Time's The 100 Best Mystery and Thriller Books of All Time!

WHEN DEATH COMES STEALING by Valerie Wilson Wesley

In Valerie Wilson Wesley’s 1994 novel, investigator Tamara Hayle’s personal and professional lives collide. Tamara’s ex-husband is grieving the loss of his two sons from previous relationships, both of whom died tragically young and under mysterious circumstances—and he’s hiring her to uncover what really happened to them. For Tamara, the cases have extra urgency: She’s fearful that Jamal, her own son with DeWayne, might be next. The first of eight books in Wilson Wesley’s Tamara Hayle series, the novel addresses the all-too-real issues of police violence and racial discrimination. But Wilson Wesley, a former executive editor of Essence Magazine, adeptly balances the heavy subject matter with moments of levity and wit, as well as a measured sense of suspense that keeps readers rapt until the book’s gripping conclusion. —Cady Lang

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Hello everyone,

I’m so excited about my interview in Library Journal this month with Brian Kenney. It was great talking to him about cozy mysteries and learning more about this genre.
If you haven’t read my cozy series, try A Glimmer of Death my first Odessa Jones Mystery. I think you’ll enjoy meeting "Dessa" and the fascinating world in which she lives. A Fatal Glow is my second book. A Shimmer of Red will be out in July and can be pre-ordered on Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Thanks again for supporting me through all these years through all my mysteries. I hope you enjoy these new ones!

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BREAKING NEWS:

Valerie Wilson Wesley is back with the 3rd installment in a spell-binding #cozy #mystery series featuring a multicultural cast and starring Odessa Jones, a recent widow with a brand new catering business, a full-time real estate gig, and the gift of second sight. #PREORDER your copy today of "A Shimmer of Red" - available Tuesday, July 25, 2023 at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and other retailers!

• Amazon
• Barnes & Noble

A Fatal Glow is on sale on BookBub!

Available for a limited time, grab your copy of Valerie Wilson Wesley's "A Fatal Glow" for only $1.99 at BookBub. This is a fantastic cozy #mystery #book you don't want to miss reading!

click on this link to learn more

Podcast link:
https://soundcloud.com/authorsontheair/the-cozy-corner-with-alexia-gordon-s5e14-valerie-wilson-wesley

Valerie Wilson Wesley joins The Cozy Corner to chat about A Fatal Glow, the second Odessa Jones cozy mystery. Listen to hear what Valerie learned while writing a cozy series. Find out how her cozy sleuth, Odessa, differs from her private detective, Tamara Hayle. And stay tuned to hear Valerie read the first paragraph of A Fatal Glow.

Subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast app so you don't miss an episode. If you enjoy the show, please leave a 5-star rating or review.

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I'd like to share this remembrance of writer Grace Edwards during Women's History Month. She wrote great mysteries and was a major influence on me and other young writers who belonged to  the Harlem Writer's Guild.  Grace taught me valuable lessons about kindness and the responsibility of supporting and encouraging aspiring writers.

When I was a member of the Guild in the 1980s, Grace was secretary and executive director. She wrote mysteries set in Harlem and the first,  If I Should Die,  published in 1967 was one of the few by black women, and a great read.  But my favorite Edwards' book was the novel In the Shadow of the Peacock written in 1988. I was afraid to call myself  writer when I first set foot in the Harlem Writer's Guild. We met in the Central Park West apartment of an established writer, which was scary for a novice like me. My husband Richard was successful in both theater and film, and I didn't want other writers to know we were married and assume that he had influenced me. I was determined to make my own way on my own terms. At that point, I'd written only poems and short stories, as many beginning writers do. I hadn't shared my work with anybody, not even my husband.

The workshop meetings were held once a month at which a member would share his or her work. Well-known, professional writers would drop in to offer critiques, which were always constructive and helpful. When my turn finally came to read, I was terrified. My hands shook, and I could hardly control my voice. My story was about a young woman having an affair with a married man told  in the woman's voice and from her perspective. I'd worked hard on it and thought it was pretty good; not everyone agreed.  The guest writer tore into my story with such venom and contempt I still remember how wounded I was, even after all these years. She told me I had no right to call myself a writer and shouldn't continue. I was so devastated I ran into the bathroom and cried, afraid to come back out and determined never to write again.

Grace knocked gently on  the door. She comforted me and said my story was just fine. The problem was the critic, she explained, who was her contemporary and jealous of young talent. Besides that, her husband had just left her for  a younger woman, and my story hit too close to home.  Always take critics, particularly other writers, with a grain of salt, Grace advised. They bring their own vulnerabilities, agendas and craziness to your work. You need to learn to be your own best critic and have faith in what you write. Your writing means too much to you  for you to give it up, and someday it may be important to other people as well.

I am grateful that many years later I was able to thank Grace for her encouragement that night. I told her  how much her words meant to me, and that I would never forget them.  No matter the profession, those of us who mentor younger people should never hesitate to reach out to those in need of our  support.  It's one of the lessons taught by women like Grace.

Dessa's Go-To Cake

LA Times Reviews "A Glimmer of Death"

I am so excited about this review in the Los Angeles Times ! What a thrill to be mentioned in the same space as #WalterMosley, one of my favorite writers. This definitely made my weekend!

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