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5.0 out of 5 stars

Thrilling and Engaging

Legacies is an outstanding thriller, mystery, and psychological drama. On one level, it is the story of a rash of serial killings of current and former members of a Chicago street gang and the attempt to find and stop the killer and to uncover the reasons for the murders. The protagonist, Emerson James, is a former gang member who returns to Chicago after a ten year absence, to attend the funeral of his uncle. Emerson is a kind of de facto detective. He wants and needs to find out who’s responsible and why and he knows that he’s in the cross-hairs of both the killer and the police because of his once-prominent role in the gang. At the same time, Emerson wants no part of this or any other aspect of his former life.

On another level, Legacies is a psychological portrait of a young Black man who finds a way to leave his personal legacy of the street life behind and his does this in a most original fashion. He gets a Ph.D. and becomes a professor of sociology, specializing in crime . We see much of the action through Emerson’s learned, and often, very funny lens. You can’t help but be charmed by him and to empathize with his psychological pain. He’s a man divided–by his past life of crime, his keen intelligence, and his desire to live the life of the mind, not just the body. Emerson’s life is coming undone, even before he returns to Chicago. He’s not gotten tenure and is at loose ends professionally.

Emerson James is an altogether complex and fascinating character. He doesn’t really belong anywhere-certainly not in academia and also not in a world of drugs and violence. His inner voice of sanity comes from Richard Pryor, his “inner Richard” who counsels him about what to do, calls him names, and generally tries to anchor Emerson in reality. Emerson lives inside his head which is filled with contradictory values and deeply divided sensibilities. He’s a loner who wants connection and a fighter who wants to hide in the life of the mind. In his desire to stop the murders and heal his own scarred psyche, he continually trips himself up, and he is blind to the source of the danger that surrounds him.

The characters speak in the authentic dialect of the streets which some readers may find off-putting. Most of the characters think only in the terms of a life on the streets– their values and perspectives are genuine expressions of a life on the margins of the larger society. Along the way, we get a history of the rise of street gangs in Chicago which is, simultaneously a history of the rise of poverty in the face of on-going institutional racism.

The central mystery of the book is the identity of the killer. And what a surprise that is. There are clues along the way but the reader’s blindness to them is mirrored by the other characters. There are two narrators–Emerson, who is trying to figure out what’s going on and another, third person, who doesn’t know more than is revealed through the action. And that’s what makes this a great mystery. A warning to readers is that the book contains graphic violence. However, the violence is not gratuitous. It creates a deep sense of menace, which is fitting, since the entire world of the novel is filled with danger.

I was thoroughly engaged in Legacies from start to finish. It is a rich, exciting novel with wonderful characters. You can’t help but love Emerson’s niece, Yes, and be intrigued by Night who is dark and unknowable, yet powerful and honorable.

4.0 out of 5 stars

Action packed and great ending

So first let me say the book was loooong. Some areas were a bit slow but the author didn’t skimp on the character development. Once the action started it was a great ride. The ending was WOW! If you enjoy a plot with action and suspense Legacies by JL Williams will not disappoint. Legacies is a suspenseful-thriller primarily set in Chicago. I lived in Chicago as a teen but I am a Texan through and through now. Nonetheless setting the story in Chicago was a great appeal. The characters came off the page and I felt like I was reading about people I knew growing up.

We are introduced to the main character Emerson James whose world is on a drastic downward spiral. And things only get worse when he has to return to Chicago. I can’t imagine dreading going home especially to Chicago except maybe in the winter but I digress. What in the world happened to this guy that he doesn’t want to go home or feels he shouldn’t go home? Slowly the author teases us with who Emerson used to be and once we get the full picture… well to say anymore would be a spoiler. Chicago has always been known as a gangster’s city and JL Williams brings us up close and personal with a notorious albeit fictional gang with a stronghold on the city. If you don’t know how gangs operate and the how and why of what they do, the author gives us a front seat view.

This book is violent. It surrounds gang activity duh! Also this is a murder mystery…a whodunit. So it isn’t gratuitous violence. There is a reason for everything. Every punch, side look and gunshot has an explanation. The ending was unexpected. I had a few guesses along the way some of which I hoped weren’t true. I was wrong at every turn. I definitely didn’t see “the who” coming.

The language is pretty strong, but the central theme is gangs. Without the cursing, the dialogue wouldn’t ring true. The author uses a dialect for some of the characters which just makes the story feel more realistic.

I am happy I pressed through the somewhat slow chapters, it was definitely worth the read. I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 because of the length.

5.0 out of 5 stars

I thoroughly enjoyed this book

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The way the author described the characters and places made me feel as though I was actually there in Chicago and that I actually knew these people. The book is a little long but I could not put it down. So much suspense that I was so eager to know who, what and why. Legacies is a must read!