This was ok. While I enjoyed the setting and historical nature of this story I didn’t care for the mystery or the characters. It may be a me thing because I don’t really care about detective stories most of the time

The beginning of the book states this is is more of a historical novel than mystery/thriller. It was definitely a step outside my normal comfort zone. The book just didn’t connect for me. Was it too over my head? Most likely. It was a lot to digest. I feel like since I listened to the audiobook version, it may have made it tougher. There were a lot of characters and POV’s within the story giving their accounts. It did feel like an unreliable narrator story since everyone was giving their views. Overall, slower pace/slow burn historical mystery.
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I think for the right person, this would be a great book as it was interesting and informative view on the history of Savannah.

The Kingdoms of Savannah is a beautiful Southern Gothic read rich in character development. The settings are detailed and give you the feeling of being in Savannah, GA among the locals. The first sentence of the book grabs you from the getgo and intrigues you to read more. While this book is a work of fiction it has a historical background that the author details at the end. This was a great mystery read and kept me interested throughout and I absolutely adore a good Southern Gothic setting.

The story begins at a local bar, Bo Peep's, where a group of locals have gathered. Before the night is over a man is murdered and his friend is gone. Morgana Musgrove sets out to solve the mystery of these crimes with the reluctant help of her grown children. As they uncover new clues they unwittingly uncover terrifying truths underlying Savannah's power structure.

A special thank you to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I like the fact that this book combines history, archeology, but also mystery and thriller. Something weird is happening in Savannah when people start showing up dead or disappear. Jaq goes on to investigate why one of her friends is dead and the other disappeared, and meanwhile she uncovers a lot of things that is happening around the city and also about her own family. I do felt that the book dragged at some parts, but it’s overall interesting and captivating to keep reading until the end

As someone who has always had a soft spot for all things Savannah, this was a great read for me. I do agree with others who said it started off a bit slow but I’m very glad I stayed with it!

Savannah may appear to be “some town out of a fable,” with its vine flowers, turreted mansions, and ghost tours that romanticize the city’s history. But underneath that are secrets that tell a much more sinister tale.

This book was a little out of my comfort zone, but despite that I quite enjoyed it. I can always rely on a good romance or thriller to keep my interest, but I do quite enjoy branching out into less read genres.

This one, categorized under southern gothic, was a good tale. The mystery kept me interested and the descriptions of Savannah have me wanting to visit! It is dark and dangerous story but with some strong and unique characters that kept it interesting.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Celadon Books, and the author for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

George Dawes Green’s The Kingdoms of Savannah is being hailed by all including The New York Times. “His prose is languid, even luxurious, but at critical moments of suspense, he pares it back to ramp up the terror.”

Morgana Musgrove finds herself at the center of not one, but two crimes when a man is murdered and his companion has disappeared. With the help of her four children, they start to find out some truths that will rock all of Savannah.

Well this was a ride.

THE KINGDOMS OF SAVANNAH is unlike any book I've ever read. The beginning did not hook me, however, once I kept reading and decided to give it a shot, I quickly learned how interesting it was turning out to be. Although I think the themes went above and beyond my head. I would classify this as a murder-mystery-type book, but there were definitely nods towards racism in the south that I think I didn't quite get. Fortunately, the author provides some information for further reading at the end, which is what made me think, "Wow, I missed that."

I think this would make for a great book club pick, and I'd even go as far to say a good choice for teachers to have their students study in an English class.

This book left me wanting more, but not in a good way. It was missing something and the summary made me really excited to read it. It was good enough to finish though and I loved the setting.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC!

As the Musician whistles in the night and the locals gather at Bo Peep’s for a drink, a man is murdered and his female friend goes missing. Many think that there is more to Luke’s death, and that Stony has been kidnapped and is in danger due to her knowledge of a treasure. Morgana Musgrove is a private detective hired to uncover the truth by Archibald Guzman, the man being held responsible for the fire that the authorities think led to Luke’s death. She is not the only one investigating this fire; her son and her granddaughter, friends of Luke and Stony, are determined to find the truth as well, and maybe uncover the truth about the treasure while they are at it.

I really liked this story. It is a great mystery that kept me at the edge of my seat right from the start. There are a lot of characters with a lot of connections to each other, but they are all so well developed and none of them seemed to get lost in the shuffle of the story. Jaq and Ransom are easily my favorites, with their strength and drive, although Morgana had some great, and in one instance truly touching, moments within the novel. I also liked how the story jumped between the different characters, following their movements and activities, because it allowed me to not only get to know the major players well, but it also created some great suspense throughout the story. The treasure that is at the center of the story is, in my opinion, an interesting and powerful treasure.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this title. I am taking a trip to Savannah soon, and have visited many times, and I chose this book specifically to capture some of the Savannah magic before I went again. The author clearly loves Savannah, but also addresses its faults. The story is weird in the best way and very engrossing, with a quirky cast of characters. It was thrilling enough to keep me turning pages, and a great read for anyone with even a passing interest in Savannah.

