“Inthisterrificseriesopener,Afiaevokesthewomen’slivesinalltheirwaywardandbeautifulglory,especiallytheabruptnesswithwhichtheirdreams,hopesandfearsceasetoexist.“--TheNewYorkTimesThestartofanexcitingnewhistoricalmysteryseriessetduringtheHarlemRenaissancefromdebutauthorNekesaAfiaHarlem,1926.YoungBlackwomenlikeLouiseLloydareendingupdead.Followingaharrowingkidnappingordealwhenshewasinherteens,Louiseisdoingeverythingshecantomaintainanormallife.She’ssucceeding,too.ShespendsherdaysworkingatMaggie’sCaf矇andhernightsattheZodiac,Harlem’shottestspeakeasy.Louise’sfriends,especiallyhergirlfriend,RosaMariaMoreno,mightsayshe’srunningfromherpastandthenotorietythatstillstalksher,butdon’ttellherthat.Whenagirlturnsupdeadinfrontofthecaf矇,Louiseisforcedtoconfrontsomethingshe’sbeentryingtoignore--twootherlocalBlackgirlshavebeenmurderedinthepastfewweeks.Afteranaltercationwithapoliceofficergetsherarrested,Louiseisgivenanultimatum:Shecaneitherhelpsolvethecaseorwindupinajailcell.Louisehasnochoicebuttoinvestigateandsoonfindsherselftoe-to-toewithamurderousmastermindhell-bentontakingmorelives,maybeevenherown....
