He is driving carefully along the rain-slicked mountainous road when he notices a disabled truck by the side of the road. Though tempted to ignore the two men standing forlornly by the truck, he decides the least he can do is to stop and offer to call roadside assistance for them. As he exits his car, the two men accost him, shooting him in the leg as he tries to escape. He manages to elude his pursuers briefly, but they eventually recapture him, killing him by strangulation.

Wilson Bledsoe's brother, Sterling, an FBI agent is determined to track down his brother's killers even though his bureau superior would rather not have him involved in so personal a case. The local police, because of a racial epithet carved into Wilson's chest, believe the crime is a manifestation of racial hatred and immediately seek out the local agitators in a white supremacist organization.

Though the evidence supports the agitators' innocence, the cops have little interest in looking elsewhere for the perpetrators. Sterling thinks the clues point to a much more sophisticated criminal mind, and vows to be relentless in brining his brother's killers to justice.

The Blackbird Papers is a plot driven novel which poses a reasonably interesting mystery. Readers will quickly agree with Sterling that the murder is more complex than a racially motivated crime. First time novelist Smith has asked his audience to believe in some less than plausible situations which are necessary to maintain the story line.

The premise that Wilson's wife, who has begged off attending the reception because she is ill, is be happily at home preparing her husband's favorite meal is hardly likely. Most ailing wives would encourage their husbands to eat more hors d'oeuvres at the reception, or stop at a fast food place on the way home and give them some recuperation time.

In another instance, Sterling contends that a person will generally hold an important object in their dominant hand, and open a door with the other because it doesn't require fine motor skill. I would contend just the opposite. Holding something just requires strength, turning a knob requires coordination. Therefore his assumption of dominant hand may, in fact, be the reverse.

There are clearly some scenes which are overly melodramatic. This does little to enhance the excitement of the tale. Sterling's significant other, Veronica, has been warned by him to keep a low profile - to the extent of staying in a hotel of dubious repute, with no communication to the outside world. He gives her no reason for this maneuver, except to indicate it is for her safety. She tearfully tries to put on a brave front while he explains that his FBI colleagues will go after him as readily as they would a known killer. Within a few pages, Sterling is then being pursued by the FBI, big business interests and possibly environmentalists.

In the advance copy, an important character is variously referred to as Norton or Norkin. As the cast of characters is rather lengthy, this problem only adds to the confusion. In another scene, commuters are hurrying to their gaits to catch their trains. Do they walk, trot or canter?

Though the main protagonist is black, race does not dominate the plot of The Blackbird Papers. Ultimately, Sterling relies on his competent mind and innate talents to solve the story’s mystery.

--REVIEWER NAME