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Maceo Redfield Mystery #1
The Dying Ground
dead. missing.
None of the words made sense together, but the doom I'd expected announced itself. I felt iron in my mouth, like I'd gargled with pennies, a taste like blood, a bitter taste that always followed bad news.
The setting is Oakland, 1989; the crack epidemic is at its height and turf wars are brewing. Maceo Redfield, currently on hiatus from college, is walking a fine line between respectability and involvement in Oakland's drug underworld. As he waits in the neighborhood barbershop, one of his closest childhood friends, Holly Ford, brings him the news of the murder of Billy Crane, the third member of their childhood trio and a successful drug dealer. Felicia, Billy's girlfriend and Maceo's true love, is on the run and suspected of setting up the hit. As he searches for Felicia and the answer to the mystery of Billy's murder, Maceo is drawn deeper into a world in which dealers, players, and interlopers, obeying a code of honor all their own, engage in a deadly game to capture the heart of Oakland. When Maceo uncovers the truth about Billy, the story builds to a terrifying and painful climax.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
None of the words made sense together, but the doom I'd expected announced itself. I felt iron in my mouth, like I'd gargled with pennies, a taste like blood, a bitter taste that always followed bad news.
The setting is Oakland, 1989; the crack epidemic is at its height and turf wars are brewing. Maceo Redfield, currently on hiatus from college, is walking a fine line between respectability and involvement in Oakland's drug underworld. As he waits in the neighborhood barbershop, one of his closest childhood friends, Holly Ford, brings him the news of the murder of Billy Crane, the third member of their childhood trio and a successful drug dealer. Felicia, Billy's girlfriend and Maceo's true love, is on the run and suspected of setting up the hit. As he searches for Felicia and the answer to the mystery of Billy's murder, Maceo is drawn deeper into a world in which dealers, players, and interlopers, obeying a code of honor all their own, engage in a deadly game to capture the heart of Oakland. When Maceo uncovers the truth about Billy, the story builds to a terrifying and painful climax.
From the Trade Paperback edition.
304 pages, Mass Market Paperback
First published January 1, 2001
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
June 20, 2009
Nichelle Tramble did a remarkable job writing from the perspective of a young man growing up on the streets of Oakland. Her characters were very alive and real. This type of novel was a first for me and I learned a lot. I particularly enjoyed the familiar settings: streets of Oakland, BART,The Oakland Zoo, the Oakland hills, San Francisco, streets in Berkeley,Lake Merritt, Grand Avenue, Grand Lake Theatre, Broadway, etc.... This book is at turns sad, funny, poignant and eye opening. I especially liked the character of Maceo's grandfather, Daddy Al, who loved unconditionally. The strong bonds that are forged amid the violence remain with you long after you stop reading.
From the book,"I was born in death when my father decided to celebrate my arrival with a lethal drug treat for my mother. A suicidal combination of cocaine and heroin. He survived and she didn't, and I've continued to relive her death ever since. In most of my dreams I follow her, not as the infant I was when she died but as a grown man. She doesn't recognize me when we meet, and that is what frightens me the most. I've been visited by death every four years since my first days on earth. I've grown so accustomed to mourning that funerals are rituals to me much like Christmas and Easter."
Quote from book:"It was the easiest never to leave home. Ghettos were created to hold their inhabitants inside, but their boundaries were a defense perimeter as well, a secured border within which people felt as if they belonged."-Sylvester Monroe (Brothers)
From the book,"I was born in death when my father decided to celebrate my arrival with a lethal drug treat for my mother. A suicidal combination of cocaine and heroin. He survived and she didn't, and I've continued to relive her death ever since. In most of my dreams I follow her, not as the infant I was when she died but as a grown man. She doesn't recognize me when we meet, and that is what frightens me the most. I've been visited by death every four years since my first days on earth. I've grown so accustomed to mourning that funerals are rituals to me much like Christmas and Easter."
Quote from book:"It was the easiest never to leave home. Ghettos were created to hold their inhabitants inside, but their boundaries were a defense perimeter as well, a secured border within which people felt as if they belonged."-Sylvester Monroe (Brothers)
November 16, 2013
***SPOILER ALERT***
The suspense in the last few chapters became so overwhelming that I read the last paragraphs of the final chapters to figure out what ultimately happened. But even with doing that, I had NO idea it would end that way: Reggie!!! Never saw that coming (although I don't think the author set it up for us to see that coming).
What I'm trying to wrap my mind around is how deep the theme of love ran in this novel--it was pretty central and everyone's love for something was deep and unyielding. I just wonder if a love like Maceo's for Flea could really exist in the g-code governed streets of Oakland?
