The Devil's Lease

by Mike Vance

Will Ennis rules his sprawling plantation empire on the Texas prairie by holding his petty and capricious fist over a mix of sharecroppers and leased convicts. George Purdy is a tenant looking for a fair shake. Trouble feels inevitable.

When murder inserts itself into the already brutal landscape, irascible defense attorney J.B. Duckworth aims to set things right, but the lawyer’s mercurial scruples do not always sit well with his peers in the legal community at the start of the 1900s. Though Duckworth is willing to face all comers, he often does so with an eye toward what plays well in the press. The ultimate question is what lengths Duckworth will travel to secure justice for his clients and what others will do to stop him.

If you enjoy richly human characters and enveloping drama, you will love this thoroughly American tale of our history’s heartbreaking tangles.

Praise for the Devil’s Lease

“Mike Vance has penned a meticulously detailed, utterly convincing story of wrongful behavior… peopled with colorful characters, vividly portrayed. This is historical fiction at its best.” -
Babette Fraser Hale, author of This Familiar Heart & Texas Institute of Letters award winner

“Vance writes with a well-honed sense of place, and his regional yet universal characters--like those of George Sessions Perry--are organic, borne of the soils and streets they trod. Truly an exceptional book.” -
Dan K. Utley, Historian & Co-author of From Can See to Can't and History Ahead

“Mike Vance’s new novel, with good characters, good pace and a heavy salting of historical accuracy, does a public service with his story of convict leasing.” –
James L. Haley, author of the Bliven Putnam naval series and Sam Houston

299 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 19, 2024

About the author

Mike Vance is the author of 3 novels and 10 non-fiction books on Texas history, historic true crime, comedy, and sports history. That non-fiction work informs his historical novels. He has produced well over 150 award-winning videos including feature length documentaries, short films and television shows on a variety of Texas history stories. Mike also traveled the English speaking world for 16 years doing stand-up comedy and fronting a band for which he wrote original music. He sometimes teaches Texas history at Rice University’s Glasscock School of Continuing Studies.

Reviews

[Jeff Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved The Devil's Lease. The plot revolves around the Ennis family as they run their family business -- growing and selling sugar cane, cotton, and corn -- in Texas during the first few years of the 20th century. The thread tying the stories together is James "J.B." Duckworth, a Houston lawyer with a fondness for food, beer, and whiskey, and an uncanny knack for defending alleged murderers.

As soon as I started reading The Devil's Lease, I couldn't put it down. It's a work of historical fiction, but the author's knowledge of life in turn-of-the-century Texas allows him to create a world that the reader can see and taste and smell. There isn't a wasted word or sentence, as we get to know and love (or hate) the people who live out the stories -- the bartenders, farmers, sharecroppers, news reporters, lawyers, police officers, and their friends and families.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves a great story with well-developed characters and equal parts humor and tragedy in their stories. My favorite character is J.B., and I look forward to reading more about him in future books by Mr. Vance.

[Robert B Alston Jr · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is brilliant! Vance scores another winner. I have read a few other books written by Mike and love how he weaves fact and history with embellishment to tell a fascinating story. I grew up in the area of Southwest Houston where the plot takes place, so I can vividly see the landscapes so perfectly, but the author does an amazing job at bringing the reader right into the scenery even to the point of swearing that several other senses are invoked. The plot is based in history of the area and brings to light some of the social wrongs of the time period. Vance does a great job of building the plot around these injustices and exposes them for what they were-dehumanizing and immoral. He even gives more history of many practices that have been cruel and deceiving. I can't go any further into the plot or I'll spoil it for you. You just need to hit the buy button and see for yourself. You won't be disappointed!

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like I was living in the time and moments. Whatever the literary term for set dressing is, this book nails it. Plus, the characters are so very interesting. The story itself is fast and I found it to be a pretty quick read. Maybe because it's just that good.