The Bottom Line: A must-read small town crime thriller that will please new and old fans.
Black Yéʼii opens in Waukesha, Wisconsin, as Carmen Benevides finds three terrifying strangers on her doorstep. The trio is searching for her teenage son, Angel, and they won’t take no for an answer. Minutes later, Angel receives a text message from his mother’s phone: I need you to come home right away. It’s urgent. Angel knows those aren’t his mother’s words, and more importantly, that she may already be dead
Not long after receiving a warning text from Angel, and finding a gruesome crime scene, local detective O’Connor calls Waukesha Chief of Detectives James Graff with a devastating declaration: the international gang MS-13 has returned to town.
Lewis, who is comparable due to his trademark blend of action and family drama, first introduced the world-weary Graff in his stunning 2018 crime thriller Caught in a Web, which depicted the harsh realities of gang violence and its impact on local communities. Graff resurfaced in Lewis’ follow-up Spiral Into Darkness, in which he assisted the FBI in pursuit of a serial killer. This time, Graff knows his team is the only thing standing between MS-13 and more bloodshed.
Two years prior, the local police and a group of boys conspired to keep the shooting of four MS-13 members a secret. Graff knows any of them are likely targets, but none more so than high school track star George Tokay, who is at his family’s remote lake house. Unlike O’Connor, George hasn’t received Angel’s warning – and is completely oblivious to the fact that his life is in danger.
The word Yéʼii refers to Navajo spiritual deities, and Black Yéʼii is discussed as The Evil One. Lewis delves into George’s experiences in the Navajo Nation of Northeastern Arizona, as well as the concept that there is some greater force at work. A shared belief system handed down from generation to generation – and the tranquility experienced by multiple characters in place of natural beauty – casts an effective spell over what is an otherwise action-packed work of suspense. The effect is aided by religious ritual and spooky premonitions.
Throughout, Lewis perfectly captures teenagers’ ability to confront danger while simultaneously thinking they are invincible. In a telling scene, the boys decide they need to sight in their rifles and handguns – not only because they “might become the hunted,” but also because hunting season is approaching. In a world filled with military-style rifles, boys in the woods engaged in target practice with civilian hunting equipment is almost charming. But be warned: just because most of Lewis’ characters are sympathetic doesn’t mean every member of the local 4-H club is to be trusted.
While the novel works as a stand alone for newcomers, Lewis delivers numerous easter eggs for longtime fans. In particular, readers of Lewis’ novel Fan Mail will recognize multiple characters as well as a relevant event that rocked the community. But the fun doesn’t end there. Like a budding franchise, Lewis has managed to create connective tissue among numerous books in his catalog while still unveiling new wonders.
