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Majestic Hills
Not yet published
Expected 4 Aug 26Win a free print copy of this book!
8 days and 16:21:46
20 copies available
U.S. only
A Black couple leaves their downtown Chicago condo for a new suburban subdivision, only to find themselves at the center of a maelstrom in this gripping page-turner from the award-winning author of Three Girls from Bronzeville.
Tired of the daily drama in his emergency room, Dr. Langdon Blaque is in search of a place where he can leave the world behind. He loves his job and has no delusions about the suburbs being perfect, but he wants peace and quiet. His wife Josephine, a lawyer, grew up listening to her father’s stories about the Jim Crow South, and sundown towns. She prefers the city. Still, she agrees to move with the caveat that they stay for a year and reassess.
The tight-knit, predominantly white group of neighbors in Majestic Hills initially welcomes them with open arms. But beneath the veneer of privileged harmony, tensions simmer. When a horrifying crime rocks the community, the illusion of safety is shattered, and Josephine and Langdon find themselves at the heart of a brewing storm that pits neighbor against neighbor, exposes deeply ingrained prejudices, and threatens to implode into violence.
As their experiment in suburban living ticks toward the one-year mark, the Blaques are pushed to a breaking point. Can they find a way to make a home in Majestic Hills? Or has the move put their future, their marriage, and even their safety in jeopardy?
Tired of the daily drama in his emergency room, Dr. Langdon Blaque is in search of a place where he can leave the world behind. He loves his job and has no delusions about the suburbs being perfect, but he wants peace and quiet. His wife Josephine, a lawyer, grew up listening to her father’s stories about the Jim Crow South, and sundown towns. She prefers the city. Still, she agrees to move with the caveat that they stay for a year and reassess.
The tight-knit, predominantly white group of neighbors in Majestic Hills initially welcomes them with open arms. But beneath the veneer of privileged harmony, tensions simmer. When a horrifying crime rocks the community, the illusion of safety is shattered, and Josephine and Langdon find themselves at the heart of a brewing storm that pits neighbor against neighbor, exposes deeply ingrained prejudices, and threatens to implode into violence.
As their experiment in suburban living ticks toward the one-year mark, the Blaques are pushed to a breaking point. Can they find a way to make a home in Majestic Hills? Or has the move put their future, their marriage, and even their safety in jeopardy?
336 pages, Hardcover
Expected publication August 4, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
📚 On Casey’s Bookshelf
Book: 27
Dates read: 01.28.2026 – 01.29.2026
Title: Majestic Hills
Author: Dawn Turner
Format: digital
#caseysbookshelf
This was an ARC. Thank you Simon & Schuster for the early access.
I previously read Dawn Turner’s memoir Three Girls from Bronzeville, and it was heartbreakingly beautiful. The ending didn’t unfold the way I hoped, but that’s real life. What stayed with me most is how she transformed lived experience into powerful storytelling. So I had to pick up her upcoming novel.
Let me be very clear because the cover may signal something else:
📢This is a thriller.📢
The cover (although gorgeous) leans toward something that feels speculative maybe even horror-adjacent with the mirrored profiles and houses perched above like something ominous is growing. If you judge by the cover alone, you might expect surrealism or psychological horror. That is not what this book is. It is a firmly a page-turning suburban thriller
And it moves.
The tension builds steadily as a Black couple relocates to a predominantly white suburban enclave where smiles feel curated and civility feels conditional. When a crime fractures the community, long-simmering prejudice and power dynamics surface quickly. The atmosphere becomes claustrophobic in the best way as our couple learn that zip codes do not diminish racial bias.
This was a page-turner. I could not put it down.
It would be a disservice for thriller readers to skip it thinking it’s speculative, and just as much of a disservice for speculative readers to feel misled. Go in expecting tension, social commentary and escalating unease.
This was a solid four-star read for me from an author whose voice already carries weight.
Add this to your TBR and pre-order. This book arrives in stores August 4, 2026.
Another book off the shelf. We keep reading with intention.
Book: 27
Dates read: 01.28.2026 – 01.29.2026
Title: Majestic Hills
Author: Dawn Turner
Format: digital
#caseysbookshelf
This was an ARC. Thank you Simon & Schuster for the early access.
I previously read Dawn Turner’s memoir Three Girls from Bronzeville, and it was heartbreakingly beautiful. The ending didn’t unfold the way I hoped, but that’s real life. What stayed with me most is how she transformed lived experience into powerful storytelling. So I had to pick up her upcoming novel.
Let me be very clear because the cover may signal something else:
📢This is a thriller.📢
The cover (although gorgeous) leans toward something that feels speculative maybe even horror-adjacent with the mirrored profiles and houses perched above like something ominous is growing. If you judge by the cover alone, you might expect surrealism or psychological horror. That is not what this book is. It is a firmly a page-turning suburban thriller
And it moves.
