Dead Dead Girls

Dead Dead Girls
Author: Nekesa Afia
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 337
Release: 2021-06-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0593199111

“In this terrific series opener, Afia evokes the women’s lives in all their wayward and beautiful glory, especially the abruptness with which their dreams, hopes and fears cease to exist.”--The New York Times The start of an exciting new historical mystery series set during the Harlem Renaissance from debut author Nekesa Afia Harlem, 1926. Young Black women like Louise Lloyd are ending up dead. Following a harrowing kidnapping ordeal when she was in her teens, Louise is doing everything she can to maintain a normal life. She’s succeeding, too. She spends her days working at Maggie’s Café and her nights at the Zodiac, Harlem’s hottest speakeasy. Louise’s friends, especially her girlfriend, Rosa Maria Moreno, might say she’s running from her past and the notoriety that still stalks her, but don’t tell her that. When a girl turns up dead in front of the café, Louise is forced to confront something she’s been trying to ignore—two other local Black girls have been murdered in the past few weeks. After an altercation with a police officer gets her arrested, Louise is given an ultimatum: She can either help solve the case or wind up in a jail cell. Louise has no choice but to investigate and soon finds herself toe-to-toe with a murderous mastermind hell-bent on taking more lives, maybe even her own....

Fortune Favors the Dead

Fortune Favors the Dead
Author: Stephen Spotswood
Publisher: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard
Total Pages: 302
Release: 2020-10-27
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0385546564

A wildly charming and fast-paced mystery written with all the panache of the hardboiled classics, Fortune Favors the Dead introduces Pentecost and Parker, an audacious new detective duo for the ages. “Razor-sharp style, tons of flair, a snappy sense of humor, and all the most satisfying elements of a really good noir novel, plus plenty of original twists of its own.”—Tana French, bestselling author of The Searcher It's 1942 and Willowjean "Will" Parker is a scrappy circus runaway whose knife-throwing skills have just saved the life of New York's best, and most unorthodox, private investigator, Lillian Pentecost. When the dapper detective summons Will a few days later, she doesn't expect to be offered a life-changing proposition: Lillian's multiple sclerosis means she can't keep up with her old case load alone, so she wants to hire Will to be her right-hand woman. In return, Will is to receive a salary, room and board, and training in Lillian's very particular art of investigation. Three years later, Will and Lillian are on the Collins case: Abigail Collins was found bludgeoned to death with a crystal ball following a big, boozy Halloween party at her home—her body slumped in the same chair where her steel magnate husband shot himself the year before. With rumors flying that Abigail was bumped off by the vengeful spirit of her husband (who else could have gotten inside the locked room?), the family has tasked the detectives with finding answers where the police have failed. But that's easier said than done in a case that involves messages from the dead, a seductive spiritualist, and Becca Collins—the beautiful daughter of the deceased, who Will quickly starts falling for. When Will and Becca's relationship dances beyond the professional, Will finds herself in dangerous territory, and discovers she may have become the murderer's next target.

Killer Content

Killer Content
Author: Olivia Blacke
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 306
Release: 2021-02-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0593197887

It's murder most viral in this debut mystery by Olivia Blacke. Bayou transplant Odessa Dean has a lot to learn about life in Brooklyn. So far she's scored a rent free apartment in one of the nicest neighborhoods around by cat-sitting, and has a new job working at Untapped Books & Café. Hand-selling books and craft beers is easy for Odessa, but making new friends and learning how to ride the subway? Well, that might take her a little extra time. But things turn more sour than an IPA when the death of a fellow waitress goes viral, caught on camera in the background of a couple's flash-mob proposal video. Nothing about Bethany's death feels right to Odessa--neither her sudden departure mid-shift nor the clues that only Odessa seems to catch. As an up-and-coming YouTube star, Bethany had more than one viewer waiting for her to fall from grace. Determined to prove there's a killer on the loose, Odessa takes matters into her own hands. But can she pin down Bethany's killer before they take Odessa offline for good?

Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines

Mimi Lee Reads Between the Lines
Author: Jennifer J. Chow
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 320
Release: 2020-11-10
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1984805029

When a local teacher is found dead, LA’s newest pet groomer Mimi Lee finds herself in a pawful predicament—with her younger sister’s livelihood on the line. Mimi Lee is on top of the world. She has a thriving pet grooming business, the sweetest boyfriend, and a talking cat to boot. When she arrives at the elementary school where her sister Alice works, she's expecting a fun girls' night out—but instead finds a teacher slumped over in her car, dead. Alice was the last one to see Helen Reed, which instantly marks her as the prime suspect. Unable to sit quietly and let the authorities walk all over her sister, Mimi starts snooping and talks to Helen’s closest contacts, including one jumpy principal, a two-faced fiancé, and three sketchy teachers. With the help of her sassy but savvy cat, Marshmallow, and a cute kitten named Nimbus, the clock’s ticking for Mimi to get to the bottom of yet another case before her sister gets schooled.

Writing Mysteries

Writing Mysteries
Author: Sue Grafton
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 321
Release: 2002-04-22
Genre: Language Arts & Disciplines
ISBN: 1582971021

Here's your ticket to the greatest mystery-writing workshop ever! In this extraordinary compilation, more than three dozen members of the Mystery Writers of America share insights and advice that can help make your writing dreams a reality. You'll learn how to: • Develop unique ideas • Construct an airtight plot packed with intrigue and suspense • Create compelling characters and atmospheric settings • Develop a writing style all your own • Write convincing dialogue • Choose the appropriate point of view • Work with an agent • Conduct accurate research • and much, much more! You'll also find special guidelines for creating clues, dropping red herrings, and writing medical, legal, historical, true crime, and young adult mysteries. It's all the information you need to solve the mystery-writing riddle!

Point of Origin

Point of Origin
Author: Patricia Cornwell
Publisher: Penguin
Total Pages: 432
Release: 1999-08-01
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1101207345

The clues to a series of remorseless killings go up in smoke—and only Kay Scarpetta can find them in this #1 New York Times bestseller from Patricia Cornwell. “Sears its way into the psyche…Ablaze with Cornwell’s finest, scariest writing.”—Atlanta Journal Constitution The devastating fire tore through the horse farm, destroying everything it touched. Picking through the wreckage, Dr. Kay Scarpetta uncovers human remains—the work of an audacious and wily killer who uses fire to mask his brutal murders. And when Scarpetta learns that her old nemesis, Carrie Grethen, has escaped from a hospital for the criminally insane and is somehow involved, the investigation becomes personal. Tragedy strikes close to home. And Scarpetta must match Grethen’s every move with one of her own to douse the inferno of evil that threatens everyone around her... Includes an Introduction by the Author

A Game of Cones

A Game of Cones
Author: Abby Collette
Publisher: National Geographic Books
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2021-03-02
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0593099680

In this charming mystery series set in an ice cream shop, no case is too cold to crack! Bronwyn Crewse is delighted that Crewse Creamery, the ice cream shop her family has owned for decades, is restored to its former glory and serving sweet frozen treats to happy customers in the picturesque small town of Chagrin Falls, Ohio. But when a big city developer comes to town intent on building a mall, a killer with a frozen heart takes him out. After literally stumbling across the body, one of Win’s closest friends becomes the prime suspect, and to make things worse, Win’s aunt has come to town with the intention of taking command of Crewse Creamery. Even though Win has a rocky road ahead to help her friend and keep her ice cream shop, it'll take more than a sprinkle of murder to stop her from solving the crime and saving the day.

Rhode Island Red

Rhode Island Red
Author: Charlotte Carter
Publisher: Hachette UK
Total Pages: 176
Release: 2022-07-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1399803891

**A New York Times Best Mystery Novel of the Year** 'This year's most original fictional detective - a sassy, black intellectual and saxophonist who is plunged into mayhem when an undercover cop gets killed in her apartment' Good Housekeeping on Rhode Island Red The first book in the Nanette Hayes series introduces us to New Yorker and jazz-loving street musician Nanette, whose love life leads her into some very hot water. Nanette's day is not off to a good start. Her on-again, off-again relationship with Walter is off. . . again, and when she offers a fellow busker a place to stay for the night he ends up murdered on her kitchen floor. To make matters worse, the busker turns out to have been an undercover cop. And his former partner has taken an immediate and extreme dislike to Nanette. When she finds that the dead man stashed a wad of cash in her apartment, cash that could go to help his blind girlfriend, Nanette's desire to do the right thing lands her in trouble. Soon she's on the hunt for a legendary saxophone worth its weight in gold. But there are plenty of people who would kill for the priceless instrument, and Nanette's new beau just might be one of them. Originally published in the 1990s, this stylish piece of noir is an original and page-turning read starring an unforgettable heroine. PRAISE FOR THE NANETTE HAYES MYSTERIES: 'The sweet, clear sound of Nanette's musical voice keeps us on her corner, tossing all the change we've got' The New York Times on Rhode Island Red 'This Grace Jones lookalike with a degree in French is a splendid creation' Sunday Telegraph 'A terrific novel, from those witty, subversive opening sentences, to the edgy, melancholy and very satisfying ending' Margo Jefferson, author of Negroland

The Whites

The Whites
Author: Harry Brandt
Publisher: Macmillan
Total Pages: 350
Release: 2015-02-17
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 0805093990

A slashing in Penn Station draws a Manhattan detective back into a case from the past that haunts him.

Below the Fold

Below the Fold
Author: R. G. Belsky
Publisher: Oceanview Publishing
Total Pages: 368
Release: 2019-05-07
Genre: Fiction
ISBN: 1608093255

Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award Gold Winner for Mystery When the murder of a "nobody" triggers an avalanche Every human life is supposed to be important. Everyone should matter. But that's not the case in the cutthroat TV news-rating world where Clare Carlson works. Sex, money, and power sell. Only murder victims of the right social strata are considered worth covering. Not the murder of a "nobody." So, when the battered body of a homeless woman named Dora Gayle is found on the streets of New York City, her murder barely gets a mention in the media. But Clare—a TV news director who still has a reporter's instincts—decides to dig deeper into the seemingly meaningless death. She uncovers mysterious links between Gayle and a number of wealthy and influential figures. There is a prominent female defense attorney; a scandal-ridden ex-congressman; a decorated NYPD detective; and—most shocking of all—a wealthy media mogul who owns the TV station where Clare works. Soon there are more murders, more victims, more questions. As the bodies pile up, Clare realizes that her job, her career, and maybe even her life are at stake as she chases after her biggest story ever. Perfect for fans of Harlan Coben and Robert Crais While all of the novels in the Clare Carlson Mystery Series stand on their own and can be read in any order, the publication sequence is: Yesterday's News Below the Fold The Last Scoop Beyond the Headlines It's News to Me (coming in 2022)