Black History Month Recommends 2023

Dead Dead Girls (A Harlem Renaissance Mystery #1) By Nekesa Afia Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9780593199107
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Published: Berkley - June 1st, 2021

“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 Sunset (A Harlem Renaissance Mystery #2) By Nekesa Afia Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9780593199121
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Published: Berkley - June 28th, 2022

Named a 2022 People Magazine best book of the summer!

A riveting Harlem Renaissance Mystery featuring Louise Lloyd, a young Black woman working in a hot new speakeasy when she gets caught up in a murder that hits too close to home...


Amari and the Night Brothers (Supernatural Investigations #1) By B. B. Alston Cover Image
$11.99
ISBN: 9780062975171
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Published: Balzer + Bray - January 4th, 2022

New York Times bestseller!

Artemis Fowl meets Men in Black in this exhilarating debut middle grade fantasy, the first in a series filled with #blackgirlmagic. Perfect for fans of Tristan Strong Punches a Hole in the Sky, the Percy Jackson series, and Nevermoor.


Two Parts Sugar, One Part Murder: A Delicious and Charming Cozy Mystery (A Baker Street Mystery #1) By Valerie Burns Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9781496738226
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Published: Kensington - August 30th, 2022

“Snappy dialogue, a well-drawn supporting cast and an irresistible canine companion all add delicious flavor. Gulp this book down or savor it, but consuming it will guarantee a sustained sugar high.” –The New York Times Book Review


The Plot Is Murder (Mystery Bookshop #1) By V.M. Burns Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9781496728999
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Published: Kensington - December 29th, 2020

The small town of North Harbor on the shores of Lake Michigan is about to have a new mystery bookshop. But before the first customer can browse, the owner becomes a real-life murder suspect...


Rhode Island Red (A Nanette Hayes Mystery #1) By Charlotte Carter Cover Image
$15.00
ISBN: 9780593314104
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Published: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard - July 27th, 2021

A New York Times Best Crime Novel of the Year The first book in the Nanette Hayes Mystery series introduces us to jazz-loving, street busker Nanette, whose love life leads her into some very hot water.


Coq au Vin (A Nanette Hayes Mystery #2) By Charlotte Carter Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9780593314128
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Published: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard - August 31st, 2021

A New York Times Best Mystery Novel of the Year

In the second installment of the Nanette Hayes Mystery series, Nan is on her way to Paris in search of a missing relative. . . but will she lose more than just her heart in the city of love?


Drumsticks (A Nanette Hayes Mystery #3) By Charlotte Carter Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9780593314142
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Published: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard - September 28th, 2021

A New York Times Best Crime Novel of the Year

In the third book in the Nanette Hayes Mystery series, Nan finds a voodoo doll is bringing her some much needed luck...until the doll's maker is murdered and Nan is dragged into the investigation.


When No One Is Watching: A Thriller By Alyssa Cole Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780062982650
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Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - September 1st, 2020

An instant NEW YORK TIMES and USA TODAY BESTSELLER!

"I was knocked over by the momentum of an intense psychological thriller that doesn’t let go until the final page. This is a terrific read." – Alafair Burke, New York Times bestselling author

*A Marie Claire Book Club Pick* 


A Deadly Inside Scoop (An Ice Cream Parlor Mystery #1) By Abby Collette Cover Image
$16.00
ISBN: 9780593099667
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Published: Berkley - May 12th, 2020

This book kicks off a charming cozy mystery series set in an ice cream shop—with a fabulous cast of quirky characters.


Body and Soul Food (A Books & Biscuits Mystery #1) By Abby Collette Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9780593336175
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Published: Berkley - November 9th, 2021

In this page-turning new mystery series, fraternal twins Keaton and Koby will pull double duty when they take down a killer while preparing to open their new bookstore and soul-food café, Books & Biscuits.


Soul of a Killer (A Books & Biscuits Mystery #2) By Abby Collette Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9780593336205
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Published: Berkley - October 4th, 2022

In this mouthwatering cozy mystery series, fraternal twins Keaton and Koby are trying to run their combined soul food café and bookstore, but they find themselves searching for a cold-hearted killer.


The Spite House: A Novel By Johnny Compton Cover Image
$27.99
ISBN: 9781250841414
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Published: Tor Nightfire - February 7th, 2023

A terrifying Gothic thriller about grief and death and the depths of a father's love, Johnny Compton's The Spite House is a stunning debut by a horror master in the making—The Babadook meets A Head Full of Ghosts in Texas Hill Country.