The Kingdoms of Savannah by George Dawes Green took me by complete surprise and wrapped me up in a story I devoured!
I love mystery novels, but TKOS is a book full of deceit, lies and big time corruption.
I got sucked into the history and mystery written within these pages and I felt like I couldn't read it quick enough.
The story is atmospheric and the characters are compelling.
I felt it was interesting and intriguing which made me enjoy it that much more.

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Celadon Books,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my blog, platforms, BookBub, B&N, Kobo and Waterstone closer to pub date.

The setting, the environment, the historical emersion, and more were all aspects of this book that sucked me in from page one. The contrast of opulence and poverty painted a jarring contrast that pushed me to think about class and race in a new light. Thoroughly enjoyed it!

The book starts out with one person being killed in an abandoned building and a kidnapping. These two events are seemingly unrelated and the rest of the story is spent trying to bring the real killer to justice and hopefully save the kidnapped woman.

I love a good book set in the South. Savannah has always been an intriguing and complicated place to me so I personally enjoyed the historical aspects of the book. The story was very atmospheric in nature and I felt transported. The chapters were long (there are only 5 in the whole book). Overall this was a complex mystery filled coupled with plenty of dysfunctional family drama and I was here for it! I could definitely see this one being made into a movie or mini-series.

Rating 4 stars

Special thanks to Celadon Books and NetGalley for the ARC of The Kingdoms of Savannah for review purposes. All opinions are my own.

I have no idea what to rate this one, so I am settling on a 4. I absolutely loved the atmosphere and the storytelling voice of this book. FANTASTIC. But there were just so many characters and the chapters were so long. I have a really hard time stopping a book anywhere but between chapters and so it took me forever to finish this one because I had to be in the mood to read it for a while. Overall, I think it was a good book, though. I recommend to anyone who doesn't have my weird hang up about chapter length.

Thank you to Celadon books for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was an interesting Southern narrative that took me a while to get into, to be honest. But I did enjoy that crime and mystery to figure out.

I didnt think the characters had the heart that I could get behind.

This is a story that I struggled with more than I expected to. I liked the setting and the general set up of the story, but the prose was lackluster and unenthusiastic to me.

The description of this book had me intrigued and interested, and unfortunately it just feel short of the mark for me. I struggled through the formatting of the book with the extended chapters, which while I understand was purposeful I just didn’t enjoy.

I’ve read so many great things about this book and I’ll willingly bow out and say it just wasn’t for me.

Do you ever read a book just because it has a setting that appeals to you? Settings are one of the most important things to me in a novel. Whether it is a fictional manor house on the moors of England or a real life city or town populated with real people, it is one of the first things I look at when buying it checking out a book. And if it is a place I have traveled then I’m all in. I have been fortunate enough to visit Savannah, Georgia a few times so this I was immediately drawn to this book.

This book is a history of and love letter to Savannah and it’s many different sides, facets, and dark history. From the slaves who shed their blood, to the present day homeless communities, to the upper-crust elite who would like to forget these either of things exists, Savannah and it’s history comes vitally to life. Add in a murder, a compelling narrative and memorable characters and you can rest assured this provocative story will keep you entertained until the last page.

I love that this book dusts off the shiny perfect veneer that tourists see and shows Savannah and all its flaws. This book reads as both historical fiction and a mystery with some social commentary thrown in. It is a hybrid novel that really works and delivers on all fronts. I have never read George Dawes Green before but wow, he is such a talented writer. One thing I know for sure is that the next time I visit Savannah I will look at it in a completely new and hopefully more well rounded and honest way.

QOTD- What is your favorite setting for a book, real or imagined?
AOTD- I love a New England coastal setting.

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Wow, this book is a gem! Creepy southern vibes, family drama, murder mystery...I could not stop reading. You follow along with a Southern family, from the slightly crazy and usually drunk matriarch, to the youngest son, who went from lawyer to "hobo" as they call him, living in one of Savannah's homeless camps, to the Black granddaughter, who is determined to find a friend who has gone missing after a brutal murder. This will be a perfect fall book, especially for literary fiction lovers and mystery lovers. I loved learning about the history of the "King's soldiers", free Black people, who fought for the British side, and made their own "kingdom" in the swampy Georgia shoreline.