A Lethal Lady - (A Harlem Renaissance Mystery) by Nekesa Afia (Paperback)

About the Book

"Louise Lloyd is finally living the quiet life she'd longed for, working in a parfumerie by day and spending time with her new friends every night at the Aquarius club in Paris. When a desperate mother asks for help locating her artist daughter, Louise initially refuses, [in order] to keep her hard-won but fragile peace intact. But the woman comes with a letter of introduction from an old friend in Harlem, and Louise realizes she has no choice but to do what she can to find the missing young woman. The woman's daughter, Iris Wright, is part of an elite social circle. Louise soon finds herself drawn into a world of privilege and ice-cold ambition--a young group of artists who will do anything to get ahead--but would they murder one of their own?"--

Book Synopsis

Louise Lloyd's time away in Paris is everything she was hoping it would be until a shocking murder turns her entire world upside down.

Louise Lloyd is finally living the quiet life she'd longed for, working in a parfumerie by day and spending time with her new friends every night at the Aquarius club in Paris. When a desperate mother asks for help locating her artist daughter, Louise initially refuses to keep her hard-won but fragile peace intact. But the woman comes with a letter of introduction from an old friend in Harlem, and Louise realizes she has no choice but to do what she can to find the missing young woman.

The woman's daughter, Iris Wright, is part of an elite social circle. Louise soon finds herself drawn into a world of privilege and ice-cold ambition--a young group of artists who will do anything to get ahead--but would they murder one of their own? With the help of some friends from home, Louise must untangle a web of lies, jealousy, and betrayal to find out what really happened to Iris while fighting to keep her new life from crashing down around her.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Harlem Renaissance Mysteries

"This book was an engaging, captivating, suspenseful, and enjoyable historical mystery and character journey." Mystery and Suspense Magazine

"Suspenseful... Harlem Sunset excels at illustrating the culture of the late 1920s--and at capturing a woman dealing with her choices while simultaneously discovering what she wants in life."-Shelf Awareness

"A vivid crime story and an engrossing depiction of an era."-Kirkus

"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

"Tightly paced, razor sharp, and with a wonderful no-nonsense protagonist, Dead Dead Girls made me fly through the pages. Ms. Afia is one to watch."--Evie Dunmore, USA Today bestselling author of A Rogue of One's Own

"Debut author Nekesa Afia brings 1920s Harlem to life in this twisty tale of murder and betrayal where nothing and no one is as it seems."--Victoria Thompson, USA Today bestselling author of Murder on Wall Street

"Readers will root for intrepid, fiery Louise."--Publishers Weekly

"'Though she be but little, she is fierce.' Shakespeare might as well have been describing Louise Lloyd, the flawed yet fantastic protagonist in Afia's debut set in 1920s Harlem. I loved the world that Afia created and can't wait to follow Lou and her friends on their next adventure. Come for the wonderfully diverse and twisty mystery, stay for the amazing 20s slang and fashion." - Mia P. Manansala, author of Arsenic and Adobo

About the Author

Twenty-five-year-old Nekesa Afia recently finished her undergrad degree (bachelor's in journalism, with a minor in English) and is a publishing student. When she isn't writing, she's dancing, sewing, and trying to pet every dog she sees. She's been writing since she was a child and this is her third novel.