What do you think?
Rate this book
The Coyotes of Carthage
A blistering and thrilling debut--a biting exploration of American politics, set in a small South Carolina town, about a political operative running a dark money campaign for his corporate clientsDre Ross has one more shot. Despite being a successful political consultant, his aggressive tactics have put him on thin ice with his boss, Mrs. Fitz, who plucked him from juvenile incarceration and mentored his career. She exiles him to the backwoods of South Carolina with $250,000 of dark money to introduce a ballot initiative on behalf of a mining company. The goal: to manipulate the locals into voting to sell their pristine public land to the highest bidder.
Dre arrives in God-fearing, flag-waving Carthage County, with only Mrs. Fitz's well-meaning yet na�ve grandson Brendan as his team. Dre, an African-American outsider, can't be the one to collect the signatures needed to get on the ballot. So he hires a blue-collar couple, Tyler Lee and his pious wife, Chalene, to act as the initiative's public face.
Under Dre's cynical direction, a land grab is disguised as a righteous fight for faith and liberty. As lines are crossed and lives ruined, Dre's increasingly cutthroat campaign threatens the very soul of Carthage County and perhaps the last remnants of his own humanity.
A piercing portrait of our fragile democracy and one man's unraveling, The Coyotes of Carthage paints a disturbingly real portrait of the American experiment in action.
Dre arrives in God-fearing, flag-waving Carthage County, with only Mrs. Fitz's well-meaning yet na�ve grandson Brendan as his team. Dre, an African-American outsider, can't be the one to collect the signatures needed to get on the ballot. So he hires a blue-collar couple, Tyler Lee and his pious wife, Chalene, to act as the initiative's public face.
Under Dre's cynical direction, a land grab is disguised as a righteous fight for faith and liberty. As lines are crossed and lives ruined, Dre's increasingly cutthroat campaign threatens the very soul of Carthage County and perhaps the last remnants of his own humanity.
A piercing portrait of our fragile democracy and one man's unraveling, The Coyotes of Carthage paints a disturbingly real portrait of the American experiment in action.
9 pages, Audio CD
First published April 14, 2020
241 people are currently reading
4293 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews
April 20, 2020
Fifteen minutes he's been in Carthage, and he already hates this place.
Welcome to Carthage, South Carolina - a town that consists of Republicans, and independents who split from that party because they believe Republicans aren't conservative enough. Thar's gold in them thar hills, and you'd better believe some mining company wants to rape the land and screw the local residents to get at it. Who do they call? Why, Andre Ross, of course. His job will be to swoop in with a clandestine grassroots dark money campaign to convince the citizenry to vote against (or agin, for some of these Southerners) their own best interests. His search for a straw man leads him to a couple of righteous bible-bangers who'll have no trouble persuading their friends and neighbors that voting YES on this initiative is God's will, and as American as apple pie.
"Remember, we're trying to rein in government. To take the power away from the bureaucrats and special interests. The local government, the state government, the feds in DC. Someone needs to remind them about American freedom. Someone needs to take a stand."
This is the kind of shrewd and pithy political satire Christopher Buckley used to write. The characters are complex and interesting; the dialogue sharp and sassy. I really enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at the scheming and manipulation that goes on behind the American political machine.
Highly recommended, but be warned - the abrupt ending may make you want to hurl the book against, or agin, the wall.
Welcome to Carthage, South Carolina - a town that consists of Republicans, and independents who split from that party because they believe Republicans aren't conservative enough. Thar's gold in them thar hills, and you'd better believe some mining company wants to rape the land and screw the local residents to get at it. Who do they call? Why, Andre Ross, of course. His job will be to swoop in with a clandestine grassroots dark money campaign to convince the citizenry to vote against (or agin, for some of these Southerners) their own best interests. His search for a straw man leads him to a couple of righteous bible-bangers who'll have no trouble persuading their friends and neighbors that voting YES on this initiative is God's will, and as American as apple pie.
"Remember, we're trying to rein in government. To take the power away from the bureaucrats and special interests. The local government, the state government, the feds in DC. Someone needs to remind them about American freedom. Someone needs to take a stand."
This is the kind of shrewd and pithy political satire Christopher Buckley used to write. The characters are complex and interesting; the dialogue sharp and sassy. I really enjoyed this behind-the-scenes look at the scheming and manipulation that goes on behind the American political machine.
Highly recommended, but be warned - the abrupt ending may make you want to hurl the book against, or agin, the wall.
April 25, 2020
Sometimes coyotes are predators, sometimes they are prey and sometimes they are just roadkill. Toussaint Andre Ross is a 35 year old political consultant. He made a mistake on his last campaign and as punishment/redemption he is sent to Carthage, South Carolina for a 13 week campaign to get approval of a gold mining project. The gold mine would take up public land that is currently used for hunting (frankly, I would have preferred the mine) and would also pollute the soil. Political consultant is a job that requires a flexible moral code. He has to manipulate people into voting for something that may not be in their best interests. As we have seen, that’s not that hard to do.
Andre sets up an inexperienced candidate to advance conservative initiatives that will help the mine project. Primarily, they need to undermine Paula Carrothers, the county manager. The election is close and the campaign turns dirty. Paula’s sexuality and morality are questioned and she is physically threatened. At the end they use a robocall, supposedly from an Esther Silverstein from Brooklyn, endorsing Carrothers as a strong progressive feminist and a supporter of gun control and abortion rights. Those claims, true or not, couldn’t be more damning in Carthage.
