Author Caroline Cleveland to Make a Bookstore Stop in Spartanburg

On the literary radar of Spartanburg, South Carolina, a buzzing event is set to make an impression. Caroline Cleveland, a distinguished labor and employment lawyer hailing from Charleston, has set her sights on a visit to the Hub City Bookshop in Spartanburg. The essence of her visit is to prop up the release of her premiere novel, “When Cicadas Cry”.

The Author’s Career

Centered around a ten-year-old idea, Cleveland has breathed enigmatic characters and gripping plots into her debut novel. Her narrative revolves around South Carolina lawyer Zach Strander and Addie Stone, his detective partner and love interest. The story highlights two distinct but seemingly interconnected homicide cases. A slice of the tale is set in 2017, while the other occurred 34 years earlier.

Within the book, Strander finds himself representing Sam Jenkins, a man locked in the accusation of brutally killing a white woman with an altar cross at a rural church on Cicada Road, Walterboro. Meanwhile, Stone dives deep into a cold case from 1983, a double homicide mystery on Edisto Beach. Throughout the progression of the book, the two cases, Strander’s and Stone’s, appear intertwined, leading them into a labyrinth of surprising revelations.

The Backstory

“This book started in my head maybe a decade ago,” shared Cleveland. “I had the idea that a young lawyer would be working on a case oblivious that it might be linked to a past, older than he was. I wasn’t sure at first about the gender of the lawyer, so I decided to create co-protagonists. They are partners in every way. Their professional involvement blossomed into a romance.”

The Narrative Approach

“As I was writing this book, I was contemplating ways to make the old murder appear fresh to the readers, and how I was going to utilize my fairly young main characters to narrate a story that happened before their time,” revealed Cleveland. Striking a balance in the narration, she judiciously used the voices of Strander, Stone, and also let the killer convey details of the cold case to readers through anonymous sidebars.

Meet and Greet Session

Caroline Cleveland is scheduled to offer a reading from “When Cicadas Cry” and sign copies of the novel. The event will occur on Sept. 12 from 6-7 p.m. at the Hub City Bookshop in Spartanburg.

With her visit to Spartanburg, Cleveland is adding another feather to her cap, continuing to inspire and entertain her readers with her stories. Her novel proves to be a thrilling read, amalgamating her professional experiences with her creative imagination, offering intrigue and suspense to every reader. Fans, readers, and fellow writers are eagerly looking forward to her arriving in Spartanburg and sharing insights into her riveting book, “When Cicadas Cry”.