Chester Hines was an accomplished African American detective fiction writer in the 1940's. He convincingly described the horrors blacks faced during the Jim Crow era. Satell uses Chester Hines' name for his main character that faces obstacles, fears, and horrors in today's urban world. Satell has heard the screams of others his whole life. In this book he gives those who are quietly screaming a voice. Satell takes his characters through the haze with remarkable skill and optimism. Though his craft Hines gave voice to those struggling with both class and race issues at the time in which he lived. Satell has picked up the torch and taken on both these issues in our time.