1955: Tampa, Florida is a city pulsing with Sicilian and Cuban gangsters, cigar factories, sweet rum, and violence. The death of retired kingpin Charlie Wallthe White Shadowhas shocked the city, sending cops, reporters, and associates scrambling to find those responsible. As the trail winds through
neighborhoods rich and poor, enmeshing the innocent and corrupt alike all the way down to the streets and casinos of Havana, an extraordinary story of revenge, honor, and greed emerges. For Charlie Wall had his secretssecrets that if discovered could destroy a criminal empire and ignite a revolution.
This book succeeds both as a first-rate historical novel and as a superb crime story. It packs the emotional wallop of Dennis Lehanes Mystic River. It is as gritty as James Ellroys L.A. Confidential. And yet, the prose is as lyrical as James Lee Burkes Crusaders Cross. With White Shadow, Atkins has found his true
voice.Associated Press