Blacktop Wasteland: A Novel By S. A. Cosby Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781250252692
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Published: Flatiron Books - June 1st, 2021

A New York Times Notable Books of 2020

Like Ocean’s Eleven meets Drive, with a Southern noir twist, S. A. Cosby’s Blacktop Wasteland is a searing, operatic story of a man pushed to his limits by poverty, race, and his own former life of crime.


My Darkest Prayer: A Novel By S. A. Cosby Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781250867636
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Published: Flatiron Books - December 6th, 2022

Award-winning, New York Times bestselling author S. A. Cosby’s debut novel My Darkest Prayer is republished in a new edition, with a new introduction from the author.


Razorblade Tears: A Novel By S. A. Cosby Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9781250252715
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Published: Flatiron Books - April 5th, 2022

*INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER* One of Barack Obama's Recommended Reads for Summer New York Times Notable Book • NPR’s Best Books of 2021 • Washington Post’s Best Thriller and Mystery Books of the Year • TIME Magazine’s 100 Must-Read Books of 2021 • New York Public Library’s Best Books of the Year • Goodreads Choice Award Nominee • Book


The Blood Trials (The Blood Gift Duology #1) By N. E. Davenport Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9780063058491
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Published: Harper Voyager - January 10th, 2023

Blending fantasy and science fiction, N. E. Davenport’s fast-paced, action-packed debut kicks off a duology of loyalty and rebellion, in which a young Black woman must survive deadly trials in a racist and misogynistic society to become an elite warrior.

It’s all about blood.


The Buried Bones Mystery (Clubhouse Mysteries #1) By Sharon M. Draper, Jesse Joshua Watson (Illustrator) Cover Image
$6.99
ISBN: 9781442427099
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Published: Aladdin - July 12th, 2011

Four boys who call themselves the Black Dinosaurs dig up a mysterious box of bones in this first book of the classic chapter book series by award-winning author Sharon M. Draper.

Ziggy and his friends Rico, Rashawn, and Jerome build a clubhouse in Ziggy’s backyard and decide to bury their secret treasures nearby.


Wings of Ebony By J. Elle Cover Image
By J. Elle
$12.99
ISBN: 9781534470682
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Published: Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books f - March 22nd, 2022

Instant New York Times bestseller!
“A remarkable, breathtaking, earthshaking, poetic thrillride.” —Daniel JoOlder, New York Times bestselling author of Shadowshaper

In this riveting, keenly emotional debut fantasy, a Black teen from Houston has her world upended when she learns about her


Like a Sister By Kellye Garrett Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9780316256773
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Mulholland Books - February 7th, 2023

In this "crackling domestic suspense" filled with "wry humor and deft pacing" (Alyssa Cole), no one bats an eye when a Black reality TV star is found dead—except her estranged half-sister, whose refusal to believe the official story leads her on a dangerous search for the truth.

Edgar Award Finalist for Best Novel
 • Lefty Award


And Now She's Gone: A Novel By Rachel Howzell Hall Cover Image
$8.99
ISBN: 9781250833518
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Forge Books - December 28th, 2021

“Sharp, witty and perfectly paced, And Now She’s Gone is one hell of a read!” —Wendy Walker, bestselling author of The Night Before

Isabel Lincoln is gone.

But is she missing?


We Lie Here: A Thriller By Rachel Howzell Hall Cover Image
$15.95
ISBN: 9781542033695
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Thomas & Mercer - July 12th, 2022

A woman's trip home reveals frightening truths in a twisty novel of murder and family secrets by the New York Times bestselling author of And Now She's Gone and These Toxic Things.


As the Wicked Watch: The First Jordan Manning Novel (Jordan Manning series #1) By Tamron Hall Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780063037045
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Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - August 2nd, 2022

The first in a thrilling new series from Emmy Award-winning TV Host and Journalist Tamron Hall, As The Wicked Watch follows a reporter as she unravels the disturbing mystery around the deaths of two young Black women, the work of a serial killer terrorizing Chicago.


The Other Black Girl: A Novel By Zakiya Dalila Harris Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9781982160142
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Atria Books - June 7th, 2022

A Hulu Original Series Coming Soon

“Riveting, fearless, and vividly original” (Emily St.


A Rage in Harlem (Harlem Detectives #1) By Chester Himes Cover Image
$15.00
ISBN: 9780679720409
Availability: Able to Backorder
Published: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard - December 17th, 1989

A ripping introduction to Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones, patrolling New York City’s roughest streets in Chester Himes’s groundbreaking Harlem Detectives series.
 


