I found this book while looking for suspense books by Black authors. Suspense or murder mysteries is my favorite genre and I consume those types of books quickly. The tag for my online book group via Goodreads is suspense, so it’s the perfect time to find a new suspense series.
When Death Comes Stealing by Valerie Wilson Wesley was originally published July 1994 by Putnam. Valerie Wilson Wesley has been an author for many years and is a former executive editor of Essence magazine.
I enjoyed it! The writing was easy and the book was a quick one to read. I gave it 3 stars on Goodreads which is what I give books that I like and thought were fun and entertaining. I did figure out who the killer was pretty early on but I still enjoyed it and other suspense fans might too.
I’ve always thought that Janet Evanovich’s Newark, portrayed in her Stephanie Plum series, was a more lighthearted version of the city. Evanovich’s comedy comes through. I thought the version of Newark in this novel was way more real.
For those who think that we are better about racism today than we use to be, we aren’t. This book shows that we are in the same place now as we were 26 years ago. It’s just now, a light is finally being shined on it. The main character Tamara Hayle is a former cop and she tells relates multiple examples of police violence on blacks. What’s sad, to me, is that she is resigned to it. It’s just a part of life that isn’t going to change. Today, change seems to finally be happening.
I think this is a great book to read in light of today’s America. Even though it’s fiction, I’m sure the impressions that Black people have about cops hasn’t changed very much from then to now.
I plan on reading more books in this series and by this author… check her out!!
Happy reading!!
Charlotte on Books 