Just finished reading …

Cahokia Jazz by the excellent Francis Spufford. An alternative version of 1922 where the indigenous peoples of America have not only survived but are determined to flourish politically, religiously, culturally and economically. This requires some fast footwork in a world where white guys are constantly seeking to expand at the cost of the rest, and dirty deeds are part of the playbook. Enter two cops and one one white body whose ritual murder has been designed solely to stir up racial hatred and give the Klu Klux Klan the chance to make war on the streets of the ethnically diverse city of Cahokia. It’s a cross between Raymond Chandler and Philip K Dick on crystal meth, with constant plot twists, high octane action, and beautiful prose. Throw in some wonderful symbolism and a love of jazz and its proponents and you have a great book. Loved every page, great characters, and a sense that there is no alternative reality where human beings get on with each other, just endless dimensions where intolerance and bigotry play out in different ways and with different labels. 

I’ve read two books in five days. It’s called the Hay effect …