The tension builds steadily as a Black couple relocates to a predominantly white suburban enclave where smiles feel curated and civility feels conditional. When a crime fractures the community, long-simmering prejudice and power dynamics surface quickly. The atmosphere becomes claustrophobic in the best way as our couple learn that zip codes do not diminish racial bias.
This was a page-turner. I could not put it down.
It would be a disservice for thriller readers to skip it thinking it’s speculative, and just as much of a disservice for speculative readers to feel misled. Go in expecting tension, social commentary and escalating unease.
This was a solid four-star read for me from an author whose voice already carries weight.
Add this to your TBR and pre-order. This book arrives in stores August 4, 2026.
Another book off the shelf. We keep reading with intention.
April 28, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley and Scribner Publishing for gifting me an ARC of Majestic Hills by author Dawn Turner. In exchange for my free copy, I offer my honest feedback.
I was eager to read Majestic Hills, as I had previously read Three Girls from Brownsville and found the story well written and beautifully executed. Majestic Hills begins as a banger of a story. We know something terrifying has just occurred but Turner deftly hides the details and creates a feeling of mystery and intrigue. The first third of the novel had me flying through the pages as we are introduced to Langdon and Josphine, but as the story begins to unfold the pacing and plot began to drag. It wasn’t until the last 15% that the story starts up again leading to the dramatic conclusion.
The Blaques, Langdon and Josphine are two young married Black professionals, living a comfortable lifestyle in downtown Chicago; he an ER doctor and she a corporate attorney. Langdon unlike Josephine, grew up in a large house with sprawling land in a peaceful neighborhood and he yearns to return to the quietude. He convinces Josephine to move out to Majestic Hills, a new lavish development, an hour outside Chicago. However, once the couple arrive behind the gilded gates, and gleaming homes they discover their idillic surroundings aren’t quite as wonderful and peaceful as imagined. Their mostly white neighbors make them feel unsettled and soon Majestic Hills begins to feel less safe out in the middle of nowhere. There’s a lot of underlying tension and Turner raises some serious issues and concerns regarding gentrification, class distinction, perceived identity and race relations. Overall I did enjoy reading this novel however the middle section of the book was slow and repetitive. For these reasons I give this book 3.5 stars.
I was eager to read Majestic Hills, as I had previously read Three Girls from Brownsville and found the story well written and beautifully executed. Majestic Hills begins as a banger of a story. We know something terrifying has just occurred but Turner deftly hides the details and creates a feeling of mystery and intrigue. The first third of the novel had me flying through the pages as we are introduced to Langdon and Josphine, but as the story begins to unfold the pacing and plot began to drag. It wasn’t until the last 15% that the story starts up again leading to the dramatic conclusion.
The Blaques, Langdon and Josphine are two young married Black professionals, living a comfortable lifestyle in downtown Chicago; he an ER doctor and she a corporate attorney. Langdon unlike Josephine, grew up in a large house with sprawling land in a peaceful neighborhood and he yearns to return to the quietude. He convinces Josephine to move out to Majestic Hills, a new lavish development, an hour outside Chicago. However, once the couple arrive behind the gilded gates, and gleaming homes they discover their idillic surroundings aren’t quite as wonderful and peaceful as imagined. Their mostly white neighbors make them feel unsettled and soon Majestic Hills begins to feel less safe out in the middle of nowhere. There’s a lot of underlying tension and Turner raises some serious issues and concerns regarding gentrification, class distinction, perceived identity and race relations. Overall I did enjoy reading this novel however the middle section of the book was slow and repetitive. For these reasons I give this book 3.5 stars.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Majestic Hills by Dawn Turner is about a professional Black couple who decide to leave their city life behind for the suburbs.
Dr. Langdon Blaque is an ER doctor who wants to escape city life. He feels burned out and exhausted by the constant drama, death, and despair that come with his job. He dreams of finding a place where he can leave all of that behind and spend quiet time with his wife in peace.
Langdon loves his work but believes a move to the suburbs could help revitalize his spirit. His wife, Josephine, a lawyer, is much more hesitant about leaving the city. She grew up hearing her father’s horror stories about sundown towns and the Jim Crow South, which makes her wary of suburban life. Even so, she eventually agrees to Langdon’s plan with one condition: they will stay for one year, and if they do not love it, they will move back to the city.
The couple relocates to Majestic Hills, a predominantly white neighborhood where the neighbors initially seem welcoming and friendly. However, when a crime occurs close to home and the illusion of safety is shattered, Josephine and Langdon find themselves caught in the middle of the fallout. Neighbors are pitted against one another, exposing deep-rooted prejudices in the community. Will Langdon and Josephine be able to truly make Majestic Hills their home?
