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Mystery & Thrillers

SAVVY SLEUTHS AND DARING DETECTIVES

Want a good read? What's your poison? Check out the following list for some of the best books that mystery has to offer!

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AMATEUR SLEUTHS

Untitled Document

Please note that not all authors listed on this site are African-American. However. all listed authors have an African-American character

 

Lizzie Stuart(Crime Historian)

Death's Favorite Child

A Dead Man's Honor

By Frankie Y. Bailey

 

Ruby Gordon(Maid)

Maid In the Shade

By Jacqueline Turner Banks

 

Alex Powell(Newspaper Columnist)

Plain Brown Wrapper

By Karen Grigsby Bates

 

Angela McKenzie(Newspaper Reporter)

Special Interest

By Chris Benson

 

Nanette Hayes(Street Saxophonist)

Rhode Island Red

Coq Au Vin

Drumsticks

By Charlotte Carter

 

Rae Dupree(Doctor)

The Silent Cradle

By Margaret Cuthbert

 

Nikki Hill(Lawyer)

The Trials of Nikki Hill

L.A. Justice

By Christopher Darden/Dick Lochte

 

Candi Covington(Social Worker)

Mama Stands Accused

Mama Traps a Killer

Mama Stalks the Past

Mama Solves a Murder

Mama Saves a Victim

Mama Rocks the Empty Cradle

Mama Pursues Murderous Shadows

Mama Cracks a Mask of Innocence

By Nora DeLoach

 

Mali Anderson(Social Worker)

A Toast Before Dying

If I Should Die

No Time To Die

Do Or Die

By Grace F. Edwards

 

Kate del Graten(Assistant District Attorney)

Damning Evidence

By R. Barri Flowers

 

Georgia Barnett(TV Reporter)

Details at Ten

Hit Time

By Ardella Garland

 

Theresa Galloway(Personnel Officer)

Somebody Else's Child

Blood Will Tell

By Terris McMahan Grimes

 

CJ Floyd(Bail Bondsman)

The Devil's Red Nickel

The Devil's Hatband

The Devil's Backbone

By Robert O. Greer

 

Benjamin January(Musician/Doctor)

A Free Man of Color

Fever Season

Graveyard Dust

Sold Down the River

Die Upon a Kiss

Wet Grave

Days of the Dead

By Barbara Hambly

 

Joe and Dottie Loudermilk(Retired Couple)

Going Nowhere Fast

Bad News Travels Fast

By Gar Anthony Haywood

 

Kendra Clayton(Teacher)

The Pleasure of His Company

By Angela Henry

 

Billiemae Waller(Waitress)

The Last Days Murder List

By Alice Holman

 

Leonard Pine(Vietnam Vet)

Savage Season

Mucho Mojo

By Joe R. Lansdale

 

Judah Daniel(Healer/Ex-Slave)

Dead March

Angel Trumpet

Civil Blood

Chickahominy Fever

By Ann McMillan

 

Carol Ann Gibson(Security Expert/Lawyer)

One Must Wait

Where to Choose

The Step Between

Paradise Interrupted

By Penny Mickelbury

 

Audrey Wilson(Financial Planner)

Taxes, Death and Trouble

Accrual Way to Die

What She Left Behind

By C.M. Miller

 

Paris Minton(Bookstore Owner)/Fearless Jones(World War II Veteran)

Fearless Jones

Fear Itself

By Walter Mosley

 

Blanche White(Maid)

Blanche on the Lam

Blanche Among the Talented Tenth

Blanche Cleans Up

Blanche Passes Go

By Barbara Neely

 

Roxie Bouchie(Prison Psychiatrist)

Blue

The Last Blue Plate Special

By Abigail Padgett

 

Martha Chainey(Mob Courier)

High Hand

Shooter's Point

By Gary Phillips

 

Wesley Farrell(Nightclub Owner)

Cat Eyed Trouble

Blood Red Skin Deep

Blood to Drink

The Righteous Cut

By Robert Skinner

 

Jewel Averick(Baseball Wife)

Caught in a Rundown

By Lisa Saxton

 

Victoria Chase(College Professor)

A Darker Shade of Crimson

Blue Blood

By Pamela Thomas-Graham

 

Maceo Redfield(Ex-College Baseball Player)

The Dying Ground

By Nichelle D. Tramble

 

Darryl Billups(Journalist)

Up Jumped the Devil

Hidden in Plain View

Don't Believe Your Lying Eyes

By Blair S. Walker

 

David McKay(Lawyer)

Harlem Redux

By Persia Walker

 

PRIVATE EYES

 

Virginia Kelly

In the Game

The Lavender House Mystery

Long Goodbyes

The Ultimate Exit Strategy

By Nikki Baker

 

Tiger Price

The Weight-Pile Murder

By Erick G. Benson

 

Mick Hart

All About Mary

Dog 'em

By Lawrence Christopher

 

Maxine Michaels

The Mockingbirds

By Kenyetta Coner

 

Eric "E.Z" Elias

Murder In the Rose City

By R. Barri Flowers

 

Jackie Jones

Deadly Secrets in the Motor City

By R. Barri Flowers

 

Valentin St. Cyr

Chasing the Devil's Tail

By David Fulmer

 

Devil Barnett

Blood Red Blues

Dead By Popular Demand

Wrong as Two Left Shoes

By Teddy Hayes

 

Aaron Gunner

Fear of the Dark

Not Long for this World

You Can Die Trying

When Last Seen Alive

It's Not a Pretty Sight

All the Lucky Ones are Dead

By Gar Anthony Haywood

 

Nina Halligan

Black Heat

The Big Mango

A Phat Death

By Norman Kelley

 

Clio Brown

Clio Brown: Private Investigator

By Dolores Komo

 

Lincoln Keller

Silent Conspiracy

Silent Suspicion

By Lee Meadows

 

Easy Rawlins

Devil in a Blue Dress

White Butterfly

A Red Death

Black Betty

A Little Yellow Dog

Bad Boy Brawley Brown

Six Easy Pieces

By Walter Mosley

 

Smoky Dalton

A Dangerous Road

Smoke Filled Rooms

Thin Walls

By Kris Nelscott

 

Ellis Mason

88 Ways to Die

By Johnnie Mitchell

 

Derek Strange

Right as Rain

Hell to Pay

Soul Circus

By George P. Pelecanos

 

Ivan Monk

Violent Spring

Perdition U.S.A

Bad Night is Falling

Only the Wicked

By Gary Phillips

 

Lew Griffin

The Long Legged Fly

Moth

Eye of the Cricket

Bluebottle

Ghost of a Flea

By James Sallis

 

Talba Wallis

82 Desire

Louisiana Hotshot

Louisiana Bigshot

By Julie Smith

 

Jasmine Myers

No One is Innocent

By Gayle Tiller

 

Tamara Hayle

When Death Comes Stealing

Devils Gonna Get Him

Where Evil Sleeps

No Hiding Place

Easier to Kill

The Devil Riding

By Valerie Wilson Wesley

 

POLICE DETECTIVES/OFFICERS/AGENTS

 

M. Gantry

Hoochie Mama

By Preston L. Allen

 

Monica Sinclair

Degree of Caution

By Sybil Avery Jackson

 

Angela Bivens

Sympathy for the Devil

A Prayer for Deliverance

By Christopher Chambers

 

Joe Johnson/Vernon Brown

Postal Blues

By Vincent R. Alexandria

 

Mary Cunningham

Cookie Cutter

By Sterling Anthony

 

Pharoah Love

A Queer Kind of Love

A Queer Kind of Umbrella

A Queer Kind of Death

By George Baxt

 

Marti MacAlister

Keep Still

Slow Burn

Gone Quiet

Dead Time

Done Wrong

Tell No Tales

Scream In Silence

Whispers in the Dark

Windy City Dying

By Eleanor Taylor Bland

 

Ralph "Rat" Trapp

The White Zone

So Small a Carnival

A Civil Death

A Project Named Desire

By John and Joyce Corrington

 

Matthew Alexander & Jake Jackson

Hot Stones: Cold Death

By Barbara Fleming

 

Phillip Patterson

Positive ID

By R. Barri Flowers

 