I read in the Afterword that Tramble is not from Oakland, but Alameda (:-/). I'm from Oakland but admittedly did not grow up on the Dying Ground, so I could be as much an outsider as the author. I wonder if she got Oakland "right" though or whether she just threw a few well-known street names and landmark establishments in... I'm okay with not really knowing the answer to that.
Anyways, good book. I'm excited for my book club to discuss and meet the author on Sunday.
The suspense in the last few chapters became so overwhelming that I read the last paragraphs of the final chapters to figure out what ultimately happened. But even with doing that, I had NO idea it would end that way: Reggie!!! Never saw that coming (although I don't think the author set it up for us to see that coming).
What I'm trying to wrap my mind around is how deep the theme of love ran in this novel--it was pretty central and everyone's love for something was deep and unyielding. I just wonder if a love like Maceo's for Flea could really exist in the g-code governed streets of Oakland?
I read in the Afterword that Tramble is not from Oakland, but Alameda (:-/). I'm from Oakland but admittedly did not grow up on the Dying Ground, so I could be as much an outsider as the author. I wonder if she got Oakland "right" though or whether she just threw a few well-known street names and landmark establishments in... I'm okay with not really knowing the answer to that.
Anyways, good book. I'm excited for my book club to discuss and meet the author on Sunday.
March 21, 2010
Fast-paced & well-written and made me eager to read the next book in the series. Must admit though, I was a bit taken aback by the main character's willingness to throw it all away for a woman whose feelings for him were questionable. Still, overall, an enjoyable read.
May 31, 2014
This book is readable and engaging, dramatic and suspenseful. Those qualities I could get from other books. But what I haven't seen before in other books is the insider's view of the world of drug dealers. The book is set in 1989 in Oakland, California, during midterms week at UC Berkeley, and the main character is a 23-year-old Black man whose family has money. Maceo is taking a semester off from Berkeley, where he played baseball, but lost his scholarship after an injury left him unable to pitch. Although his grandfather was willing to pay his tuition, Maceo spent the money instead on a sweet ride and started working as a bartender.
He resumed hanging out with his childhood friend Holly, a skilled, super-expensive drug cutter with a clean police record. One day Holly shows up at the neighborhood barber shop with the news that their other childhood buddy, Billy, has been killed by a rival drug dealer. Maceo and Holly set out with some of Holly's drug world contacts to find and punish the murderer. What's bothering Maceo just as much as Billy's death is that Billy's girlfriend and Maceo's ex, Felicia, has been missing since the fatal night, and some of the Oakland drug dealers suspect her in Billy's death. In his quest to solve and avenge his friend's murder, and to find and protect Felicia, Maceo finds himself at a crossroads that his famous pitching arm and his wealthy and loving family can't save him from: Should he go back to school, or join the thrilling and deadly game Holly has been playing: the same game that killed Billy?
I read this book because the English 11 students at school are reading it. What fascinated me was the colorful, detailed portrayal of what it was like to be young and Black in Oakland at the height of the crack epidemic.
He resumed hanging out with his childhood friend Holly, a skilled, super-expensive drug cutter with a clean police record. One day Holly shows up at the neighborhood barber shop with the news that their other childhood buddy, Billy, has been killed by a rival drug dealer. Maceo and Holly set out with some of Holly's drug world contacts to find and punish the murderer. What's bothering Maceo just as much as Billy's death is that Billy's girlfriend and Maceo's ex, Felicia, has been missing since the fatal night, and some of the Oakland drug dealers suspect her in Billy's death. In his quest to solve and avenge his friend's murder, and to find and protect Felicia, Maceo finds himself at a crossroads that his famous pitching arm and his wealthy and loving family can't save him from: Should he go back to school, or join the thrilling and deadly game Holly has been playing: the same game that killed Billy?
I read this book because the English 11 students at school are reading it. What fascinated me was the colorful, detailed portrayal of what it was like to be young and Black in Oakland at the height of the crack epidemic.
April 7, 2019
Okay
Conceptually, this book rocks but something was missing. I can’t quite put my finger on it. In some ways it is a bit scattered as if you are only reading a synopsis of a more complete story, and you don’t have the time to really enjoy the characters. And while I think the pace is right for suspense, this book didn’t feel as suspenseful as it did romantic or even just fictional. Good read nonetheless just a little all over the place. The ending was interesting but also pretty underwhelming.