I liked this book as Andre reconsidered how he earned a living. Coming from his background of juvenile crime, a mentally ill mother and a brother with ALS, it was quite an achievement to have his job. He couldn’t walk away from it easily. I don’t know anything about the author, but he seemed knowledgeable about the details of a campaign. I wasn’t crazy about the ending of the book that just leaves you hanging. However, I would read more by this author.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
Andre sets up an inexperienced candidate to advance conservative initiatives that will help the mine project. Primarily, they need to undermine Paula Carrothers, the county manager. The election is close and the campaign turns dirty. Paula’s sexuality and morality are questioned and she is physically threatened. At the end they use a robocall, supposedly from an Esther Silverstein from Brooklyn, endorsing Carrothers as a strong progressive feminist and a supporter of gun control and abortion rights. Those claims, true or not, couldn’t be more damning in Carthage.
I liked this book as Andre reconsidered how he earned a living. Coming from his background of juvenile crime, a mentally ill mother and a brother with ALS, it was quite an achievement to have his job. He couldn’t walk away from it easily. I don’t know anything about the author, but he seemed knowledgeable about the details of a campaign. I wasn’t crazy about the ending of the book that just leaves you hanging. However, I would read more by this author.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
October 16, 2020
Sometimes coyotes are predators, sometimes they are prey, and sometimes they are just roadkill. Andre Ross is a 35-year-old political consultant who made a mistake in his last campaign, and as punishment/redemption, he is sent to Carthage, South Carolina - a small, backwoods town - for a 13-week campaign to get approval for a gold mining project. The gold mine would take up public land that is currently used for hunting/tourist and would pollute the soil. Politics - specifically Dre's job as a political consultant - is a job that requires a flexible moral code. He has to manipulate people into voting for something that may not be in their best interests. And with our fragile democracy, that's not that hard to do.
The politics in this book is almost to a satire level but in a great way! The characters in this are very complex and interesting. The dialogue in this is sharp and sassy. I loved the kind of behind-the-scenes look at the scheming and manipulation that goes on behind the American political system.
Andre's character was definitely my favorite part of this book - he's a type of character I have hardly ever read of. He is a bitter man who was forced to grow up too fast and sees his job - the thing that has given him a lot of the things he wants in life (finances, security, respect, etc.) - at risk. The story as a whole really focuses on character development. We learn a lot about Andre throughout it - the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's amazing.
I will say, this book does kind of generalize southern, rural white people, but I interpreted it as depictions through the perspective of Andre who is an urban Black man. And I think that works in reverse too in this novel. There are a lot of first impressions that grow to show them to be more than what was first thought.
I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it. The ending was a bit abrupt but in many ways, still really good! But still abrupt and a little frustrating.
Fifteen minutes he's been in Carthage, and he already hates this place.
The politics in this book is almost to a satire level but in a great way! The characters in this are very complex and interesting. The dialogue in this is sharp and sassy. I loved the kind of behind-the-scenes look at the scheming and manipulation that goes on behind the American political system.
Andre's character was definitely my favorite part of this book - he's a type of character I have hardly ever read of. He is a bitter man who was forced to grow up too fast and sees his job - the thing that has given him a lot of the things he wants in life (finances, security, respect, etc.) - at risk. The story as a whole really focuses on character development. We learn a lot about Andre throughout it - the good, the bad, and the ugly. It's amazing.
I will say, this book does kind of generalize southern, rural white people, but I interpreted it as depictions through the perspective of Andre who is an urban Black man. And I think that works in reverse too in this novel. There are a lot of first impressions that grow to show them to be more than what was first thought.
I really enjoyed this book and I highly recommend it. The ending was a bit abrupt but in many ways, still really good! But still abrupt and a little frustrating.
May 5, 2020
This was a fascinating behind-the-scenes look at dark money politics in the US, curtesy of Citizens United. The narrator is sent to a small town in South Carolina where a mining company wants to influence local politics to gain access to mining on public lands. The author highlights a lot of what’s wrong in current US politics without being obvious or preachy. I found this a really engaging story.
May 23, 2020
A bleak and very engaging political thriller with a prickly yet vulnerable antihero, Andre, as the main character.
It’s also an eye-popping, educational portrayal of dark money and local electioneering. I have a political science degree and my work for government at the state and local level includes elections administration, so I thought I had a good understanding of how local political campaigns work.
However, even I was too naïve to recognize the sometimes shadowy forces behind the simplest seeming ballot initiatives. Corporate money flooding into a white-glove political “consulting” firm. Decoy ballot questions to distract voters from the real issue. Operatives of the firm conducting a series of interviews with prospective local patsies/straw men to “lead” the campaign and having them sign non-disclosure agreements. Front committees of volunteers who don’t know the committee chair is a straw man. Data mining as our attributes are quantified, sold, and crunched to throw propaganda back in our faces through targeted social media ads. Astroturfing. Fake signatures on petitions. Demagoguery, personal destruction, and the exploitation of hatred.
But the more personal aspect of this novel is Andre. A bitter man, aged before his time, sees his job at risk. The South Carolina campaign is regarded by himself and his peers as a Podunk assignment. But it’s the only job he can take to restore or salvage his standing in the firm. He is calloused and doesn’t really care that he is championing a cause that runs contrary to the principles of good government. His assistant—Brendan—an idealistic, friendly marijuana-smoker, grows on him, nearly cracking Andre’s tough shell. But a touch of humanity may be too little too late as Andre navigates the campaign.
This is a very contemporary novel in that the real focus is on character development. We learn a lot more about Andre than we did about political henchman Ned Beaumont in Dashiell Hammett’s The Glass Key.
Like riding the Dahlonega Mine Train at Six Flags, this story and its main character start in the daylight and bottom out in the cavernous dark. Political noir may be a more precise description for this novel than calling it a political thriller.
A note of caution. As a demographic group, Southern, rural whites are depicted in the story in a derisive manner, which will rub some readers the wrong way. However, I interpret those depictions as the perceptions of Andre, an urbanized African-American Democrat. It is how Andre perceives the community. I recommend reading this book in an adult-like manner to broaden one’s understanding of how a political operation can deflate a man, rather than looking to be offended by particular attitudes, scenes, or sentences. In other words, don’t choose to be pissed—choose to get something out of it.
