In 1970s Mississippi, a Black detective and his temporary partner are assigned to a case that shifts from murder to paranormal conspiracy with life-altering repercussions.
With shades of The X-Files and S. A. Cosby, There Used to Be People Here deftly explores race, queerness, and existing as other in a society that demonizes everything different.
Kennedy Cole is a speculative author born and raised in North Carolina. Her debut horror novel, THERE USED TO BE PEOPLE HERE, will be published with Berkley at Penguin Random House in November 2026.