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Nekesa Afia’s sophomore effort, HARLEM SUNSET (Berkley Prime Crime, 284 pp., paperback, $15.99), brings back Louise Lloyd after her unforgettable debut last year in “Dead Dead Girls.” It’s 1927, and Louise still haunts the Harlem speakeasies, managing one of them — the Dove — for the brother of her longtime partner, Rosa Maria.
She cannot live her life openly, true, but within the constraints of life as a queer Black woman, Louise is on the precipice of contentment. But then a woman named Nora, whom Louise met when they were both held captive a decade before, shows up at the club. The next morning she’s found stabbed to death, her blood drenching Rosa Maria, who’s asleep nearby. What follows is another strange trip for Louise as she sets about clearing her lover’s name, discovering the actual culprit and trying to hold in her most closely held secrets — of sexuality, of family, of that long-ago kidnapping. Ever the survivor, Louise bargains for a brighter future. --New York Times on HARLEM SUNSET
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AS LONG AS YOU'RE MINE
Beneath the glitter of 1930s Hollywood, dangerous secrets connect two generations of women in this atmospheric dual-timeline mystery about identity, sacrifice, and survival.
Professional ballerina Thea Ross’s world shatters when her screen-legend father commits suicide, leaving behind a shocking confession to a decades-old murder. Determined to uncover the truth, Thea teams up with a relentless journalist, following a trail of clues that leads her back to the glittering yet treacherous world of 1930s Hollywood.
There, she discovers the story of Lorelei Davies, a struggling actress willing to endure anything for her family’s sake. As Thea peels back the layers of Lorelei’s life—her dreams, fears, and dangerous secrets—the connection between Lorelei’s past and Thea’s present challenges everything she believes about her family history. But as she untangles all the lies, she comes to know herself more truly than ever before.
As Thea navigates the glamorous facade of Old Hollywood, she must decide whether uncovering the truth about her father is worth sacrificing the life she planned—and whether some secrets are better left buried in Hollywood’s golden age.
Professional ballerina Thea Ross’s world shatters when her screen-legend father commits suicide, leaving behind a shocking confession to a decades-old murder. Determined to uncover the truth, Thea teams up with a relentless journalist, following a trail of clues that leads her back to the glittering yet treacherous world of 1930s Hollywood.
There, she discovers the story of Lorelei Davies, a struggling actress willing to endure anything for her family’s sake. As Thea peels back the layers of Lorelei’s life—her dreams, fears, and dangerous secrets—the connection between Lorelei’s past and Thea’s present challenges everything she believes about her family history. But as she untangles all the lies, she comes to know herself more truly than ever before.
As Thea navigates the glamorous facade of Old Hollywood, she must decide whether uncovering the truth about her father is worth sacrificing the life she planned—and whether some secrets are better left buried in Hollywood’s golden age.