It’s also an eye-popping, educational portrayal of dark money and local electioneering. I have a political science degree and my work for government at the state and local level includes elections administration, so I thought I had a good understanding of how local political campaigns work.
However, even I was too naïve to recognize the sometimes shadowy forces behind the simplest seeming ballot initiatives. Corporate money flooding into a white-glove political “consulting” firm. Decoy ballot questions to distract voters from the real issue. Operatives of the firm conducting a series of interviews with prospective local patsies/straw men to “lead” the campaign and having them sign non-disclosure agreements. Front committees of volunteers who don’t know the committee chair is a straw man. Data mining as our attributes are quantified, sold, and crunched to throw propaganda back in our faces through targeted social media ads. Astroturfing. Fake signatures on petitions. Demagoguery, personal destruction, and the exploitation of hatred.
But the more personal aspect of this novel is Andre. A bitter man, aged before his time, sees his job at risk. The South Carolina campaign is regarded by himself and his peers as a Podunk assignment. But it’s the only job he can take to restore or salvage his standing in the firm. He is calloused and doesn’t really care that he is championing a cause that runs contrary to the principles of good government. His assistant—Brendan—an idealistic, friendly marijuana-smoker, grows on him, nearly cracking Andre’s tough shell. But a touch of humanity may be too little too late as Andre navigates the campaign.
This is a very contemporary novel in that the real focus is on character development. We learn a lot more about Andre than we did about political henchman Ned Beaumont in Dashiell Hammett’s The Glass Key.
Like riding the Dahlonega Mine Train at Six Flags, this story and its main character start in the daylight and bottom out in the cavernous dark. Political noir may be a more precise description for this novel than calling it a political thriller.
A note of caution. As a demographic group, Southern, rural whites are depicted in the story in a derisive manner, which will rub some readers the wrong way. However, I interpret those depictions as the perceptions of Andre, an urbanized African-American Democrat. It is how Andre perceives the community. I recommend reading this book in an adult-like manner to broaden one’s understanding of how a political operation can deflate a man, rather than looking to be offended by particular attitudes, scenes, or sentences. In other words, don’t choose to be pissed—choose to get something out of it.
October 24, 2022
Book on CD performed by Glenn Davis
Andre Ross has made a mistake. And it may end his career as a hotshot political consultant. But, his mentor agrees to give him one more chance. Sent to a backwater community in South Carolina, he’s tasked with passing an initiative that no one has even considered. He has an assistant (who is the partner’s grandson, and completely green) and a limited budget. But he KNOWS how to do this.
Dre is something of an enigma. He’s clearly intelligent and well-informed. He is a professional whose middle name may as well be “cutthroat,” and will take whichever side is paying his salary. He’s also deeply troubled. The fact that he’s a black man in a blue-collar white community in the deep south doesn’t deter him, though that does pose some challenges. As the novel progresses the reader begins to see signs that Dre isn’t so sure this is the right path for him. He seems to be falling apart. Will his conscience, long silenced, win out? Will he win this election? Will he keep his job? Does he want to?
I found this riveting and informative. I could not help but think of our current political climate and the way the populace is manipulated by the message. A tweak here, a slightly different phrasing there, a negative connotation “accidentally” floated onto the local gossip mill, a charismatic young woman whom everyone knows is a “good person” … and you have everyone ready to vote against their own best interest and in favor of the candidate or position least likely to actually benefit them.
Glenn Davis does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. He sets a good pace and differentiated the characters sufficiently that it was always clear who was speaking.
Andre Ross has made a mistake. And it may end his career as a hotshot political consultant. But, his mentor agrees to give him one more chance. Sent to a backwater community in South Carolina, he’s tasked with passing an initiative that no one has even considered. He has an assistant (who is the partner’s grandson, and completely green) and a limited budget. But he KNOWS how to do this.
Dre is something of an enigma. He’s clearly intelligent and well-informed. He is a professional whose middle name may as well be “cutthroat,” and will take whichever side is paying his salary. He’s also deeply troubled. The fact that he’s a black man in a blue-collar white community in the deep south doesn’t deter him, though that does pose some challenges. As the novel progresses the reader begins to see signs that Dre isn’t so sure this is the right path for him. He seems to be falling apart. Will his conscience, long silenced, win out? Will he win this election? Will he keep his job? Does he want to?
I found this riveting and informative. I could not help but think of our current political climate and the way the populace is manipulated by the message. A tweak here, a slightly different phrasing there, a negative connotation “accidentally” floated onto the local gossip mill, a charismatic young woman whom everyone knows is a “good person” … and you have everyone ready to vote against their own best interest and in favor of the candidate or position least likely to actually benefit them.
Glenn Davis does a marvelous job of narrating the audiobook. He sets a good pace and differentiated the characters sufficiently that it was always clear who was speaking.
April 20, 2020
Categorized as a mystery, political thriller and dark comedy, this impressive debut novel by former trial attorney Steven Wright is about Andre “Dre” Ross.
An ex-con and failing operative at the DC consulting firm of Martin, Fitzpatrick & Deville, Dre is sent to Carthage County, South Carolina, to “fix” an election. His client is PISA, a shadowy international firm that sees the gold under the rolling hills of Carthage County. Knowing that the county council will turn down any request to mine in an area known for its landscape, it plans to convince Carthage residents to vote on an initiative, masked as patriotic self-determination, to welcome mining to their county.
