I just received this wonderful email from Connie Goetz at Village Books, and I just had to share:

For those of you who love the staff reviews in the store, you may not know we have them available on our website.  Click here to find out what we are reading and loving.  For example,  Connie recently read Sweetsmoke by David Fuller which was just nominated for an Edgar Allen Poe Award for Best First Novel by An American Author.  Connie wrote:

I enjoy reading historical fiction. I find that a well-written book imparts not only historical information but the atmosphere and climate and attitudes and emotions of a period as well.  Sweetsmoke, the name of a tobacco plantation, and David Fuller’s debut novel, is a beautifully written and well-researched book that I highly recommend to anyone who loves to read.  Sweetsmoke is set during the Civil War and is the story of Cassius, a slave around 30 years old whose owner named him for a character from Shakespeare.  Cassius is an extraordinary human being in spite of all the horrors he has lived through and observed.  The book is not only historical, but is also a mystery and a love story.  Cassius, a skilled carpenter, risks everything to find out who murdered Emoline, a freed slave who had secretly taught him to read and who once saved his life.  His determination and honesty and perseverance and intelligence and loving heart and  bravery are amazing - he is a character you grow to know and respect.  I could not wait to get back to the page;  I needed to find out what happens next and I cared about Cassius a lot!  Your mind and your heart are fully engaged. This is a terrific read.