Where Is Your Bookmark? (Bookish Mewsings: A Glimmer of Death by Valerie Wilson Wesley / Connect 5: TBR Mysteries/Crime Fiction by Black Authors / BBHOP: Squeezing in the Reading)

A weekly meme where readers share the first sentence of the book they are reading and say what they think. Hosted by the amazing Gillion Dumas of Rose City Reader.

The office reeked of nutmeg. It tickled my nose, filled my mouth, forcing its way down my throat. Funny thing about nutmeg. A dash can spice up cocoa; too much can make you sick. Determined to ignore it, I focused on the real estate listings in front of me. Yet the smell wouldn't leave. I closed my eyes, trying to block this pain-in-the-neck, useless sixth sense, but it did no good. To me, Odessa Jones, nutmeg means death. [Opening of A Glimmer of Death]

A weekly meme in which readers share a random sentence or two from page 56 or 56% of the book they are reading. Hosted by the wonderful Freda of Freda's Voice.

"Dessa, this is serious business. If you think your dead boss was running some kind of a scam that resulted in his murder, you need to tell the authorities."

"I will," I said in the most earnest voice I could manage. This wasn't the time to share my reservations about the good will of the police. [an excerpt at 56% of A Glimmer of Death]

A Glimmer of Death (#1) by Valerie Wilson Wesley

Kensington, 2021

Crime Fiction/Cozy/Paranormal; 240 pgs

Source: NetGalley

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...

Until now, Odessa Jones' inherited ability to read emotions and foretell danger has protected her. But second sight didn't warn her she would soon be a widow--and about to lose her home and the catering business she's worked so hard to build. The only things keeping Dessa going are her love for baking and her sometimes-mellow cat, Juniper. Unfortunately, putting her life back together means taking a gig at an all-kinds-of-shady real estate firm run by volatile owner Charlie Risko...

Until Charlie is brutally killed--and Dessa's bullied co-worker is arrested for murder. Dessa can't be sure who's guilty. But it doesn't take a psychic to discover that everyone from Charlie's much-abused staff to his long-suffering younger wife had multiple reasons to want him dead. And as Dessa follows a trail of lies through blackmail, dead-end clues, and corruption, she needs to see the truth fast--or a killer will bury her deep down with it. [Goodreads Summary]

My thoughts:  Paranormal cozy mysteries are tied with historical cozies as my favorite type of cozy mysteries. I love that added touch of magic or psychic abilities. Dessa is still trying to understand her own psychic gift, not quite trusting it. She's such a great character, insightful and smart. I agree with Lennox that she has a big heart, but she is also the kind of woman who can take of herself. She's the kind of person I would like to be able to call friend--and not just because she makes such delicious sounding treats. 

There were several times throughout the novel that I wished she would just walk away from the real estate agency. Talk about a toxic work environment! Charlie really was the boss from hell. Everyone had a motive for wanting that man dead, and even I was not sure who was behind it, suspecting just about everyone at one point or another. The mystery goes deeper than just the murder a cruel boss though, and I liked that added darker layer.

Besides Dessa, I enjoyed spending time with Aunt Phoenix and Lennox. And who can resist a cat companion like Juniper? I hope I get to spend more time with these characters (and maybe meet more of Dessa's family) in future books in the series, and get to know them all a bit better. I look forward to reading more by Valerie Wilson Wesley, both her future books as well as her backlist.

Challenges Met:  Cloak and Dagger Reading Challenge & Winter COYER

Have you read A Glimmer of Death? Does it sound like something you would like? 

Originally a feature called Last Year I Was Reading created by Maria from ReadingMaria. 

I liked it enough to continue on my own, but have tweaked it

 to feature Five Years Ago I Was Reading. 

(I would have gone back ten, but I read so little in 2011)

Five years ago I was finishing up reading Death Sits Down to Dinner by Tessa Arlen, the second in her series featuring Lady Montfert and Mrs. Jackson. Set in Edwardian England, this fun historical cozy mystery has yet to disappoint. 

Have you read this series? If so, what did you think? What were you reading five years ago?

Connect Five Friday is a weekly meme where readers share a list of five books, read or unread, or bookish things, that share a common theme. Hosted by the  Kathryn of of Book Date.

I cannot resist a good mystery/thriller, and the list of books I want to read is, well, huge. I thought today I would feature five mystery/thriller books by Black authors that I want to read. I have to say, it was hard to narrow it down to just five. There are many more than just these I want to read! 

Bluebird, Bluebird (Highway 59 #1) by Attica Locke 

A powerful thriller about the explosive intersection of love, race, and justice from a writer and producer of the Emmy winning Fox TV show Empire.

When it comes to law and order, East Texas plays by its own rules--a fact that Darren Mathews, a black Texas Ranger, knows all too well. Deeply ambivalent about growing up black in the lone star state, he was the first in his family to get as far away from Texas as he could. Until duty called him home.

When his allegiance to his roots puts his job in jeopardy, he travels up Highway 59 to the small town of Lark, where two murders--a black lawyer from Chicago and a local white woman--have stirred up a hornet's nest of resentment. Darren must solve the crimes--and save himself in the process--before Lark's long-simmering racial fault lines erupt.

