhetoric from student movements, from the student protestors to advocates for the free love lifestyle. Smokey finds himself driven, not to save Daniel, but to stop him.
From eye of the cyclone blog post: https://digitalseance.wordpress.com/2...
This was a fast moving plot, with a fascinating social setting and a satisfying resolution. Highly recommended.
A Chicago housing project, from TheRealStreetz.com
As usual, one of the things I enjoy most about this series is the insight into the social climate of the later 1960s from the perspective of an older black man. Although Jimmy is from Memphis and traveled with Smokey before landing in Chicago, it is the first time Malcolm has ever been out of Chicago. Staying in motels and visiting the Yale campus exposes all of them to new situations, some positive, some not so much.
Yale, Brandford Courtyard
Mysteries are always about the missing person, and Smokey finds himself conflicted about his assessment of Daniel. On the one hand, as he runs into the institutionalized racism and economic elitism embedded in the Yale culture, he can understand and sympathize with frustration. On the other hand, as a Korean War veteran, he has a hard time sympathizing with the ‘tear down the government’ mentality many of the student groups are espousing.
From SDS archives: http://www.sds-1960s.org/index.htm
In his search, Smokey runs into a range of rhetoric from student movements, from the student protestors to advocates for the free love lifestyle. Smokey finds himself driven, not to save Daniel, but to stop him.
From eye of the cyclone blog post: https://digitalseance.wordpress.com/2...
This was a fast moving plot, with a fascinating social setting and a satisfying resolution. Highly recommended.
September 3, 2020
This story was a little darker than previous Smokey stories...not that any of them were light hearted or anything but I found this one much darker. Smokey has taken Jimmy and Malcolm to try to find a missing Daniel Kirkland who apparently has dropped out of school and off the radar. We met Daniel in an earlier book, and it was clear then that he was actively involved in the '60's protest movement. This time, it appears that Daniel is leading a militant group into violence. It's hard to reconcile Daniel's character with his upbringing....he has squandered his opportunity to graduate from a prestigious school, and Malcolm, his boyhood chum, does not have the same opportunity. Smokey also becomes aware that Chicago is not the worst place to live, and that pastures are not always greener somewhere else.
February 11, 2019
Smoky Dalton aka Bill Grimshaw is asked to find his friend Grace Kirkland's son. Daniel Kirkland, a very bright young man who attended Yale until he was asked to leave is missing. Grace asks Bill to find her son before the new school term at Yale begins. Along with his charge, twelve-year old Jimmy and eighteen-year-old Malcolm, the three set out in a van to find Daniel. They begin their search at Yale in New Haven. With each step they learn something that changes their opinion of Daniel and soon find themselves being caught up in a dangerous web of bombings, protests and violence. Told from 1st person pt. of view, Bill is an empathetic character who is determined to succeed in his quest to find his friend's son. We are carried from Chicago to New Haven and finally to New York City in search of Daniel. The author gives us vivid descriptions of the characters and places, from the Harlem community to the East Village, from drug addicted youth who have dropped out of society to those bent on destroying it
A fascinating, well-written novel with plenty of twists that explores facets of the 1960's anti-war protests movement.
A fascinating, well-written novel with plenty of twists that explores facets of the 1960's anti-war protests movement.
October 20, 2019
I've enjoyed all the Smokey Dalton series so far. They read quickly and the historical background is a big part of the story, especially for those of us that lived through the 60s as teens or older. I must admit that I recognized many of the national headline stories covered in this volume, but I was blithely living my life in rural America and not really paying a lot of attention to the whole anti-war movement and the related violence.
I don't think enough people have discovered these historical mysteries; I recommend they give them a try.
I don't think enough people have discovered these historical mysteries; I recommend they give them a try.
September 30, 2022
Another Smokey Dalton historical mystery and another change of venue. This story takes Smokey to Connecticut and New York as he looks for friend's teenage son. Great characters and a fast paced story set amidst the anti war and civil rights demonstrations of the late 1960's. This series is so well written. I can't wait to read the next one. Although this can be read as a stand alone, I recommend starting with the first book, A Dangerous Road, and working through the series in order. Highly Recommended
November 1, 2018
Recommend not only this book but the whole series.