Dre, who messed up his last assignment, knows this is his last chance to redeem himself, though he’s horrified at the idea of spending weeks in the rural south. Brendan, his assistant for this endeavor, is the idealistic grandson of his mentor and cofounder of the political consultancy, Mrs. Fitz. Together, they set out to find local citizens to gather petition signatures. Tyler and Chalene Lee are their choice, though arguably a flawed one, given Tyler’s tendency to ignore directions and Chalene’s campaign to convert everyone. Still, they begin the process of co-opting the townspeople and maligning or paying off whoever stands in their way.
When it comes, the denouement is anti-climactic, but by then it’s almost beside the point. THE COYOTES OF CARTHAGE is not a thriller or mystery, but rather the story of how dark money twists those who administer it as much as those who are targeted by it. It’s also about the relationships that can form between unlikely allies like Dre, the angry victim of poverty and racism, and his private school-educated assistant Brendan, as well as Bible-toting Chalene.
While no one is wholly good, a few stand out for their humanity in this nuanced portrait of a southern backwater.
Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley
An ex-con and failing operative at the DC consulting firm of Martin, Fitzpatrick & Deville, Dre is sent to Carthage County, South Carolina, to “fix” an election. His client is PISA, a shadowy international firm that sees the gold under the rolling hills of Carthage County. Knowing that the county council will turn down any request to mine in an area known for its landscape, it plans to convince Carthage residents to vote on an initiative, masked as patriotic self-determination, to welcome mining to their county.
Dre, who messed up his last assignment, knows this is his last chance to redeem himself, though he’s horrified at the idea of spending weeks in the rural south. Brendan, his assistant for this endeavor, is the idealistic grandson of his mentor and cofounder of the political consultancy, Mrs. Fitz. Together, they set out to find local citizens to gather petition signatures. Tyler and Chalene Lee are their choice, though arguably a flawed one, given Tyler’s tendency to ignore directions and Chalene’s campaign to convert everyone. Still, they begin the process of co-opting the townspeople and maligning or paying off whoever stands in their way.
When it comes, the denouement is anti-climactic, but by then it’s almost beside the point. THE COYOTES OF CARTHAGE is not a thriller or mystery, but rather the story of how dark money twists those who administer it as much as those who are targeted by it. It’s also about the relationships that can form between unlikely allies like Dre, the angry victim of poverty and racism, and his private school-educated assistant Brendan, as well as Bible-toting Chalene.
While no one is wholly good, a few stand out for their humanity in this nuanced portrait of a southern backwater.
Reviewed by Lorraine W. Shanley
July 11, 2020
A trip through the guts of a small-time southern political campaign, seen through the eyes of an experienced political consultant who's both an insider and an outsider. It's also a morality tale with many angles and no easy answers, where winning and losing are ultimately beside the point. Audio narrator Glenn Davis completely inhabited protagonist Dre Ross for me. One small pronunciation slip-up made me laugh though..... "crocheted" pronounced "crosheted". Maybe Glenn and the audio editors should have consulted their grandmas ;)
April 13, 2020
Andre Ross grew up in and out of shelters in DC, before being plucked out of juvie by Mrs. Fitz, who sees talent and charisma in Andre that she feels will be right at home in her political consulting firm. By 35, he is a high-level political consultant, accepting money from corporations and lobbyists in exchange for "influencing" elections by whatever shadowy means necessary. His recent conduct, however, is extreme even for this shadow world of loose morals, and he’s sent to rural Carthage County, South Carolina, as a last chance to redeem himself in the eyes of his mentor, Mrs. Fitz. His mission: to convince the Carthage residents to sell thousands of acres of public land to a mining company, all under the guise of "liberty." He's given a shoestring budget, a politically amateur assistant, and told to get the initiative to pass or lose his career. Andre's choice to select Tyler and Charlene Lee, a working-class couple with minds of their own, to act as his "straw man" sets off a series of events that will leave you completely disillusioned with the idea of free and fair elections. To say that things get ugly is a gross understatement. I found this to be a really captivating read that delves into the dirty underbelly of politics as well as issues of race and class in rural America. However, this book is slim pickings in terms of likable characters, or even unlikeable characters that you find yourself rooting for regardless. Andre doesn't get much of a character arc, and I thought the author relied on troupes, namely Andre's alcoholism and constant pining for an ex-fiance we know nothing about, and missed opportunities for character depth in other ways. Overall, this book lacked polish and a satisfying ending, but managed to still be a worthwhile read. 3 stars.
September 6, 2021
This was a very interesting read. It's filled with sad truth and spot-on characterizations. The plot and dialogue keep you moving through the tale. This is a debut, so watch this guy. I think he has another one that he needs to write that could capture the early 21st century. I'm rooting for this author.
April 29, 2020
Sometimes, you read a book and learn about the topic.
Sometimes, you read a book and learn about the author.
Others have beautifully reviewed the book's topic better than I could, and also, this book was more of the latter variety for me. So. Here's what I learned about Steven Wright.
Wright has the sensitivity and observation skills of Lucy Maud Montgomery. She never let us off the hook when it came to the complexity of people, and nor does he plan to let us. This level of character development is rare, and even a very gifted writer - which he obviously is - won't hit this crescendo without a lifetime of thoughtful, curious people-watching and a healthy dose of hyper vigilance. He dumped us into a gathering of complete strangers, characters we meet only once, and we were still immersed in a messy cacophony of actual people, not cardboard cutouts.
He also believes in the power of persuasion and has clearly spent a lot of time thinking about and honing skills around persuasion. He pulls off an Alan Moore level crafting (I'm thinking of Moore's particular genius in the graphic novel Watchmen) with this theme, not only having Toussaint Andre "Dre" Ross demonstrate various tools of persuasion, but also, at the meta level, Wright is using the entire story to persuade us of several things. I'm very thoughtful, having just finished reading this at 3:30am because I couldn't put it down, about what *exactly* I have been persuaded, and I suspect I'll be working that out for some time to come. What I feel comfortable saying straight away is that the abrupt ending feels entirely appropriate; it leaves us poor readers grasping and grappling with unfinished business and it doesn't let us off the hook to let it only be the book's businesses.