I thought the book was an okay read overall, but it felt kind of bland to me. I kept waiting for unexpected twists or turns that never really came. The storyline felt very predictable, and not much happened that kept me fully engaged. The book was marketed as both a mystery and a thriller, but I personally didn’t feel like it had many elements of either genre. I did like Langdon and Josephine as characters and thought they were written well.
Dr. Langdon Blaque is an ER doctor who wants to escape city life. He feels burned out and exhausted by the constant drama, death, and despair that come with his job. He dreams of finding a place where he can leave all of that behind and spend quiet time with his wife in peace.
Langdon loves his work but believes a move to the suburbs could help revitalize his spirit. His wife, Josephine, a lawyer, is much more hesitant about leaving the city. She grew up hearing her father’s horror stories about sundown towns and the Jim Crow South, which makes her wary of suburban life. Even so, she eventually agrees to Langdon’s plan with one condition: they will stay for one year, and if they do not love it, they will move back to the city.
The couple relocates to Majestic Hills, a predominantly white neighborhood where the neighbors initially seem welcoming and friendly. However, when a crime occurs close to home and the illusion of safety is shattered, Josephine and Langdon find themselves caught in the middle of the fallout. Neighbors are pitted against one another, exposing deep-rooted prejudices in the community. Will Langdon and Josephine be able to truly make Majestic Hills their home?
I thought the book was an okay read overall, but it felt kind of bland to me. I kept waiting for unexpected twists or turns that never really came. The storyline felt very predictable, and not much happened that kept me fully engaged. The book was marketed as both a mystery and a thriller, but I personally didn’t feel like it had many elements of either genre. I did like Langdon and Josephine as characters and thought they were written well.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Thank you, Scribner Books for the gifted Advanced Reader Copy.
Langdon and Josephine Blaque live and work in downtown Chicago. When Langdon’s job as an emergency room doctor wears on him, he looks to a billboard advertising Majestic Hills. He imagines the new suburban subdivision will offer peace and refuge. Reluctantly, Josephine agrees to rent out their high rise condo to try living in the suburbs for a year. At first, The Blaques receive a warm welcome and become friendly with their new neighbors. When issues arise in the surrounding community, threatening the security of Majestic Hills, the neighbors find themselves on opposing sides of conflict.
This book was successful at incorporating themes of race, class, gentrification and belonging into the interactions with various neighbors. Langdon and Josephine’s relationship captured how compromise and secrets affect a marriage. This book fit into the genres of both contemporary fiction and domestic thriller because of the tense feeling that despite the suburban ideals of planned perfection, something would go wrong. I liked that the book suggests what the future holds for the main characters without giving a neat, packaged ending.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories about suburbia and interpersonal conflict who are willing to contemplate how the shadows of America’s past continue to haunt the present.
Langdon and Josephine Blaque live and work in downtown Chicago. When Langdon’s job as an emergency room doctor wears on him, he looks to a billboard advertising Majestic Hills. He imagines the new suburban subdivision will offer peace and refuge. Reluctantly, Josephine agrees to rent out their high rise condo to try living in the suburbs for a year. At first, The Blaques receive a warm welcome and become friendly with their new neighbors. When issues arise in the surrounding community, threatening the security of Majestic Hills, the neighbors find themselves on opposing sides of conflict.
This book was successful at incorporating themes of race, class, gentrification and belonging into the interactions with various neighbors. Langdon and Josephine’s relationship captured how compromise and secrets affect a marriage. This book fit into the genres of both contemporary fiction and domestic thriller because of the tense feeling that despite the suburban ideals of planned perfection, something would go wrong. I liked that the book suggests what the future holds for the main characters without giving a neat, packaged ending.
I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy stories about suburbia and interpersonal conflict who are willing to contemplate how the shadows of America’s past continue to haunt the present.
May 23, 2026
Majestic Hills is a fresh take on the domestic thriller. By setting the tensions of a domestic thriller against the undercurrent of systemic racism and overt bias, Dawn Turner has created a novel that avoids the formulaic tendencies of the domestic thriller genre.
There’s a lot going on in this story, and I think Turner successfully manages those interwoven stories and perspectives.
Unfortunately I didn’t love the ending as much as I’d hoped to. I crave a bit more resolution to the very real, very difficult questions and circumstances Josephine and Langdon are grappling with when we leave them.
On the whole this is a fast, thought-provoking, and incredibly worthwhile read.
3.75 stars rounded up to 4.
***Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an advance reader copy of this book. Receiving it had to bearing on my review.
There’s a lot going on in this story, and I think Turner successfully manages those interwoven stories and perspectives.
Unfortunately I didn’t love the ending as much as I’d hoped to. I crave a bit more resolution to the very real, very difficult questions and circumstances Josephine and Langdon are grappling with when we leave them.
On the whole this is a fast, thought-provoking, and incredibly worthwhile read.
3.75 stars rounded up to 4.
