[A] talented young author . . . Watching Winslow subvert the conventions of an old literary form is half the thrill of this novel. After all, the shelf of mystery detectives is hardly crowded with 60-year-old Black women. And that's not the only cozy convention Winslow toys with . . . The larger social context that Winslow explores is what moves this story beyond one crime into a reflection on the myriad unacknowledged crimes committed across decades.

Ron Charles, The Washington Post

Propulsive . . . a murder mystery that doubles as a savvy examination of race and class . . . Decent People practically turns its own pages, creating in the reader an insatiable curiosity.

Los Angeles Times

Hard-hitting . . . an intriguing murder puzzle-and a good deal more. Thanks to richly detailed chapters that switch between multiple points of view, readers are drawn into the lives and memories of several West Mills citizens. All have secrets to hide. But [main character] Ms. Wright, like Mr. Winslow, handles everything with grit and style.

Tom Nolan, Wall Street Journal

Decent People is a propulsive novel with rich characters drawn from life in North Carolina, written by a man who knows his state well enough to portray both its struggles and its people's enduring will to resolve them.

Wiley Cash, The Assembly

[An] elegant mystery.

Oprah Daily

If you love murder mysteries, Winslow's second novel is a fresh take on an old form.

New York Public Library Staff Picks 2023