Conceptually, this book rocks but something was missing. I can’t quite put my finger on it. In some ways it is a bit scattered as if you are only reading a synopsis of a more complete story, and you don’t have the time to really enjoy the characters. And while I think the pace is right for suspense, this book didn’t feel as suspenseful as it did romantic or even just fictional. Good read nonetheless just a little all over the place. The ending was interesting but also pretty underwhelming.
January 5, 2017
The Dying Ground (by Nichelle D. Tramble) is an exciting novel that'll eagerly have you turning every page. The book follows Maceo Bouchaund who's a college baseball player, in fact he has a reputation all around Oakland for being a really good baseball player. Maceo has taken time off of school and one day while at the barbershop, Maceo's best friend "Holly" gives him the news that the last member of their childhood trio Billy Crane has been killed and, his girlfriend Felicia a.k.a. Flea is on the run and suspected of setting Billy up to be murdered. Flea is Maceo's ex girlfriend and love of his life so once he hears of her disappearance he and holly band together to find her no matter the consequences.
The death of Billy isn't surprising because he was the biggest drug dealer in Oakland at the time. The loss of a childhood friend isn't what sparks Maceo's drive to find out what happened with Billy, it's the fear of what could possibly happen to the love of his life Felicia, his love for her clouds all judgement and gives him "tunnel vision" although he continues his daily activities, his main goal is finding Flea before something happens to her.
While searching for Flea, Maceo must make a very hard decision. Keep his moral upright bringing or give into the temptation of the drug world that's displayed before him. His best friend Holly is a drug dealer and knows a lot more about the streets because he's actually out there in them, this is beneficial because Maceo won't do anything or travel anywhere with a blind eye as to what's going on. During the search Maceo finds himself in altercations with police, other drug dealers, and even an attempt on his life was made. However none of this stopped him for pursuing. All of this leads Maceo to a giant discovery, something bigger than he ever could've imagined. The first person POV used in the novel helps all of Maceo's thoughts and feelings to be expressed.
If you like action and suspense then I recommend this book for you. This book is a murder mystery and Crime Thriller. Nichelle D Tramble does an excellent job of not only catching but keeping the readers attention at all times. The story started off slow but it picked up the pace very quickly and once that happened there was no desire to put the book down, I raced through every page.
The death of Billy isn't surprising because he was the biggest drug dealer in Oakland at the time. The loss of a childhood friend isn't what sparks Maceo's drive to find out what happened with Billy, it's the fear of what could possibly happen to the love of his life Felicia, his love for her clouds all judgement and gives him "tunnel vision" although he continues his daily activities, his main goal is finding Flea before something happens to her.
While searching for Flea, Maceo must make a very hard decision. Keep his moral upright bringing or give into the temptation of the drug world that's displayed before him. His best friend Holly is a drug dealer and knows a lot more about the streets because he's actually out there in them, this is beneficial because Maceo won't do anything or travel anywhere with a blind eye as to what's going on. During the search Maceo finds himself in altercations with police, other drug dealers, and even an attempt on his life was made. However none of this stopped him for pursuing. All of this leads Maceo to a giant discovery, something bigger than he ever could've imagined. The first person POV used in the novel helps all of Maceo's thoughts and feelings to be expressed.
If you like action and suspense then I recommend this book for you. This book is a murder mystery and Crime Thriller. Nichelle D Tramble does an excellent job of not only catching but keeping the readers attention at all times. The story started off slow but it picked up the pace very quickly and once that happened there was no desire to put the book down, I raced through every page.
November 18, 2013
More like 3.85 stars.
I'm not really into urban literature, but to be fair, this should be described more as literary in an urban setting. Tramble did an excellent job painting an accurate picture of Oakland in the 80s, particularly the drug culture. She did supreme justice to our slang (the dialogue was everything), local haunts, and laid back but aggressively cool temperaments. When it comes to great local, urban lit, this is right up there with Danyel Smith's, "More Like Wrestling" (but a little bit better). I really liked how I could visualize so many of the scenes. I don't think I've ever read a book and wanted so badly for it to be a movie.
My only issue was something about Maceo, the main character, didn't sit well for me. I think it was because he was short. lol I also didn't really like Felicia (until the last two chapters) or Alixe (I wanted to slap her immediately). Whatever the reason, it's hard to fully enjoy a book when you're not gelling with the narrator and two of the main characters. Maceo, Felicia, and Alixe aside, I loved everyone else in the story.
Overall, this was good read. And the ending has me so ready for the sequel, "The Last King".
I'm not really into urban literature, but to be fair, this should be described more as literary in an urban setting. Tramble did an excellent job painting an accurate picture of Oakland in the 80s, particularly the drug culture. She did supreme justice to our slang (the dialogue was everything), local haunts, and laid back but aggressively cool temperaments. When it comes to great local, urban lit, this is right up there with Danyel Smith's, "More Like Wrestling" (but a little bit better). I really liked how I could visualize so many of the scenes. I don't think I've ever read a book and wanted so badly for it to be a movie.
My only issue was something about Maceo, the main character, didn't sit well for me. I think it was because he was short. lol I also didn't really like Felicia (until the last two chapters) or Alixe (I wanted to slap her immediately). Whatever the reason, it's hard to fully enjoy a book when you're not gelling with the narrator and two of the main characters. Maceo, Felicia, and Alixe aside, I loved everyone else in the story.
Overall, this was good read. And the ending has me so ready for the sequel, "The Last King".
January 8, 2009
Appeasing
To begin I purchased THE DYING GROUND under the assumption that the title held a totally different meaning. I read the first chapter on three occasions and I finally decided to set aside the time and read it. THE DYING GROUND fooled me in a good way. It wasn't HIP-HOP like I'd read, but instead a mystery littered with question after question. The characters, plot and depiction are so very real making you feel as though you are right in California as the story takes place.
THE DYING GROUND is Nichelle D. Tramble's first novel. I found it fascinating and detailed, allowing the reader the perfect entrance. I do hope to read more from this aspiring author soon.
A Maceo Redfield Novel (Strivers Row)]]
To begin I purchased THE DYING GROUND under the assumption that the title held a totally different meaning. I read the first chapter on three occasions and I finally decided to set aside the time and read it. THE DYING GROUND fooled me in a good way. It wasn't HIP-HOP like I'd read, but instead a mystery littered with question after question. The characters, plot and depiction are so very real making you feel as though you are right in California as the story takes place.
THE DYING GROUND is Nichelle D. Tramble's first novel. I found it fascinating and detailed, allowing the reader the perfect entrance. I do hope to read more from this aspiring author soon.
A Maceo Redfield Novel (Strivers Row)]]
July 24, 2009
A good mystery--and I don't have much luck with mysteries, because of the cheese factor. I'm in need of some urban-fiction savvy, so I was drawn in by the advertised "hip-hop noire" element of this detective novel. Admittedly, I was expecting some trashy drama...
Fortunately, it's not: Tramble manages to make Oakland street drama philosophical and interesting. And the main character, Maceo, has the classic protagonist/antagonist thing going on; even though he makes some bad decisions, the reader still wants him to triumph. Grades 10 and up.
Fortunately, it's not: Tramble manages to make Oakland street drama philosophical and interesting. And the main character, Maceo, has the classic protagonist/antagonist thing going on; even though he makes some bad decisions, the reader still wants him to triumph. Grades 10 and up.
January 12, 2016
Tramble does an excellent job picturing life in Oakland CA during the late 1980's when crack was devastating the black community. Maceo, the protagonist, has dropped out of college and given up baseball. His childhood friend Billy, now a drug dealer, is murdered and Felicia, Billy's girlfriend and Maceo's first love, was at the scene of the killing and has disappeared. Maceo investigates her disappearance and the murder of his friend. Sympathetic protagonist trying to make his way in a drug-rattled world
November 29, 2010
This was one of the best books ive ever read in my life. The plot was very interesting. The book is about a man named Maceo Redfield who is in love with his best friend's girlfriend. Later on his best friend dies and the girl turns up missing. For many months he is in search of her. Through this journey he meets a lot of new people.
I really enjoyed reading this book. i'm hoping there is a sequel to this book or something similar.
I really enjoyed reading this book. i'm hoping there is a sequel to this book or something similar.
December 27, 2009
By far one of my favorite novels... It captures the Oakland/bay area scene brilliantly, unfolding into a riveting crime-drama complete with lingering traces of romance... Reading this book was a "total experience" in the sense that I was involved beyond reading... excellent novel
September 27, 2010
This book grabbed me because it's talking about where I live. The author started out strong but ended kind of weak. The author built up the mystery of the missing girlfriend but the climax kind of fizzled which is why I gave it 3 stars instead of 4.
August 2, 2007
mystery set in 1989 crack-infested Oakland.. fast read.. well-developed characters (the city of Oakland being one of them).
June 4, 2011
One great line and nothing much else.
March 18, 2016
I loved this book so much. If you are from Oakland you should read this book. I did not like her other book too much though (the last king) it just did not compare to this one
August 3, 2016
Poignant, hard hitting, realistic and very much of its time. It reminds me a little of The Wire but with the focus on Maceo and his relationship s rather than law enforcement. Liked it a lot.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews