instagram pinterest linkedin facebook twitter goodreads facebook circle twitter circle linkedin circle instagram circle goodreads circle pinterest circle

The White League

The Kindle edition and the Thomas & Mercer paperback reprint of The White League are now available on Amazon's Thomas Zigal page.

Texas Monthly published the first chapter of The White League in its online site.

The ABA's BookSense chose The White League as a Notable selection for March 2005, and the Independent Mystery Booksellers Association's Killer Books chose it as a Pick for February 2005.

The White League was selected as the winner of the 2005 Violet Crown Award in fiction. The award is given annually by the Writers League of Texas.

"A gripping novel of racism, justice denied, retribution and redemption in the upper-class environs of New Orleans circa 1990. . . . There's plenty of New Orleans lore . . . in this solidly written, adroitly plotted and satisfyingly ethics-driven tale."

-- Publishers Weekly


"Thomas Zigal's new novel, The White League, is a remarkable achievement, a compelling narrative that weaves a number of stories into a rich, complex tapestry that reveals the dark, fuming underbelly of New Orleans -- from rich people to poor folks, from black to white, and the corrupt politicians surfing on the anger and despair. All of the characters are crisply drawn, all the stories resolved by the terrific ending. This is a marvelous read."

-- James Crumley, author of The Last Good Kiss


"Zigal presents a taut thriller that will keep readers guessing as he probes the moral dilemmas at the heart of both New Orleans' checkered past and Paul's contradictory character. This is a page-turner with a conscience, and it leaves some heady questions in its path."

-- Booklist


"The White League is a rare and wonderful read. I haven't been so utterly gripped from the first page of a book since I read Scott Turow's Presumed Innocent over 15 years ago. With the claustrophobic, richly textured atmosphere of secretive old New Orleans as its setting, this novel explores the mysterious Chang and Eng of good and evil with a complexity of characterization and tautness of plotting that is simply brilliant. In this plum-scary, thoughtful, provocative, deeply moral book, evil is like a pure Southern legacy: it is just too easy for your own good. Think of The Moviegoer meets A Hall of Mirrors."

-- Chuck Kinder, author of Honeymooners and Last Mountain Dancer


"Literate thriller examining the roots of racism in New Orleans. . . . A simmering stew that differs from James Lee Burke's gumbo in that it is told from the top down. . . . Deliciously complicated."

-- Kirkus Reviews


"The White League isn't just an enormously entertaining read, it's deeply steeped in [the New Orleans] history of race and class. It's a mystery novel, for sure, but a mystery novel by a guy who never seems to have abandoned his ambition to write the Great American Novel."

-- Austin American-Statesman


"Mr. Zigal . . . has written a whip-smart novel with a vivid sense of place and a finely detailed gallery of characters. The White League is a crime novel of sorts, but it transcends the confines of genre fiction while maintaining the narrative thrust of a classic detective story."

-- Dallas Morning News


"The blend of historical background with edgy characters and subplots creates a rich and satisfying brew."

-- Texas Monthly