There Used to Be People Here
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There Used to Be People Here

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  • AuthorKennedy Cole
  • PublisherBerkley
  • Pages368
  • ISBN9798217187119

About this book

In 1970s Mississippi, a Black detective and his temporary partner are assigned to a case that shifts from murder to paranormal conspiracy with life-altering repercussions.

Wenton, Mississippi: A man enters the bathroom of a local gay bar and doesn't come back out. Instead he's found cold, on the floor, and facing the wall. And no one seems to know how this happened.

Samuel Barkley is Wenton's only Black detective. Assigned to the case, Samuel's one goal is to keep his head down with eyes on moving up in the police ranks. But it's not easy with Harvey, a new, temporary partner who Samuel can't seem to like...or hate. Nor with the cold, questioning eyes and fake smiles from those in town. Persistent. Judging. Wrong. Samuel is reaching his breaking point.

As his investigation leads him to a curious plane crash cover-up, Samuel's placid existence is turned on its head. Because what crashed in Wenton isn't a plane. There are others here. They like it here. And if Samuel can't stop them, they will find a way to stay.

With shades of The X-Files and S. A. Cosby, There Used to Be People Here deftly explores race, queerness, and existing as other in a society that demonizes everything different.

Author: Kennedy Cole
Publisher: Berkley
Published: 2026-11-03
Pages: 368
ISBN: 9798217187119

Praise for this book

As with the best of sf stories, Cole's absorbing paranormal thriller uses an otherworldly event to shine a light on very real perils in our society, in this case the insidious poison of prejudice. A truly impressive, deeply moving first outing.
★ Booklist
Dark and tense from the first page, There Used to Be People Here is a fast-paced ride that's brimming with atmosphere. Small-town vibes and otherworldly weirdness create layers of unease. Add a main character who faces one conflict after another, and the result is this highly memorable sci-fi horror story. Kennedy Cole's thrilling debut kept me guessing until the very end.
Del Sandeen , author of These Walls Remember
Cole has created a crackerjack hybrid of horror and whodunit, entertaining and shrewd about race, queerness, and UFOs.
Minnesota Star-Tribune

Quoted in excerpt, with attribution. Follow a source link for the full review.