I recommend that you read this series in order. Although they are stand-alone books, there’s a lot of important background you’ll not get without doing that. I grew up during this time, but as a young white girl in the south., what a difference to see that time period through the eyes of a black man in the north. Important reading!
I recommend that you read this series in order. Although they are stand-alone books, there’s a lot of important background you’ll not get without doing that. I grew up during this time, but as a young white girl in the south., what a difference to see that time period through the eyes of a black man in the north. Important reading!
May 1, 2019
Another excellent book from the Smokey Dalton series. Smokey is trying to find a lost son of a neighbor and take his son and his friend to help find him.
I can't recommend this series enough. Excellent characters and plot.
I can't recommend this series enough. Excellent characters and plot.
October 14, 2019
One of the 12 best mysteries I read in 2005.
August 17, 2016
The fifth book in the historical mystery series about Smokey Dalton.
It’s 1969 in Chicago and summer vacations at school have just started. Smokey Dalton and his adopted son Jimmy are still on the run from the FBI because Jim saw the person who really killed Dr. King, and now the police are after them. Jimmy’s teacher Grace Kirkland asks Smokey to search for her eldest son, Daniel. He had gotten a scholarship to Yale but she found out that Daniel hasn’t been in Yale for the spring semester. He seems to have vanished.
Smokey knows that he can’t do the investigation from Chicago so he has to drive to New Haven. He decides to take Jimmy with him because it would be unfair to the boy to leave him once again to friends. But Smokey also realizes that he needs someone to take care of Jimmy when needed, so he also takes along Malcom Reyner, a young orphan who works as a short-order cook. Malcom can also talk with students the way that Smokey can’t. At Yale, he encounters both systematic and individual racism but also people who try to fight them. However, the deeper he digs, the more disturbing things he finds. The antiwar movement isn’t just nice.
Smokey and the people around him are very human, both in good and bad. They feel real to me. Of course, I’ve never been to USA nor am I black so I don’t know how real they actually are. The plot moves fast and the conclusion is satisfactory. I did miss some of the secondary characters, such as Laura, but it’s also good to see other parts of USA back then.
The cast of character grows a lot because for the majority of the book Smokey and Jimmy aren’t in Chicago. They constantly meet new people and have to adjust to two new cities. We also get a glimpse into Smokey’s past.
Malcolm is eager to get away from his current job but he is will to work hard to achieve what he wants to. There’s rising racial tensions in Chicago and Smokey feels threatened by it; he’s looking for a safer place where he and Jimmy might live. Jimmy is delighted to follow Smokey, at first, but once again he wants to do more than Smokey allows him to do.
Another excellent addition to the series.
It’s 1969 in Chicago and summer vacations at school have just started. Smokey Dalton and his adopted son Jimmy are still on the run from the FBI because Jim saw the person who really killed Dr. King, and now the police are after them. Jimmy’s teacher Grace Kirkland asks Smokey to search for her eldest son, Daniel. He had gotten a scholarship to Yale but she found out that Daniel hasn’t been in Yale for the spring semester. He seems to have vanished.
Smokey knows that he can’t do the investigation from Chicago so he has to drive to New Haven. He decides to take Jimmy with him because it would be unfair to the boy to leave him once again to friends. But Smokey also realizes that he needs someone to take care of Jimmy when needed, so he also takes along Malcom Reyner, a young orphan who works as a short-order cook. Malcom can also talk with students the way that Smokey can’t. At Yale, he encounters both systematic and individual racism but also people who try to fight them. However, the deeper he digs, the more disturbing things he finds. The antiwar movement isn’t just nice.
Smokey and the people around him are very human, both in good and bad. They feel real to me. Of course, I’ve never been to USA nor am I black so I don’t know how real they actually are. The plot moves fast and the conclusion is satisfactory. I did miss some of the secondary characters, such as Laura, but it’s also good to see other parts of USA back then.
