The Fervent Whites

Guilt, shame, and suspicion swirl as a small community in upstate New York turns on itself in this moody, propulsive thriller, from the award-winning writer of In West Mills

The year is 1982 and the people of Fervent-on-Hudson have begun to move on from a local double homicide that upended the once-quiet town. But when their former neighbors, James and Ella White, are proven innocent of the murders, released from prison, and sent back to Fervent, some people have cause for concern.

Sylvia Upshaw and her best friend, Lafayette “Fate” Jolly, are uneasy about the Whites’ return. While the Whites were incarcerated, Sylvia revealed an explosive secret to the Whites’ adopted son, Morgan, and during their trial, Fate’s testimony hindered their case. James and Ella won’t let the betrayal go unpunished. Sylvia and Fate quickly become victims of harassment from the Whites, and when another murder is committed on Fervent, the town is left to fend for themselves.

Intimate and chilling, The Fervent Whites examines how small communities with long-simmering tensions can be pushed to the limits of civility.