CHOP IT UP: Glory Daze by Danielle Arceneaux

 

CHOP IT UP: The Lions' Den by Iris Mwanza

 

March Mystery Madness 2025 announcement

 

Mid-November Book Reading Wrap-Up

 

A Quick Barnes & Noble Book Purchase Unveiling

 

Newly & Upcoming Black Women Writers Mysteries Summer Releases (A Reminder of Sorts!)

 

Mid-Summer Book Haul w/New Black Mysteries

 

2024 New Releases I’m Looking Forward To List (Just Might Be Considered the "Baddie" Version)

2024 New Releases I’m Looking Forward To List

Watch Where They Hide by Tamron Hall. It’s the second book in her TV journalist, Jordan Manning, series. This time Jordan is going to investigate the disappearance of a stay-at-home mom who recently left her abusive husband to live with her sister. Of course, as a TV journalist, Jordan uses her profession to not only bring awareness to the woman’s disappearance, but to also solve the crime. This comes out on March 12th.

Pay Dirt by Sara Paretsky. This is V. I. Warshawski’s 22nd case. This involve V.I. searching for a friend of her protegee who is later found remote house. Drugs are involved. The FBI is involved. Classic V.I. going after the bigwigs of Chicago. This comes out April 16th.

Circle in the Water by Marcia Muller. This is Sharon McCone’s 36th case. This has Sharon requested to solve a string of pranks surrounding occupants of an elite and wealthy neighborhood. What McCone finds throughout her search is not only murder, but a meth lab. So, what’s really going on in this neighborhood. This releases April 23th.

Forget me Never by Susan Wittig Albert. After about a three year break, Susan Wittig Albert’s China Bayles is back with her 29th investigation. As I’m writing this, there isn’t much information available on what the book is about (unless you scoured through the authors blog), but according to Amazon it is slated to release on May 29th. My only hope is that Albert is back to giving China a murderous crime to solve. Because, though I love all the ghost and New Age stuff, I really with the stories would go back to being these small-town high stake murder affairs.

Truth Be Told by Patricia Raybon. This is the third book in Raybon’s Annalee Spain mystery series. Taking us back to 1924, amateur detective and once schoolteacher, Annalee Spain, is going to be involved with a political-centric type murder mystery. This I due out on June 11th.

A Lethal Lady by Nekesa Afia. Book three in Afia’s Harlem Renaissance Mystery is due out July 30th. We’re back into the mind of her main character, Louise Lloyd, who thought trading Harlem for Paris would avail her of solving murders. Evidently, she’s dead wrong.

"2024 New Release Mystery Book Baddies I'm Looking Forward To," said the Zebra in the Blue Shirt.

 

CHOP IT UP: Against the Currant by Olivia Matthews

 

CHOP IT UP: Hide & Fall by Tracy Clark

 

New Reading Journal & MORE Tracy Clark

Baby, it's 6:12pm and I am making it happen. I'm 100 pages into Tracy Clark's second Harriet Foster Thriller, Fall. This one has my full attention, without a doubt. The story centers around the mayor of Chicago (fictional, I might add) and a group of aldermen who conspired to commit a crime. A co-conspirator took the fall and was recently released from prison. All of a sudden, the others are getting killed. One strange thing about their murders is that dimes were placed without bodies. 

Harriet Foster's police procedural is woven with that of the numbered criminals surrounding the crime as well. The question is: whodunit? I'll save those ideas for later; I've got to keep reading during vacation.

Meanwhile, I've just closed out my original reading journal that I started in March of 2022 and came prepared with my new (again Sailor Moon-themed) journal. Overall, I'm having fun at home with my candles, wax warmers, coffee, double-layered socks, and blanket. With groceries in the house and bills paid, you can’t tell me a thing. I live for moments like this where I can just relax, be content, and read my books without worrying about where I need to be the day after and what I need to do. My time is my own. And… well… books own my time as well.

And I’m cool with that.

Let the vacation (and PlayStation 5 later this evening) continue. I honestly think I’m going to target another 50 pages of Fall by Tracy Clark. I see that happening tonight… along with another bite of this monster...

CHOP IT UP: Gaslight by Femi Kayode

 

November 2023 TBR Menu

Naturally, as all readers understand, this is fairly tentative. The idea is to read all the new releases I'm looking forward to, catch up on a series I gorged on back in July, and support an independent author. With that said, I just thought the whole dang thing was cute. You know, putting said TBR (tentatively) onto a makeshift wedding menu. How classy we've gotten lately.

FYI. The ultra-popular Rebecca Yarros book is on there because I kept hearing good things about it. While I'm not into dragons, I kind of decided I'd give it a try. See what all the fuss is about. Which is SO not like me. Anyway, bon appetit!

Currently Reading [& Fussing] ~ Glory Be by Danielle Arceneaux #Blackmysteries #marchmysterymadness

 

CHOP IT UP: Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby

 

CHOP IT UP: The Undertakers by Nicole Glover

 

CHOP IT UP: The Conductors by Nicole Glover

 

CUR Read-Along Reminds. #marchmysterymadness. New #Blackmysteries. Chitter-Chatter-Platter-Tatter.

 

Vanille Caught Something New Today

"Little Caribbean, Brooklyn, New York: Lyndsay Murray is opening Spice Isle Bakery with her family, and it’s everything she’s ever wanted. The West Indian bakery is her way to give back to the community she loves, stay connected to her Grenadian roots, and work side-by-side with her family. The only thing getting a rise out of Lyndsay is Claudio Fabrizi, a disgruntled fellow bakery owner who does not want any competition.

On opening day, he comes into the bakery threatening to shut them down. Fed up, Lyndsay takes him to task in front of what seems to be the whole neighborhood. So when Claudio turns up dead a day later―murdered―Lyndsay is unfortunately the prime suspect. To get the scent of suspicion off her and her bakery, Lyndsay has to prove she’s innocent―under the watchful eyes of her overprotective brother, anxious parents, and meddlesome extended family―what could go wrong?"

Author Olivia Matthew's NEW RELEASE is out TODAY. You can grab a copy on Amazon (affiliate link) HERE! 

I have a lotttttt of new releases to catch up on. Boy, I tell ya. Life of a bibliophile.