A rural noir suffused with the unique music, color, and nuance of East Texas, Bluebird, Bluebird is an exhilarating, timely novel about the collision of race and justice in America. [Goodreads Summary]

A Deadly Inside Scoop (Ice Cream Parlor Mystery #1) by Abby Collette 

Recent MBA grad Bronwyn Crewse has just taken over her family's ice cream shop in Chagrin Falls, Ohio, and she's going back to basics. Wyn is renovating Crewse Creamery to restore its former glory, and filling the menu with delicious, homemade ice cream flavors—many from her grandmother’s original recipes. But unexpected construction delays mean she misses the summer season, and the shop has a literal cold opening: the day she opens her doors an early first snow descends on the village and keeps the customers away.

To make matters worse, that evening, Wyn finds a body in the snow, and it turns out the dead man was a grifter with an old feud with the Crewse family. Soon, Wyn’s father is implicated in his death. It's not easy to juggle a new-to-her business while solving a crime, but Wyn is determined to do it. With the help of her quirky best friends and her tight-knit family, she'll catch the ice cold killer before she has a meltdown . . . [Goodreads Summary]

The Strivers' Row Spy (Renaissance #1) by Jason Overstreet

Stunning, suspenseful, and unforgettably evocative, Jason Overstreet’s debut novel glitters with the vibrant dreams and dangerous promise of the 1920s Harlem Renaissance, as one man crosses the perilous lines between the law, loyalty, and deadly lies…

For college graduate Sidney Temple, the Roaring Twenties bring opportunities even members of his accomplished black bourgeois family couldn’t have imagined. His impulsive marriage to independent artist Loretta is a happiness he never thought he’d find. And when he’s tapped by J. Edgar Hoover to be the FBI’s first African-American agent, he sees a once-in-a-lifetime chance to secure real justice.

Instead of providing evidence against Marcus Garvey, prominent head of the “dangerously radical” back-to-Africa movement, Sidney uses his unexpected knack for deception and undercover work to thwart the Bureau’s biased investigation. And by giving renowned leader W. E. B. Du Bois insider information, Sidney gambles on change that could mean a fair destiny for all Americans...

But the higher Sidney and Loretta climb in Harlem’s most influential and glamorous circles, the more dangerous the stakes. An unexpected friendship and a wrenching personal tragedy threaten to shatter Loretta’s innocent trust in her husband—and turn his double life into a fast-closing trap. For Sidney, ultimately squeezed between the Bureau and one too many ruthless factions, the price of escape could be heartbreak and betrayal no amount of skill can help him survive. [Goodreads Summary]

My Sister, The Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

When Korede's dinner is interrupted one night by a distress call from her sister, Ayoola, she knows what's expected of her: bleach, rubber gloves, nerves of steel and a strong stomach. This'll be the third boyfriend Ayoola's dispatched in, quote, self-defence and the third mess that her lethal little sibling has left Korede to clear away. She should probably go to the police for the good of the menfolk of Nigeria, but she loves her sister and, as they say, family always comes first. Until, that is, Ayoola starts dating the doctor where Korede works as a nurse. Korede's long been in love with him, and isn't prepared to see him wind up with a knife in his back: but to save one would mean sacrificing the other...

My Sister, the Serial Killer is a blackly comic novel about how blood is thicker - and more difficult to get out of the carpet - than water... [Goodreads Summary]

Murder in G Major (Gethsemane Brown Mysteries #1) by Alexia Gordon

With few other options, African-American classical musician Gethsemane Brown accepts a less-than-ideal position turning a group of rowdy schoolboys into an award-winning orchestra. Stranded without luggage or money in the Irish countryside, she figures any job is better than none. The perk? Housesitting a lovely cliffside cottage. The catch? The ghost of the cottage's murdered owner haunts the place. Falsely accused of killing his wife (and himself), he begs Gethsemane to clear his name so he can rest in peace. Gethsemane's reluctant investigation provokes a dormant killer and she soon finds herself in grave danger. As Gethsemane races to prevent a deadly encore, will she uncover the truth or star in her own farewell performance? [Goodreads Summary]

Have you read any of these? If so, what did you think? What mysteries/thrillers by Black authors would you recommend? 

Every Friday Coffee Addicted Writer from Coffee Addicted Writer poses a question which participants respond on their own blogs within the week (Friday through Thursday). They then share their links at the main site and visit other participants blogs.

Is reading a fixed part of your morning or evening routine? (submitted by Elizabeth @Complex Chaos)

Yes! Well, in part. Reading is not really a part of my morning routine unless you count catching up on the news or sometimes on a Sunday when I linger in bed and read before finally getting up for the day. My attempts at reading a book in the morning on workdays usually result in my running late--I lose track of the time so easily.

I do try to make a point of reading during my lunch break on those workdays though. I really benefit from that mental break. It was easier in pre-pandemic days when I was working in the office full-time and could just slip away into an empty office and shut out the world for half an hour. Nowadays, it isn't quite so simple since I work from home part of the time. During my days in the office, I easily fall into my usual routine. But working from home is more complicated since my husband works from home full-time now and my daughter's schooling is all virtual. I have gotten better at finding a way to make time for lunch time reading on days I am home, although it does not always work out. 

I get really grumpy if I do not get in a little bedtime reading. Reading often quiets my mind at night and helps me fall asleep. 

What about you?

 I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Be sure and tell me what you are reading and are up to!

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