whitneydaniell

Goodreads Synopsis

It’s a hot and sticky Sunday in Lafayette, Louisiana, and Glory has settled into her usual after-church routine: meeting gamblers at the local coffee shop where she works as a small-time bookie. Sitting at her corner table, Glory learns that her best friend—a beloved nun in the community—has been found dead in her apartment.

When police declare the mysterious death a suicide, Glory is convinced there’s more to the story. With her reluctant daughter (who has her own troubles) in tow, she launches a shadow investigation through a town full of oil tycoons, church gossips, and a rumored voodoo priestess.

As a Black woman of a certain age who grew up in segregated Louisiana, Glory is used to being minimized and overlooked. But she’s determined to make her presence known as the case leads her deep into a web of intrigue she never realized Lafayette could harbor. Danielle Arceneaux’s riveting debut introduces an unforgettable character sure to charm and delight crime fans everywhere—and leave them hungry for Glory’s next adventure.

Character Summary

Glory Broussard is a recent divorcée and semi-retired bookie who is, frankly, a full-on “Karen”—the kind who probably voted for Trump because of his immigration stance. Despite faithfully attending Sunday Mass, her religion doesn’t seem to translate into kindness or compassion in the world.

Delphine Broussard is Glory’s only adult daughter. Much like many African-American mother-daughter relationships, theirs is strained. Delphine went to college in New York, married a white man named Chad, and became a lawyer. Yet for all her accomplishments, her decision-making skills are poor.

Noah Singleton owns CC’s Coffee House, where Glory enjoys her Sunday after-church coffee and meets her “clients.” A retired Marine, he offers employment at the coffee shop to people recently released from prison—much to Glory’s disapproval.

Lieutenant Beau Landry… Chile, he’s just there.

My Thoughts

I picked up Glory Be because of Shawnerly over at She’s Reading Now. She recently finished the second book in the series, and from her review, I was intrigued. It didn’t hurt that the author is a Black woman!

I really wanted to like Glory—but I think there’s a generational gap between us, and she just didn’t come around for me. She’s judgmental and rude, and I was particularly disturbed by her desire to harm animals—especially the black cat (which she does eventually warm up to) and the roosters. You know what they say about people who hurt animals…

Glory felt pretty certain that this heathen knew nothing about godliness but placed her bag on the floor anyway. At the very least, she could see that this pagan was trying to be hospitable.

From the moment we meet her, she’s ready to throw a fit over a young woman at the coffee shop and makes immediate, disparaging remarks about Noah’s new hire, Gus, without even knowing him. Glory fits the mold of a classic “church boomer”—quick to judge others for sinning while ignoring her own.

Glory reached inside of her purse, pulled out the [stolen] mug, and pushed it across the table. “Here. Keep your damn ticky tacky.”

She isn’t kind, and I honestly didn’t want to root for her. I wanted that rumored curse to take her house and her car and force her to move to New York with her daughter—where maybe, just maybe, they’d be forced to work through their issues.

Sure, there were a few moments where Glory showed some decency—like when she placed flowers at the cemetery—but beyond that, her redeeming qualities are hard to find.

She [Glory] felt nothing but profound sadness for these women. She hoped they would find the Lord and redemption, but she mostly hoped that these women would not be cursed with a yeast infection from the too-tight unitards. She hoped that one day they would get some sense and love themselves.

When her best friend, Sister Amity Gay, is found dead and the police immediately rule it a suicide (despite Catholic teachings on the subject), Glory and Delphine take the investigation into their own hands. And this duo, unlikely as it seems, ends up walking into some real danger.

Speaking of Delphine, she is back in Louisiana for Sister Amity’s funeral but ends up sticking around. She’s on a leave of absence from work due to her questionable decision-making. Her husband’s whiteness and wealth are mentioned, though these details don’t add much to the story beyond giving us more insight into Glory’s inner monologue—which is often petty, judgmental, and, honestly, mean. As for Delphine’s taste in men… well, maybe that’s something she and her therapist can unpack.

But Glory never liked the way she [Delphine] pined over him [Chad], and she certainly knew what Chad’s white family thought of her.

Other subplots include sibling rivalry between Glory and her sister, Shirley (to quote Michelle Obama: “When they go low, Glory goes to hell”), Gus’s backstory, and the ever-present church ladies in red hats offering just as much judgment as Glory. There’s also a mysterious thread involving Father Romero, who received a million-dollar grant to… do something. It’s mentioned more than once, but the purpose stays vague.

All in all, the side plots help sustain the story and keep it engaging for a few hours but, doesn’t make a long-lasting impression.

Final Verdict

Glory Be is a decent travel or book club read. I wouldn’t reach for it again, and there’s nothing especially memorable I’ll carry with me now that I’m done. It’s solidly middle-of-the-road. Good enough to hold your attention during a layover, but not compelling enough to keep you reading once you’ve reached your destination.