Good gods, I feel like I'm barely bright enough to recognize exactly what a masterpiece this book is. For someone to write it? Moments like this, it gets hard for the other 99% of us to find enough confidence to ever write again!
Sometimes, you read a book and learn about the author.
Others have beautifully reviewed the book's topic better than I could, and also, this book was more of the latter variety for me. So. Here's what I learned about Steven Wright.
Wright has the sensitivity and observation skills of Lucy Maud Montgomery. She never let us off the hook when it came to the complexity of people, and nor does he plan to let us. This level of character development is rare, and even a very gifted writer - which he obviously is - won't hit this crescendo without a lifetime of thoughtful, curious people-watching and a healthy dose of hyper vigilance. He dumped us into a gathering of complete strangers, characters we meet only once, and we were still immersed in a messy cacophony of actual people, not cardboard cutouts.
He also believes in the power of persuasion and has clearly spent a lot of time thinking about and honing skills around persuasion. He pulls off an Alan Moore level crafting (I'm thinking of Moore's particular genius in the graphic novel Watchmen) with this theme, not only having Toussaint Andre "Dre" Ross demonstrate various tools of persuasion, but also, at the meta level, Wright is using the entire story to persuade us of several things. I'm very thoughtful, having just finished reading this at 3:30am because I couldn't put it down, about what *exactly* I have been persuaded, and I suspect I'll be working that out for some time to come. What I feel comfortable saying straight away is that the abrupt ending feels entirely appropriate; it leaves us poor readers grasping and grappling with unfinished business and it doesn't let us off the hook to let it only be the book's businesses.
Good gods, I feel like I'm barely bright enough to recognize exactly what a masterpiece this book is. For someone to write it? Moments like this, it gets hard for the other 99% of us to find enough confidence to ever write again!
September 25, 2020
I usually like political books but this one was really boring. The main character had the potential to be really dynamic but he didn't make any sense.
I also really didn't understand what the goal was. This is probably the side of politics I hate the most. And all the people are shady.
I probably could have gotten on board with a book about Charlene even though her being super religious would annoy me. Her parts were the only parts that interested me.
But the icing on the cake is that we didn't get to find out the results of the election or what happened to Charlene and her baby. This was definitely a "throw the book across the room" ending.
I also really didn't understand what the goal was. This is probably the side of politics I hate the most. And all the people are shady.
I probably could have gotten on board with a book about Charlene even though her being super religious would annoy me. Her parts were the only parts that interested me.
But the icing on the cake is that we didn't get to find out the results of the election or what happened to Charlene and her baby. This was definitely a "throw the book across the room" ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 20, 2020
I really liked this book, although found the ending very dissatisfying. It is well written with strong character development and good insight into the world of dark money used to influence elections. The author captures the culture of the rural south quite picturesquely. I am very uncomfortable reading books with self destructive characters, and, unfortunately, Andre is one
May 17, 2020
3.5 stars. Depressing thriller-esque novel about dark money in politics. To the author’s credit, while most the characters fall into stereotypical categories, each of them has an angle that adds a layer of complexity.
February 27, 2021
Why is it so hard to write decent political fiction? Can someone answer that question for me, please? There’s a glut of mystery, romance and science fiction novels. Why is it so hard to write about politics? Is it just because we often read for escapism, and politics is part of what we are trying to escape? Perhaps. But given the drama, high stakes, and many opinions contained in stories about politics, I don’t understand why it isn’t a more fertile ground for fiction.
Steven Wright’s debut novel is so good that it’s incredible to think this is his first book. He has a great sense of characters, place, and plot. His book, which I have to assume drew heavily from his own experiences, is a nuanced take on how dark money influences local politics. Yes, it’s cynical but it’s honest about its cynicism. Gaming elections is just another service to offer in a capitalist society.
I think what makes this book special is that it’s satire with focus. On some level, it’s critiquing the 2016 election but it functions best as a send up of the whole system that Americans decry but don’t want to do anything about. And the ones that do are distracted by money, power, and privilege.
It would be easy for the main character Andre to be taken in wholly by his cynicism but he, and the story, find humanity in the people around him. Wright is a smart enough author to keep Andre, who is Black, at a distance from the characters who are white and conservative in a revanchist sense. But there is enough interaction to show how the levers of the system work and how communication and solidarity are stifled by America’s white supremacist system.
The book isn’t perfect, particularly with the cloying ex-girlfriend love angle that’s supposed to make Andre seem like more of a sad sack (he already is). But that’s a minor detail. This is a great book from a fresh voice. I hope Steven Wright writes more of these.
Steven Wright’s debut novel is so good that it’s incredible to think this is his first book. He has a great sense of characters, place, and plot. His book, which I have to assume drew heavily from his own experiences, is a nuanced take on how dark money influences local politics. Yes, it’s cynical but it’s honest about its cynicism. Gaming elections is just another service to offer in a capitalist society.
I think what makes this book special is that it’s satire with focus. On some level, it’s critiquing the 2016 election but it functions best as a send up of the whole system that Americans decry but don’t want to do anything about. And the ones that do are distracted by money, power, and privilege.
It would be easy for the main character Andre to be taken in wholly by his cynicism but he, and the story, find humanity in the people around him. Wright is a smart enough author to keep Andre, who is Black, at a distance from the characters who are white and conservative in a revanchist sense. But there is enough interaction to show how the levers of the system work and how communication and solidarity are stifled by America’s white supremacist system.
The book isn’t perfect, particularly with the cloying ex-girlfriend love angle that’s supposed to make Andre seem like more of a sad sack (he already is). But that’s a minor detail. This is a great book from a fresh voice. I hope Steven Wright writes more of these.
