The Confessions of Matthew Strong: A Novel

Allegra Douglass is a name to be reckoned with in her field, more so when she is awarded the Distinguished Chair in Philosophy. Unfortunately, her work examining and tearing down the philosophy of slaveholders has drawn the attention of Matthew Strong, a man bent on resurrecting the antebellum South. When he abducts her, it will be all she can do to survive – and all her community can do to rescue her.

This book has the potential to be a gripping thriller, and at times it rose to the occasion. Allie is an excellent heroine: vulnerable, powerful in a way that doesn’t necessarily help her situation, and cool under pressure. Matthew Strong is a terrifying villain. The book explicitly calls out the racial and sexual inequities that can make Black women’s lives so precarious.

My one complaint was with the pacing. There were several lines of dialogue in a row with no action, followed by long paragraphs of reflection or memory that, while they delved into Allie’s character, did little to advance the plot and slowed down the book. If it had moved a little faster, I would have enjoyed it much more.