***Thank you to the publisher and Net Galley for an advance reader copy of this book. Receiving it had to bearing on my review.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Wow. I had such high hopes here. This one started great and kept my interest all the way through until 4 chapters before the end. Then it turned in a whole different direction. You have the sense from the main couple and the actions and dialogue of others in Majestic Hills that there will be some sort of reckoning on lines of race and justice. Instead- instead!- the reckoning is something completely out of left field. Overall; I loved all of the characters except Christopher and was hoping for a fiery requirement of humanity and justice and it piddled out w that ending, which was such a disappointment.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I loved this book and read it quickly as I couldn't put it down! Josephine, a partner in a law firms is skeptical when husband, Langdon wants to move them to the country as she loves their high-rise in the city. She agrees to one year but has no idea what they are in for! When they arrive it's clear that many residents are friendly, but there's also the sense that as "newcomers," people are quick to judge before they know them. But like anyplace, there are those with good intentions...and bad, so just prepare to read long into the night!
Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This book is well written and thought provoking. Characters are well written and complex. The book for some may be a hard read due to the content, but in this world today, it may open some eyes, on how Black people navigate around situations. Very interesting group of characters. I do recommend this book. Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publisher for the arc of this book. Receiving the book in this manner had no bearing on my thoughts.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This gave me everything I was expecting and more. This touched on how black people tend to interact with the world...not in fear but with caution. And how easily that caution can turn out to be much warranted. I would highly recommend this book and will probably read this again! 4.5/5
I was granted an advanced copy of this book from Scribner through NetGalley.
I was granted an advanced copy of this book from Scribner through NetGalley.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Dawn Turner does an amazing job writing realistic characters. They feel legitimately human, flaws and all. I was hooked from the first page.
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
This book lost a lot of steam in the middle, and the ending was anticlimactic. I liked the characters, though - they felt authentic.
This was a Goodreads Giveaway.
This was a Goodreads Giveaway.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
ARC provided by Netgalley - Scribner
I love that this book started off at the end of the story which immediately draws you into the story. This story had so many moving pieces that you couldn’t help but to be engaged. From the moment Dr. Langdon and Josephine moved in, Majestic Hills immediately felt off. The neighbors seemed fine except Christopher. I knew he would be a problem. I wasn’t exactly prepared for the turn at the end but overall I’d recommend this book.
I love that this book started off at the end of the story which immediately draws you into the story. This story had so many moving pieces that you couldn’t help but to be engaged. From the moment Dr. Langdon and Josephine moved in, Majestic Hills immediately felt off. The neighbors seemed fine except Christopher. I knew he would be a problem. I wasn’t exactly prepared for the turn at the end but overall I’d recommend this book.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC!
Majestic Hills is a thoughtful, character-driven novel that blends literary depth with elements of domestic suspense. A Black couple (the Blaques) move into a predominantly white, upper-middle-class suburban neighborhood, where tensions among neighbors slowly escalate. I loved the writing, the social commentary, and the political intrigue.
While the book was immersive, I did find myself wishing for a more thrilling read. It leans much more toward domestic drama than suspense, and although there are many mysterious and tense moments, there isn't much payoff. Instead, the characters carry the story-and thankfully, they're written with real depth. They feel flawed, human, and genuinely relatable.
That said, the novel slightly lacks narrative momentum.
Rather than building toward a climax, it often circles the same emotional beats, which caused the plot to feel flat at times. Majestic Hills ultimately reads more like a message-driven literary novel than a gripping thriller. I appreciated the message and the character work, but the social commentary comes at the expense of suspense.
Overall, I still found this an enjoyable and meaningful read. It's very well written and compelling in its exploration of people and power, but readers looking for a true thriller may be disappointed, while those who enjoy reflective, issue-focused literary drama will likely find more to appreciate!
Majestic Hills is a thoughtful, character-driven novel that blends literary depth with elements of domestic suspense. A Black couple (the Blaques) move into a predominantly white, upper-middle-class suburban neighborhood, where tensions among neighbors slowly escalate. I loved the writing, the social commentary, and the political intrigue.
While the book was immersive, I did find myself wishing for a more thrilling read. It leans much more toward domestic drama than suspense, and although there are many mysterious and tense moments, there isn't much payoff. Instead, the characters carry the story-and thankfully, they're written with real depth. They feel flawed, human, and genuinely relatable.
That said, the novel slightly lacks narrative momentum.
Rather than building toward a climax, it often circles the same emotional beats, which caused the plot to feel flat at times. Majestic Hills ultimately reads more like a message-driven literary novel than a gripping thriller. I appreciated the message and the character work, but the social commentary comes at the expense of suspense.
Overall, I still found this an enjoyable and meaningful read. It's very well written and compelling in its exploration of people and power, but readers looking for a true thriller may be disappointed, while those who enjoy reflective, issue-focused literary drama will likely find more to appreciate!
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews