Submitted by chathaway on Mon, 02/08/2021 - 11:59
Black History Month Recommended Reading: Adult Mysteries
List curated by Heidi
In honor of Black History Month, we're sharing book recommendations for all ages! This list highlights some of our favorite mysteries by Black authors. Be sure to check out these books, and to read Black authors all year long, not just in February.
Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley
First in a series; Los Angeles, 1948: Easy Rawlins is a black war veteran just fired from his job at a defense plant. Easy is drinking in a friend's bar, wondering how he'll meet his mortgage, when a white man in a linen suit walks in, offering good money if Easy will simply locate Miss Daphne Money, a blonde beauty known to frequent black jazz clubs.
Bluebird Bluebird by Attica Locke
When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules--a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger, knows all too well. He was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could until duty called him home. When his allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels to the small town of Lark, where two murders--a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman--have stirred up a hornet's nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes--and save himself in the process--before Lark's long-simmering racial fault lines erupt.
Dying in the Dark by Valerie Wesley
Haunted by the brutal murder of her childhood friend, Celia Jones, private detective Tamara Hayle agrees to investigate the crime and uncover the killer at the request of Celia's teenage son, but the case becomes complicated by his death.
Rage in Harlem by Chester Himes
For love of fine, wily Imabelle, hapless Jackson surrenders his life savings to a con man who knows the secret of turning ten-dollar bills into hundreds—and then he steals from his boss, only to lose the stolen money at a craps table. Luckily for him, he can turn to his savvy twin brother, Goldy, who earns a living—disguised as a Sister of Mercy—by selling tickets to Heaven in Harlem. With Goldy on his side, Jackson is ready for payback.
Land of Shadows by Rachel Hall
Along the ever-changing border of gentrifying Los Angeles, 17-year-old Monique Darson is found dead at a condo construction site, hanging in the closet of an unfinished unit. Her new partner assumes it's a teenage suicide, but Detective Elouise "Lou" Norton isn't buying it.
Visit the library's online catalog to request a book for HPL to Go (curbside pick-up), or check out our online resources to learn more about ebooks or audiobooks!