August 13, 2020
The funniest, most incisive commentary on the banality of evil that I have ever read, this is the story of money in American politics. It's both a little lesson in how elections are stolen and a detailed portrait of our country. With a full cast of well developed characters who are simultaneously caricatures and deeply recognizable individuals, it's also an excellent novel. No one is admirable. No one is perfect. Everyone is completely relatable.
I highly recommend this book. It might make you throw up a little in your mouth, but that's politics.
I highly recommend this book. It might make you throw up a little in your mouth, but that's politics.
February 22, 2020
I was very fortunate to have gotten an advance reader’s e-proof of The Coyotes of Carthage from HarperCollins. I found this debut novel totally absorbing and its main character, Toussaint Andre Ross (Andre/Dre) extremely complex and compelling. Andre, incarcerated in Juvie for 2 years for a crime he didn’t commit, is “adopted” at age 20 by Mrs. Fitz, the 70+ year old sole founding female partner of a political consulting firm. She has been a second mother to Andre for 15 years and served as a mentor who brings him along in the firm where he has achieved some success, at least financially. Then his pride and recklessness goes too far in his management of an election campaign, bringing embarrassment to the firm. As a result, Mrs. Fitz, instead of firing him, assigns him to a 13 week secret corporate-financed campaign in a small South Carolina town that they both know is “rubbish” but could save his career.
Along the way, we meet his intern/assistant, Brendan, with whom he forms an unlikely bond, and a cast of town locals who add color and voice to the narrative. He runs a “textbook dark-money campaign—a case study in street-corner democracy” that is manipulative and damaging. It illustrates how today’s political actions can cause a community and its people potential harm, in this case through a land grab that only benefits big business.
It’s also a stark reminder of what we see today, i.e.: “God bless social media, good for pictures, bad for truth.”
Mr. Wright touches on today’s issues but doesn’t preach. His characters totally drive the story. I found myself rooting for Andre. HIs many flaws are offset by his redeeming qualities. He is empathetic yet ruthless; self-destructive but somehow bent on survival. He is also witty, charming, and very likable. I rooted for him all the way and ached as he saw himself in the coyote—“small and vulnerable, a man beat down and alone”.
This was a great read and I look forward to more from Steven Wright.
Along the way, we meet his intern/assistant, Brendan, with whom he forms an unlikely bond, and a cast of town locals who add color and voice to the narrative. He runs a “textbook dark-money campaign—a case study in street-corner democracy” that is manipulative and damaging. It illustrates how today’s political actions can cause a community and its people potential harm, in this case through a land grab that only benefits big business.
It’s also a stark reminder of what we see today, i.e.: “God bless social media, good for pictures, bad for truth.”
Mr. Wright touches on today’s issues but doesn’t preach. His characters totally drive the story. I found myself rooting for Andre. HIs many flaws are offset by his redeeming qualities. He is empathetic yet ruthless; self-destructive but somehow bent on survival. He is also witty, charming, and very likable. I rooted for him all the way and ached as he saw himself in the coyote—“small and vulnerable, a man beat down and alone”.
This was a great read and I look forward to more from Steven Wright.
April 9, 2020
Dre Ross is a black man who grew up in DC, living in and out of shelters, eventually catching four felonies. Now 35, he has become a political consultant, accepting money from different corporations and lobbyists to get their candidates or whatever it is that they’re selling, elected. After he screws up his latest consultation, he’s sent to rural Carthage County, in South Carolina, to convince the small-town to accept selling a thousand acres of public land to a gold-mining company. Dre finds himself partnered with his mentor and part-owner’s grandson Brenden, a delightfully naive albeit wealthy, white kid in his early 20’s, whose latest schtick is to fully embrace his Irish heritage. Dre and Brenden end up linking up with a blue-color couple, Tyler and Charlene Lee, to act as their initiatives public face. I found this to be a really fascinating book dealing with the dirty side of politics and confronting race, class issues. It’s a book about completely in likable characters, about politics that wildly differ from mine (money over decency) and it was so accurate about where American government has landed, that it makes me ashamed to be an American. I recommend reading this book because despite it being fiction, it portrays very real experiences about how politics in our country are run and at what cost to the people.
July 21, 2020
I'm immediately memorializing the fact that, on July 21, 2020, I gave this three stars. Why? Because I have a strange feeling that in a week or two, or a month or five, I might revise my opinion. This feels like a book that sticks with you a while, that leaves you unsure what to think until you've thought longer.
Right now, I feel a little let down. The story was good but it couldn't find a focus. Was it about our hero (not really a hero at all)? Was it about small town South Carolina? Or was it about dirty politics and elections? It seemed to be about all three yet really didn't stick a landing on any of the three. And let's address the end. No spoilers here because there wasn't one.
I just rated a real throw-away, mindless novel about secret DHS operatives in Florida three stars. This feels like its on a different plane of existence but I'm going to stick with three. For now...
Right now, I feel a little let down. The story was good but it couldn't find a focus. Was it about our hero (not really a hero at all)? Was it about small town South Carolina? Or was it about dirty politics and elections? It seemed to be about all three yet really didn't stick a landing on any of the three. And let's address the end. No spoilers here because there wasn't one.
I just rated a real throw-away, mindless novel about secret DHS operatives in Florida three stars. This feels like its on a different plane of existence but I'm going to stick with three. For now...
March 24, 2020
I wasn‘t sure a political book would be up my alley, especially right now, but I enjoyed this overall. It was entertaining and I enjoyed the main character's journey. Some of the commentary was a little heavy handed, but it still worked. It helped that it was more about our political landscape as a nation instead of DC politics. That made it more interesting to me. Some people will hate the ending, and some may not dig the story at all, but it kept me interested.