The cast of character grows a lot because for the majority of the book Smokey and Jimmy aren’t in Chicago. They constantly meet new people and have to adjust to two new cities. We also get a glimpse into Smokey’s past.
Malcolm is eager to get away from his current job but he is will to work hard to achieve what he wants to. There’s rising racial tensions in Chicago and Smokey feels threatened by it; he’s looking for a safer place where he and Jimmy might live. Jimmy is delighted to follow Smokey, at first, but once again he wants to do more than Smokey allows him to do.
Another excellent addition to the series.
January 10, 2014
I didn't know what to think when my wife told me I should read War at Home by Kris Nelscott. At first I was dubious. A female author, white, writing from the point of view of a black male in the 1960's. From my perspective this was filled with potential problems. Add to this that rarely have my wife and I agreed on what makes an intriguing and what makes a poor book. However, I was surprised by how much I liked War at Home.
First, her protagonist, Smokey Dalton, despite having a somewhat silly name, is an inspirational and intriguing character. Secondly, her major plot in this book, and the over-riding plot of the series, which revolves around a young boy having witnessed a mystery regarding the assassination of Martin Luther King, are both really well done.
I was amazed by the fact that she was able to get me into the head of Smokey Dalton so well. There were many instances where I found myself empathizing with him and having a greater understanding of not just his challenges in the U.S. during the 1960's but also with the African-American culture.
I highlighted two lines. The first is creepy and a bit disconcertingly cringe worthy, but it stopped me as I read it cause it was so well described.
Joel moved his hand away from his face. I didn’t think I’d ever seen anyone whose skin was so white. The veins were outlined in blue, like a river of little bruises running through him.
This second one I liked cause there have been so many times when I've wanted to write the same thing but was never able to find the right words.
“I don’t make the rules,” I said with a verbal shrug.
What's a verbal shrug? I don't know, but I understood it when I read it.
Did it start slow? Yep. Was I upset with my wife for the first fifty to one hundred pages? You betcha. Was I ultimately happy that she had recommended War at Home? Indubitably.
First, her protagonist, Smokey Dalton, despite having a somewhat silly name, is an inspirational and intriguing character. Secondly, her major plot in this book, and the over-riding plot of the series, which revolves around a young boy having witnessed a mystery regarding the assassination of Martin Luther King, are both really well done.
I was amazed by the fact that she was able to get me into the head of Smokey Dalton so well. There were many instances where I found myself empathizing with him and having a greater understanding of not just his challenges in the U.S. during the 1960's but also with the African-American culture.
I highlighted two lines. The first is creepy and a bit disconcertingly cringe worthy, but it stopped me as I read it cause it was so well described.
Joel moved his hand away from his face. I didn’t think I’d ever seen anyone whose skin was so white. The veins were outlined in blue, like a river of little bruises running through him.
This second one I liked cause there have been so many times when I've wanted to write the same thing but was never able to find the right words.
“I don’t make the rules,” I said with a verbal shrug.
What's a verbal shrug? I don't know, but I understood it when I read it.
Did it start slow? Yep. Was I upset with my wife for the first fifty to one hundred pages? You betcha. Was I ultimately happy that she had recommended War at Home? Indubitably.
November 24, 2013
It seems I can't get enough Smokey Dalton. This was my second time through War at Home, this time in audio format.
In this, the fifth book in the series, Grace Kirkland, a neighbor who tutors Smokey's son Jimmy, asks Smokey to find her missing son Daniel. The search takes him east. First he goes to New Haven to try to find out why Daniel never showed up for his spring semester at Yale. There he learns that Daniel has become involved in a radical antiwar movement and that he was asked to leave Yale due to a violent incident on campus.
Clues lead Smokey to New York City. There, things turn dark. He quickly finds Daniel and his girlfriend, but gets an unfriendly welcome. He begins to suspect that they are involved with plans to plant bombs in government buildings. Of course Smokey can't just report that he found Daniel, mission accomplished, and go home, not with people in danger. He investigates further.