The Crazy Kill (Harlem Detectives #3) By Chester Himes Cover Image
$15.00
ISBN: 9780679725725
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard - December 17th, 1989

Love and jealousy erupt into violence in The Crazy Kill, a classic thriller in Chester Himes's trailblazing Harlem Detectives series.
 


Blind Man with a Pistol (Harlem Detectives #8) By Chester Himes Cover Image
$15.00
ISBN: 9780394759982
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard - December 17th, 1989

At once grotesquely comic and unflinchingly violent, Blind Man With a Pistol is the final entry in Chester Himes's trailblazing Harlem Detectives series.
 


The Real Cool Killers (Harlem Detectives #2) By Chester Himes Cover Image
$15.00
ISBN: 9780679720393
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Vintage Crime/Black Lizard - November 28th, 1988

The book that Walter Kirn said was like “Hieronymus Bosch meets Miles Davis" (The New York Times). • Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones get personally involved in a gang dispute in one of the most provocative cases in Chester Himes’s groundbreaking Harlem Detectives series.


August Snow (An August Snow Novel #1) By Stephen Mack Jones Cover Image
$16.95
ISBN: 9781616958688
Availability: Able to Backorder
Published: Soho Crime - January 23rd, 2018

Winner of the Hammett Prize and the Nero Award

From the wealthy suburbs to the remains of Detroit’s bankrupt factory districts, August Snow is a fast-paced tale of murder, greed, sex, economic cyber-terrorism, race and urban decay.


Black Water Rising: A Novel (Jay Porter Series #1) By Attica Locke Cover Image
$14.99
ISBN: 9780061735851
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Amistad - April 20th, 2010

Attica Locke—a writer and producer of FOX’s Empire—delivers an engrossing, complex, and cinematic thriller about crime and racial justice

Los Angeles Times Book Prize Finalist (Mystery/Thriller)
Edgar Award Nominee (Best First Novel)
The Orange Prize for Fiction (Shortlist)


Bluebird, Bluebird (A Highway 59 Novel #1) By Attica Locke Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780316363273
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Mulholland Books - August 28th, 2018

A "heartbreakingly resonant" thriller about the explosive intersection of love, race, and justice from a writer and producer of the Emmy-winning Fox TV show Empire (USA Today).

"In Bluebird, Bluebird Attica Locke had both mastered the thriller and exceeded it."-Ann Patchett


Heaven, My Home (A Highway 59 Novel #2) By Attica Locke Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780316363396
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Mulholland Books - August 25th, 2020

In this "captivating" crime novel (People), Texas Ranger Darren Mathews is on the hunt for a missing child -- but it's the boy's family of white supremacists who are his real target.


Staff Pick Badge
From the Desk of Zoe Washington By Janae Marks Cover Image
$7.99
ISBN: 9780062875860
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Katherine Tegen Books - January 5th, 2021

#1 Kids Indie Next List * Parents Magazine Best Book of the Year * Chicago Public Library Best of the Best Book of the Year * SLJ Best Book of the Year * Kirkus Best Book of the Year * Junior Library Guild Selection * Edgar Award Nominee * Four Starred Reviews * Bank Street Best Children’s Book of the Year A


Mayhem & Mass (A Sister Lou Mystery #1) By Olivia Matthews Cover Image
$7.99
ISBN: 9781496709387
Availability: Special Order
Published: Kensington - November 28th, 2017

A Los Angeles transplant, Sister Louise “Lou” LaSalle feels right at home in Briar Coast, New York. After all, her beloved nephew, Chris, works at the college founded by her congregation. But while Sister Lou has always played by the rules, she’s about to have her faith in herself tested—by murder . . .
 


Murder Out of Character (Peach Coast Library Mysteries) By Olivia Matthews Cover Image
$15.99
ISBN: 9781952210563
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Hallmark Publishing - September 13th, 2022

"...an intrepid heroine who rushes headlong into danger to keep her friends safe, and a happily-ever-after ending make this the prose equivalent of a Hallmark family movie.


Wahala: A Novel By Nikki May Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9780063084254
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Mariner Books - December 27th, 2022

"Contemporary female friendship goes glam in this lively debut novel with remarkable depth." -- Washington Post

"Great fun and extremely smart." -- npr.org


Anywhere You Run: A Novel By Wanda M. Morris Cover Image
$17.99
ISBN: 9780063082502
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - October 25th, 2022

As Seen on The TODAY Show!