April 27, 2020
thoughts coming shortly
September 7, 2020
Released in April 2020, The Coyotes of Carthage is a compendious political thriller about the dark and often ugly manipulation of the truth in the political system to get an agenda pushed through. A gold mining company wants access to pristine public land to mine gold, regardless of potential contamination to the area, and needs an election initiative to get it done. This is big money manipulation and political consultant Toussaint Andre Ross (Dre) is in Carthage, South Carolina to get the job done. Dre works just like the elusive nocturnal coyote, manipulating the outcome of the election from behind the scenes with the client hidden behind a veil.
Dre has gotten the job done for eighteen years, but recently become undone by one fubar and now he is sliding down in the eyes of his mentor and employer and this is his last chance. Black, good looking, well-educated but raised in poverty with a juvie felony record, Dre struggles with his own personal demons as he works to overcome a sea of alcohol and his self-destructive behaviors to push through the client’s agenda whatever it takes and without regard for who it will hurt or destroy. To divert attention to the reality of the election, Dre uses conspiracies and finger-pointing to redirect the attention of the campaign to a county employee and turns her into the public enemy, from the amount of her salary, her emails, and everything about her… anything to get the vote out.
Wright’s conception of the political environment is nothing short of complex. I thought his writing style had a similar cadence to other legal writers, Grisham and Turow. For some reason, political and legal thrillers all seem to work best with reticent main characters that produce little more than laconic dialogue. But here in this dialogue, Wright’s cynical and dark humor shines through, and it is humor all of his own.
I liked the book from the start, although Dre was not always likable, he had enough charisma to attract the reader and was fleshed out enough so that the reader had some understanding of what drove him. The other characters were well drawn in their environment and fit well into the storyline. At times it was like watching a train wreck, you just couldn’t look away as Dre mucked up his already crumbling life. It’s a great read with a disappointingly abrupt ending.
Wright is someone to watch and I can’t wait for his next book.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
Dre has gotten the job done for eighteen years, but recently become undone by one fubar and now he is sliding down in the eyes of his mentor and employer and this is his last chance. Black, good looking, well-educated but raised in poverty with a juvie felony record, Dre struggles with his own personal demons as he works to overcome a sea of alcohol and his self-destructive behaviors to push through the client’s agenda whatever it takes and without regard for who it will hurt or destroy. To divert attention to the reality of the election, Dre uses conspiracies and finger-pointing to redirect the attention of the campaign to a county employee and turns her into the public enemy, from the amount of her salary, her emails, and everything about her… anything to get the vote out.
Wright’s conception of the political environment is nothing short of complex. I thought his writing style had a similar cadence to other legal writers, Grisham and Turow. For some reason, political and legal thrillers all seem to work best with reticent main characters that produce little more than laconic dialogue. But here in this dialogue, Wright’s cynical and dark humor shines through, and it is humor all of his own.
I liked the book from the start, although Dre was not always likable, he had enough charisma to attract the reader and was fleshed out enough so that the reader had some understanding of what drove him. The other characters were well drawn in their environment and fit well into the storyline. At times it was like watching a train wreck, you just couldn’t look away as Dre mucked up his already crumbling life. It’s a great read with a disappointingly abrupt ending.
Wright is someone to watch and I can’t wait for his next book.
4 stars
Happy Reading!
November 29, 2020
You should read this book.
I don't think any of the people that were trying to sell this book knew what to do with it. They tried to bill it as a political thriller, but it isn't really. Another blurb called it a satire, and it isn't really that either because it strays far too close to the truth to fit securely as an overstatement. It is sure as fuck not funny in any way, shape, or form and I don't think it was trying to be. Perhaps it used archetypes, but the author also managed to take them one step further and make them into characters all the same.
So what is it? That is a little harder to say. It is a super-readable character story that features a black man with a criminal history who has become successful in the morally bankrupt world of political consulting. His job is to execute the will of corporate money in local and national politics. But he screwed up his last assignment. Now, with his job on the line, he winds up in the bible belt in South Carolina trying to win an election to get the county to sell some land to a mining operation while his personal life is falling apart.
This book tells terrifying truths about politics, wealth, power, and the powerless, racism, sexism, and public anger. It is an amazing look at several complex and interesting characters. It leaves you with more questions than answers which is both frustrating and perfect.
I am so glad I read it AFTER the 2020 election. I am glad I read it, and I will have my eyes out for more from Steven Wright. You should too.
I don't think any of the people that were trying to sell this book knew what to do with it. They tried to bill it as a political thriller, but it isn't really. Another blurb called it a satire, and it isn't really that either because it strays far too close to the truth to fit securely as an overstatement. It is sure as fuck not funny in any way, shape, or form and I don't think it was trying to be. Perhaps it used archetypes, but the author also managed to take them one step further and make them into characters all the same.
So what is it? That is a little harder to say. It is a super-readable character story that features a black man with a criminal history who has become successful in the morally bankrupt world of political consulting. His job is to execute the will of corporate money in local and national politics. But he screwed up his last assignment. Now, with his job on the line, he winds up in the bible belt in South Carolina trying to win an election to get the county to sell some land to a mining operation while his personal life is falling apart.
This book tells terrifying truths about politics, wealth, power, and the powerless, racism, sexism, and public anger. It is an amazing look at several complex and interesting characters. It leaves you with more questions than answers which is both frustrating and perfect.
I am so glad I read it AFTER the 2020 election. I am glad I read it, and I will have my eyes out for more from Steven Wright. You should too.
September 20, 2020
Fantastic book. Beautiful writing. Well-developed characters that I cared about even with their flaws and unappealing traits. Wright is an extremely gifted writer. I am dying to read more by him!
I can see why people would be frustrated with the ending but I appreciate that the author didn't write a story that perfectly comes together at the end. The ending was true to the entire story.
