De'Shawn Charles Winslow's DECENT PEOPLE has had a cascade of fantastic media attention. The book received a rave review from The Washington Post, where reviewer Ron Charles praises Winslow as a “talented young author,” adding: “Watching Winslow subvert the conventions of an old literary form is half the thrill of this novel. After all, the shelf of mystery detectives is hardly crowded with 60-year-old Black women. And that’s not the only cozy convention Winslow toys with…The larger social context that Winslow explores is what moves this story beyond one crime into a reflection on the myriad unacknowledged crimes committed across decades.” A review from Joseph P. Williams Jr. for the Minneapolis Star Tribune calls the book “an entertaining, relatable story, and Winslow an engaging storyteller,” while a review from Leah Tyler for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution calls the book “an introspective and big-hearted examination of small-town Southern life,” adding: “On the surface DECENT PEOPLE is a cozy, homespun mystery…But Winslow has tucked a sophisticated story full of entwined relationships and crackling social commentary inside this small-town tale.” Meanwhile a review from “Bookworm Sez” Terri Schlichenmeyer, which ran in dozens of regional papers around the country, raves: “And that’s also where the fun lies: watching the small-town mechanics unfold with a bit of dark humor kind of almost makes you wish the book wasn’t going to end. Running out of pages in DECENT PEOPLE and having to leave West Mills feels like a letdown after immersing yourself in this wonderful small world.” Winslow was interviewed by Diane Marie Brown for Bomb magazine, who writes: “Many writers have bemoaned the dreaded sophomore novel, and with good reason. For a first book, typically there’s no external pressure or expectations…Imagine those expectations when the author’s first novel is universally loved and celebrated, such as the case with De’Shawn Charles Winslow, whose book IN WEST MILLS won the Center for Fiction’s First Novel Prize in 2019. With his newest book DECENT PEOPLE (Bloomsbury), not only did Winslow expand into new territory, giving readers a murder-mystery, he also blessed his fans with a return to the fictional small town of West Mills and brings back a few beloved characters from his debut.” Lastly, the book was featured on the New York Post’s list of best new releases of this week. Bloomsbury Publishing published DECENT PEOPLE on January 17, 2023.