Black Camelot’s Assassins & Conspirators

In Myers’ sixth series installment, the attempted assassinations of public figures in the United States cause political reverberations.

A sniper nearly takes out presidential candidate Digby Yates in his own hometown of Yates, Tennessee. Although Yates is only wounded, his chief of staff is killed, and the assailant escapes. In New York City, Yates’ socialite sister-in-law, Blaine Andrews, is fatally shot by an assassin, although the real targets were likely the candidate’s wife, Constance “Flower” Yates, and her lover, Tyrone Wheeler. These attacks understandably shake the citizenry, including the dogged but overworked New York City Police Department’s chief of detectives, Teddy Walker, and reporter-turned-author Scoop Montgomery, who witnesses a serious crime tied to the shootings. Meanwhile, billionaire Donald Alexander—one of a trio of wealthy Black businesspeople whom the media has dubbed “the Black Camelots”—debates coming out of retirement. He has a “new media idea,” which is essentially a television network to counter the right-leaning Southern Christian TV. It’s not exactly a secret that Southern Christian TV backs the notably corrupt Yates, whose popularity following the assassination attempt has shown no signs of waning. As in preceding installments, Myers pieces together myriad subplots, including ones featuring the eponymous trio, although the sole female member of the Black Camelots, Sammie Rivers, has little more than a cameo. These subplots, however, are riveting and showcase the wide range of reactions people have when someone tries to kill a political candidate. Those who work in the media, for example, are shown to either staunchly support Yates or hate him because he’s “racist, privileged, and has made a mint from all of his diabolical practices.” The cast is gleefully unpredictable; for example, at various points, a frustrated professional assassin deals with an overly friendly hotel staff, another hitman considers leaving the business, and a powerful individual chooses a shocking new target. With another sequel on the horizon, it surely won’t surprise readers that a few plot threads are left dangling by the end.

A fast-paced thriller that effectively examines the people who shape American politics.