Rich Milford is dead. And honestly? Nobody seems particularly heartbroken about it. Set in 1920s Oklahoma, just outside Tulsa and in the aftermath of the 1921 massacre, this short, genre-bending novel follows the death of Rich Milford, an infamous moonshiner, womanizer, and wealthy businessman with four wives: Lally, Sophronia, Georgette, and Vivianne. Each woman has her own history, relationship with Rich, and very good reason to want him dead. As their stories unfold, we get competing versions of what happened and eventually five different accounts of Rich’s death.
I enjoyed this book so much more than I anticipated. I went into it expecting a literary fiction and wasn’t totally sure what to make of it at first, but once I settled into the way the story was being told, I was completely on board. I especially loved the different voices of the women. Each POV gives you a different look at their wants, dreams, hopes, frustrations, and relationships with Rich, and I loved how much the story changes depending on whose version you’re hearing. And then there’s the POV of the town itself, in a chorus like telling, which took me a minute to fully appreciate but ended up being one of my favorite parts.
The mystery is basically baked into everything. Rather than simply giving us a traditional “who killed him?” story, Thompson-Spires plays with the idea of truth and how differently people can experience and remember the exact same events. The result is funny, strange, smart, and genuinely unique. I also really loved the setting and the way the novel explores the cultural and historical realities of an African American community in Oklahoma during this period, including the aftermath of the Tulsa Race Massacre, Prohibition, and the pressures shaping the town and its people.
I finished this one thinking it was a solid 4 stars, but now that I’ve had a little time to sit with it, I’m bumping it to a 4.5 and maybe even a future 5-star. It’s short, but it doesn’t feel like a difficult read. The writing flows really well once you get into its rhythm, and there’s so much packed into those 176 pages. This is such a strong debut, and I’m already adding Thompson-Spires future books to my TBR. If you like literary fiction with a mystery, strong character voices, historical fiction, or books that do something a little different, I highly recommend giving this one a try.
AMAZON | GOODREADS | BOOKSHOP | ★★★★.5
The Four Wives and Five Deaths of Richard Milford by Nafissa Thompson-Spires | Goodreads comes out October 6, 2026. Huge thank you to Scribner for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest opinion. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my instagram @speakingof.books.