Then, things get violent. People start getting shot, and Smokey finds a cache of bomb making material that seems to be connected to the shootings. He begins to suspect that, in addition to the violent antiwar group and the police, there may be a third party involved -- someone with military training. The war has come home. The climax is literally explosive.
Very good story.
In this, the fifth book in the series, Grace Kirkland, a neighbor who tutors Smokey's son Jimmy, asks Smokey to find her missing son Daniel. The search takes him east. First he goes to New Haven to try to find out why Daniel never showed up for his spring semester at Yale. There he learns that Daniel has become involved in a radical antiwar movement and that he was asked to leave Yale due to a violent incident on campus.
Clues lead Smokey to New York City. There, things turn dark. He quickly finds Daniel and his girlfriend, but gets an unfriendly welcome. He begins to suspect that they are involved with plans to plant bombs in government buildings. Of course Smokey can't just report that he found Daniel, mission accomplished, and go home, not with people in danger. He investigates further.
Then, things get violent. People start getting shot, and Smokey finds a cache of bomb making material that seems to be connected to the shootings. He begins to suspect that, in addition to the violent antiwar group and the police, there may be a third party involved -- someone with military training. The war has come home. The climax is literally explosive.
Very good story.
Read
March 2, 2014War at Home, by Kris Nelscott, a-minus, Narrated by Mirron Willis, Produced by audible Inc., downloaded from audible.com.
In this, the fifth Smokey Dalton book, a friend of Smokey’s and Jimmy teacher, asks him to track down her son, Daniel Kirkland, who she hasn’t heard from for six months and who seems to be missing. Smokey, along with Jimmy, and Malcolm, goes first to New Haven to trace Daniel’s history at Yale. But Daniel has left New Haven and has moved on to New York City. Smokey hears more and more rumors that Daniel is involved in the most radical part of the anti-war movement, the people that “want to bring the war home.” The people who believe that the Vietnam war will not end until people at home know what it’s like to be at war. And what are they willing to do to bring this about? Are they willing to kill people, to make and deploy bombs that kill innocent people, and what else? Smokey becomes convinced that Daniel, despite his upbringing, is a dangerous person who must be stopped from future violence. A very good book.
In this, the fifth Smokey Dalton book, a friend of Smokey’s and Jimmy teacher, asks him to track down her son, Daniel Kirkland, who she hasn’t heard from for six months and who seems to be missing. Smokey, along with Jimmy, and Malcolm, goes first to New Haven to trace Daniel’s history at Yale. But Daniel has left New Haven and has moved on to New York City. Smokey hears more and more rumors that Daniel is involved in the most radical part of the anti-war movement, the people that “want to bring the war home.” The people who believe that the Vietnam war will not end until people at home know what it’s like to be at war. And what are they willing to do to bring this about? Are they willing to kill people, to make and deploy bombs that kill innocent people, and what else? Smokey becomes convinced that Daniel, despite his upbringing, is a dangerous person who must be stopped from future violence. A very good book.
February 12, 2014
Interesting novel in the Smokey Dalton series. A white female author tells the story of a black male on the lamb during the mid 60s. Descriptions of the tension between races and how that permeated even the anti-war underground rang very true to someone who lived through and knows a lot of what was happening in those dark days. Best thing I can say is I want to read another from the series. Check it out for a change of pace from your typical procedural.
June 8, 2009
Excellent series. Smokey Dalton is so human. Nelscott not only peoples her books with characters you'd like to know, but places them in a historical context that is not only educational, but thought provoking.
Read
December 28, 2007Smokey Dalton novel
August 6, 2008
the anti-war movement and the Weather Underground..and much
more. a great historical detective series.
more. a great historical detective series.
February 12, 2013
Another good book in the Smokey Dalton series.
June 29, 2015
Very good story as Smokey Dalton heads to Yale and NYC helping out a friend look for her college student son turned bomb maker revolutionary.
August 26, 2015
pretty good, but not as good as the first ones in the series
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews