Lightwood by Steph Post
2017 Edition (No longer in print)
Judah Cannon – middle son of the notorious Cannon crime-family clan – returns to his rural hometown of Silas, Florida after a stint in prison. He is determined to move forward and live it clean with his childhood best friend and newly discovered love, Ramey Barrow. Hope is on the horizon and a new chapter in Judah’s troubled life looks ready to begin.
But everything soon spirals out of control when a phone call from Sherwood – the family’s unflinching and uncompromising patriarch – pulls Judah back in, ensnaring both he and Ramey in a complicated web of thievery, brutality and betrayal. Pressured by the unrelenting bonds of blood ties, Judah struggles to do the right thing in a world full of wrongs.
Praise
“(A) gritty, propulsive crime novel... Lightwood keeps up a headlong pace as the Cannons, the Scorpions, Sister Tulah and other forces clash brutally all around Judah and Ramey. You might not want to visit Silas in real life, but it makes a fine setting for this twisted and compelling tale." -Tampa Bay Times
“Post paints a large, vivid cast...Post's Florida is rather farther north than the world of Carl Hiaasen's fiction, but they share the dark comedy, intricate plotting and strong sense of paltry sin and mordant evil. Readers who like Hiaasen should find Lightwood well to their taste." - Wilmington Star-News
“In Lightwood, Steph Post shows a flair for delving into the dark side of small towns and the even darker drive of families. While most of the realistic characters in Lightwood are not likable, Post makes us care deeply about what will happen to each, much as authors Daniel Woodrell and Elmore Leonard have done in their works." -Sun Sentinel
“A good choice for fans of grit lit that emphasizes blood ties and redneck justice; this will also attract readers who prefer their suspense very dark and filled with violence." -Library Journal
“With spot-on characterizations and dialogue, Post explores the strength of family, religion, and vengeance in an absorbing literary mystery."- Booklist
“There has been a lot of buzz around Lightwood and Steph Post, and it is well deserved. She weaves a strong story about families and what people will do for theirs. Pay attention to Post. She’s going places."-Crimespree Magazine