"Gone by Sundown is an extremely timely novel that traces the origins of a racist atrocity and its effects on residents from bottom-dwelling working class blacks and whites, to the 'French colored' and merchants higher up the social ladder, to union agitators and mine owners at the top of local society. Peter Leach has the story-teller’s heart of Harper Lee and the sociologist’s eye of Frank Norris. —Tim W. Brown