Called One of the Best Crime Novels of the Year by New York Times * NPR * New York Post * Washington Post * Buzzfeed * South Florida Sun-Sentinel * Library Journal * CrimeReads


All Her Little Secrets: A Novel By Wanda M. Morris Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780063082465
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: William Morrow Paperbacks - November 2nd, 2021

All Her Little Secrets is a brilliantly nuanced but powerhouse exploration of race, the legal system, and the crushing pressure of keeping secrets. Morris brings a vibrant and welcome new voice to the thriller space.” —Karin Slaughter, New York Times and international bestselling author  


Down the River unto the Sea By Walter Mosley Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9780316509633
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Mulholland Books - February 26th, 2019

Winner of the Edgar Award for Best Novel of the Year: bestselling author Walter Mosley "is back with a whole new character to love...As gorgeous a novel as anything he's ever written" (Washington Post). 

Joe King Oliver was one of the NYPD's finest investigators until he was framed for sexual assault by unknown enemies within the force.


Devil in a Blue Dress (30th Anniversary Edition): An Easy Rawlins Novel (Easy Rawlins Mystery #1) By Walter Mosley Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9781982150341
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Published: Washington Square Press - October 6th, 2020

The first novel by “master of mystery” (The New York Times) Walter Mosley, featuring Easy Rawlins, the most iconic African American detective in all of fiction. Named one of the “best 100 mystery novels of all time” by the Mystery Writers of America, this special thirtieth anniversary edition features an all new introduction from the author.


Akata Witch (The Nsibidi Scripts #1) By Nnedi Okorafor Cover Image
$11.99
ISBN: 9780142420911
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Speak - July 11th, 2017

 "Nnedi Okorafor writes glorious futures and fabulous fantasies. Her characters take your heart and squeeze it; her worlds open your mind to new things." -- Neil Gaiman, author of The Graveyard Book and American Gods 


The Monsters We Defy By Leslye Penelope Cover Image
$18.99
ISBN: 9780316377911
Availability: Able to Backorder
Published: Redhook - August 9th, 2022

"[P]itch perfect, with wit, romance, and a lovable found family." Publishers Weekly (starred review)

"This smart and entertaining, magical heist novel hits all the right notes!" ―T.L. Huchu

NPR Best Book of 2022!


The Violin Conspiracy: A Novel By Brendan Slocumb Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780593315422
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Vintage - December 6th, 2022

GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK! • Ray McMillian is a Black classical musician on the rise—undeterred by the pressure and prejudice of the classical music worldwhen a shocking theft sends him on a desperate quest to recover his great-great-grandfather’s heirloom violin on the eve of the most prestigious musical competition in the world.


Midnight Hour: A chilling anthology of crime fiction from 20 authors of color By Abby L. Vandiver Cover Image
$16.99
ISBN: 9781643857527
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Crooked Lane Books - November 9th, 2021

A 2022 ANTHONY AWARD NOMINEE for Best Anthology

From a simple robbery gone horribly wrong to a grisly murder in a secret love dungeon, this stellar collection of crime fiction short stories showcases some of today's finest voices of color.


A Glimmer of Death (An Odessa Jones Mystery) By Valerie Wilson Wesley Cover Image
$15.95
ISBN: 9781496727787
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Kensington - January 26th, 2021

Award-winning author Valerie Wilson Wesley launches a thrilling new mystery series set in New Jersey, featuring a multicultural cast, and starring a caterer-turned-realtor with the gift of second sight...

In the first of a thrilling new series, one woman's extraordinary psychic gift plunges her already-troubled present into chaos--and puts her future in someone's deadly sights...


A Fatal Glow (An Odessa Jones Mystery #2) By Valerie Wilson Wesley Cover Image
$15.95
ISBN: 9781496727817
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Kensington - February 22nd, 2022

From the award-winning creator of Newark private eye Tamara Hayle, the second installment in a spell-binding cozy mystery series featuring a multicultural cast and starring Odessa Jones, a recent widow with a brand new catering business, a full-time real estate gig, and the gift of second sight.


Harlem Shuffle: A Novel By Colson Whitehead Cover Image
$17.00
ISBN: 9780525567271
Availability: Usually Ships in 1-5 Days
Published: Anchor - August 9th, 2022

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER From the two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Underground Railroad and The Nickel Boys, this gloriously entertaining novel is  “fast-paced, keen-eyed and very funny ... about race, power and the history of Harlem all disguised as a thrill-ride crime novel" (San Francisco Chronicle).