The best thing about this book was exposing the reality of our political election system. If anyone thinks any of this is made up for the sake of fiction to make a better story, I will tell you this is all 100% exactly the way our election system works. Politics as usual.
I give this book 5 stars and can't say enough good things about it. HOWEVER, I would not recommend this book to most people. You have to love politics to enjoy this book; familiarity with Washington DC helps; an interest in elections and the political process are all essential elements to appreciate this story.
And finally, do not read this if you aren't prepared to look behind the curtain of politics to find out how it all actually works.
I can see why people would be frustrated with the ending but I appreciate that the author didn't write a story that perfectly comes together at the end. The ending was true to the entire story.
The best thing about this book was exposing the reality of our political election system. If anyone thinks any of this is made up for the sake of fiction to make a better story, I will tell you this is all 100% exactly the way our election system works. Politics as usual.
I give this book 5 stars and can't say enough good things about it. HOWEVER, I would not recommend this book to most people. You have to love politics to enjoy this book; familiarity with Washington DC helps; an interest in elections and the political process are all essential elements to appreciate this story.
And finally, do not read this if you aren't prepared to look behind the curtain of politics to find out how it all actually works.
May 11, 2022
This review will be fragmented.
First, I would like to repeat a quote from SALON that is at the beginning of the book:
"A darkly funny and bleakly honest debut novel about how elections are bought...Compelling."
Second, I want to comment on the writing. Excellent, excellent, excellent.
Third, characters' portrayals. Wow! So good. Ancillary characters of Brendan and Chalene were very strong for me as the reader. I liked them both. And weirdly, they are similar in some ways.
Fourth, the main character Andre. Wow! This African-American gentleman who is on this weird mission and is so obviously misplaced. As each layer of the onion is peeled back about where Andre has been in life, you realize that each injustice has contributed to his confusing identity today. At the end of the book, with so much loss (except perhaps for the election) you hope that Andre will indeed move on and create a life more aligned with his values. You hope that he will stop being used and bewildered. That he will grow into his true calling and achieve contentment.
Fifth, a WI author! Hurray for his appearance at our WLA conference in GB in the fall of 2021 with a powerful interview led by KRIS TURNER.
First, I would like to repeat a quote from SALON that is at the beginning of the book:
"A darkly funny and bleakly honest debut novel about how elections are bought...Compelling."
Second, I want to comment on the writing. Excellent, excellent, excellent.
Third, characters' portrayals. Wow! So good. Ancillary characters of Brendan and Chalene were very strong for me as the reader. I liked them both. And weirdly, they are similar in some ways.
Fourth, the main character Andre. Wow! This African-American gentleman who is on this weird mission and is so obviously misplaced. As each layer of the onion is peeled back about where Andre has been in life, you realize that each injustice has contributed to his confusing identity today. At the end of the book, with so much loss (except perhaps for the election) you hope that Andre will indeed move on and create a life more aligned with his values. You hope that he will stop being used and bewildered. That he will grow into his true calling and achieve contentment.
Fifth, a WI author! Hurray for his appearance at our WLA conference in GB in the fall of 2021 with a powerful interview led by KRIS TURNER.
May 2, 2021
3.5
The Coyotes of Carthage is a gritty political noir that follows Andre Ross as he tries to pull his career back from the brink. His last shot is to use his brutal tactics to help a candidate win a local election. At first, I wasn't sure how invested I would be in a novel that centered itself around politics, but Wright has managed to craft a witty, almost satirical novel laced with smatterings of political wisdom.
Every single character was absolutely detestable, and while some people are depicted in a pretty generalized manner, it reads as if it's through the eyes of Andre, as if its commentary on how preconceived prejudices shape how we see people. We really get to see the ugly side of everyone, especially Andre, he's a classless drunk who enjoys knowing how his aggressive tactics have ruined his opponents.
The ending was pretty abrupt, and while I liked how things weren't all neat and tidy, I did find the coyote symbolism a little heavy-handed.
The Coyotes of Carthage is a gritty political noir that follows Andre Ross as he tries to pull his career back from the brink. His last shot is to use his brutal tactics to help a candidate win a local election. At first, I wasn't sure how invested I would be in a novel that centered itself around politics, but Wright has managed to craft a witty, almost satirical novel laced with smatterings of political wisdom.
Every single character was absolutely detestable, and while some people are depicted in a pretty generalized manner, it reads as if it's through the eyes of Andre, as if its commentary on how preconceived prejudices shape how we see people. We really get to see the ugly side of everyone, especially Andre, he's a classless drunk who enjoys knowing how his aggressive tactics have ruined his opponents.
The ending was pretty abrupt, and while I liked how things weren't all neat and tidy, I did find the coyote symbolism a little heavy-handed.
June 25, 2021
I loved this book (with one exception, more on that later). It is an amazingly drawn slice of life portrait about a down on his luck political consultant and a very small election in a very small county...but the election is not important, really. What's important is the constant observations of people and places, mostly people, that will astound you with their spot-on-ness. Not a word, but I can't think of how else to describe it.
That said, however, I absolutely, absolutely HATED the ending. Or rather lack of same.
That said, however, I absolutely, absolutely HATED the ending. Or rather lack of same.
April 20, 2020
A John Grisham-esque novel about a mid-30’s African American man with one shot left to save his career. Plucked from juvie by a savvy white woman when he was still a teenager, Dre has spent years working for her political consulting firm. After a tough break-up with his fiancé, Dre mad a career killing move and thus, finds himself in South Carolina backing a ballot issue with dark money. Aided by a 22-year old that Dre learns is his mentor’s grandson, the residents of Carthage teach Dre more than he teaches them.
Read
June 16, 2020This book started out much stronger than it ended. The ending felt abrupt and unfinished. I would love to have had more resolution.
November 15, 2020
Good book. A depressing inside look to politics.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 172 reviews