“Baby Blue” isn’t your ordinary run-of-the-mill mystery novel.

“It’s not a mystery about who did it, but rather it’s about the why of it,” author Lloyd Albritton said about his first book.

Albritton, of Atmore, will be holding a book signing for his book tomorrow night at the High Horse Gallery in downtown Greenville from 5-7.

“Baby Blue,” a fictional story, takes place in Nokomis, Fla., a small farm and timber community where Albritton grew up. Nokomis is located just across the Alabama boarder, just south of Atmore.

The story opens in 1951, where a young white man is shot by an old black man on a horse, and is about the fallout of why the shooter murdered the character, whom the book is named after.

Albritton said the sheriff, who knows nothing about investigating a murder heads the investigation, adding that the sheriff stumbles upon a scandal with secrets entwined.

Albritton said his book also unfolds a powerful story that addresses racial topics, and that it’s not a romantic novel.

“I believe it is well written,” he said. “Almost everyone who has read it said it was. I’m looking forward to the signing Thursday.”

It took Albritton, who’s been writing since childhood, a year and a half to write the novel. He said he did a lot of research to write the novel, which covers a time period from 1913-1951.

“All of my life I’ve loved to write and express myself,” he said. “I’ve always known a lot of characters. Growing up in the 50s, a lot of the adults were World War II vets. A lot of them suffered from (post traumatic stress disorder), but it wasn’t called that back then.”
Albritton said Nokomis is a community made up of winding dirt roads and of course, lots of characters.

“My father told me stories about people there,” he said. “It was like the old west in the 30s when he was growing up — people carried guns and knives.”

Albritton said storytellers surrounded him.

“I’ve never written a novel,” he said. “I had a story in my head and I wanted to tell it.”

The author said his novel ends with a bang.

“It’s very powerful; a little bit of a tragedy,” he said.

Along with the book signing, there will be a wine tasting with Perdido Vineyards of Alabama, providing samples. There will also be non-alcoholic grape beverages, flavored vinegars and hot sauces.

The book signing and wine tasting is a part of a literary trail that highlights current writers in Alabama.