Desiree Mitry

The Cold Blue Blood

The Hot Pink Farmhouse

By David Handler

 

Coffin Ed Johnson and Grave Digger Jones

A Rage In Harlem

Blind Man with a Pistol

Cotton Comes to Harlem

The Real Cool Killers

The Heat's On

By Chester Himes

 

Larry Cole

Windy City

Chicago Blues

Presumed Dead

Red Lightning

Violent Crimes

Time of the Assassins

The Left Hand of God

The Devil's Shadow

By Hugh Holton

 

Gianna Maglione

Keeping Secrets

Night Songs

By Penny Mickelbury

 

Alex Cross

Kiss the Girls

Cat & Mouse

Jack and Jill

Pop Goes the Weasel

Roses are Red

Violets Are Blue

Four Blind Mice

By James Patterson

 

Starletta Duvall

Do Not Go Gently

Hoodoo Man

Green Money

Reckless Eyeballin

By Judith Smith-Levin

 

Leigh Ann Warren

Sunrise

Killing Kin

Killer Riches

By Chassie West

 

Barrett Raines

A Rock and a Hard Place

Dead Man's Bay

Strawman's Hammock

By Darryl Wimberley

 

Charlotte Justice

Inner City Blues

Stormy Weather

Dirty Laundry

By Paula Woods

 

Neely Jones

Neely Jones: The Medusa Pool

By MK Wren

 

 

BLACK AND BRITISH SLEUTHS FROM ACROSS THE POND!

 

Charlie Peace(Police Officer)

Bad Samaritan

The Corpse at the Haworth Tandoori

The Bones in the Attic

By Robert Barnard

 

Wesley Peterson(Police Detective)

The Merchant House

The Armada Boy

An Unhallowed Grave

The Funeral Boat

By Kate Ellis

 

Joe Sixsmith(Private Eye)

Born Guilty

Blood Sympathy

Killing the Lawyers

Singing the Sadness

By Reginald Hill

 

Penny Wanawake(Diplomat's Daughter)

Penny Black

Penny Saving

Penny Post

Penny Dreadful

Penny Wise

Penny Royal

By Susan Moody

 

Sam Dean(Journalist)

Blood Rights

Point of Darkness

The Late Candidate

An Image to Die For

By Mike Phillips

 

Lee Mitchell(Barrister)

Without Prejudice

By Nicola Williams

 

SUSPENSE/THRILLERS

 

Keeping Secrets. Telling Lies By Florence Anthony

God's Gift to Women By Michael Baisden

Those Bones Are Not My Child By Toni Cade Bambara

Cover to Cover By DM Brown

The Emporer of Ocean Park By Stephen Carter

Pent Up Passion By Hope C. Clark

Shadow Lover By Hope C. Clark

What a Woman's Gotta Do By Evelyn Coleman

The Best Defense By Ellis Cose

The Last Defense By Christopher Darden/Dick Lochte

Maker of Saints By Thulani Davis

Deep Six By Donna M. Dean

Simon Says By Collen Dixon

Keeper of Secrets By John Dunson

Justice Served By R. Barri Flowers

When Night Falls By R. Barri Flowers

Blinking Red Light By Mister Mann Frisby

Is It a Crime By Roy Glenn

The Student Body By Jane Harvard

The Color of Justice By Gary Hardwick

Illegal Affairs By Shelia Harvey

If You Die Before You Wake By E. Hill

Pipe Dream By Solomon Jones

If 6 Were 9 By Jake Lamar

One Dead Preacher By Tony Lindsay

Prayer of Prey By Tony Lindsay

Promises to Keep By Gloria Mallette

Shades of Jade By Gloria Mallette

Thunderland By Brandon Massey

Sin in Soul's Kitchen By Andrew Oyefesobi

Vanity & Voodoo Dolls By Andrew Oyefesobi

Black Deception By Monica Regina Payton

The Perpetrators By Gary Phillips

Bliss By Gabrielle Pina

Until Death Do Us Part By Gregory JT Simpson

Roadrunner By Trisha R. Thomas

Love Has Many Faces By Denise Turney

The Shape Of Snakes By Minette Walters

The Intuitionist By Colson Whitehead

Addicted By Zane