Valerie Wilson Wesley Books In Order

When Death Comes Stealing

A tough and savvy Newark cop turned P.I., Tamara Hoyleis a sister with a mission: to raise her kid right in a mean town. But now the post has come knocking bringing trouble to her door in the person of her ‘dog’ of a former husband, DeWayne. Suspicious ‘accidents’ have claimed the lives of two ofDeWayne’s sons from different marriages. And though goodsense warns Tamara to steer clear of her charming, lowdown ex, she has little choice but to offer him her investigative expertise because a killer may now be drawing fatally close to home to Tamara’s only son.

Devil’s Gonna Get Him

Cop turned struggling p.i., Tamara Hoyle is a hardworking sisterWith bills to pay and a teenage son to raise. So when LincolnStorey the richest, rudest black man in the county offers herbig bucks to dig up the dirt on his stepdaughter’s lover, Tamaragladly agrees, even though said lover once broke her heart. Butthen Storey drops dead at his own fancy fundraiser right beforeTamara’s very eyes. And before she knows it, ties of loyalty andfriendship have dragged her deep into a lethal world of treacheryand dangerous ambitions, where everybody has a nasty littlesecret and is better off With Lincoln Storey dead.

Where Evil Sleeps

Death doesn’t take a holiday even when Tamara does. Off to sunny Kingston, Jamaica, for some much needed relaxation, former Newark cop and hard working p.i. Tamara Hayle is pleased at first to join fellow Jersey homegirl, Lilah Love, for a night on the town. But with Lilah’s abusive husband and his friend Delaware Brown along, the evening starts out bad and gets much worse especially when, after a blackout, the lights come abruptly up on a fresh corpse, a murder weapon with Tamara’s fingerprints all over it, and two missing companions who have vanished with her money and identification. Now Tamara’s at risk in a strange place far from home. She’s already lost paradise. And with death heading her way again, she’s about to lose a lot more unless she can stop a killer before the killer stops her.

No Hiding Place

In just three Tamara Hayle mysteries, Valerie Wilson Wesley has created one of the most memorable private investigators to hit urban streets in years. As the Ft. Lauderdale Sun Sentinel has proclaimed, ‘Tamara continues to emerge as a strong, decisive woman.’ When the grieving mother of a slain hoodlum begs the Newark p.i. to look into the unsolved murder, Tamara initially refuses, but then discovers a connection between the victim and her late policeman brother. Her search for the truth takes Tamara from the grittiest sections of the city to its middle class neighborhoods where family secrets are preserved at any cost. However, as the case creeps into her personal life, Tamara learns that when it comes to murder there is No Hiding Place.

Easier to Kill

Popular, well-respected radio talk-show host Mandy Magic seems to have it all and then some. Born Starmanda Jackson and raised in the projects of Newark, Magic has literally talked her way out of poverty. But she is stalked by a past that won’t let her go. When a threatening note and repeated acts of vandalism make her fear for her safety and cast doubt on the recent, apparently robbery-related death of her stylist, Magic enlists the aid of Newark P. I. Tamara Hayle. But as Tamara soon discovers, Mandy is a woman of secrets and half-truths with more shady characters in her past and present than she cares to admit. There’s Rufus Greene, a former pimp with a mysterious and persistent hold on her and Kenton Daniels, III, the nasty, wastrel son of a prominent Newark family. There is her oldest friend, bad-tempered Pauline Reese, who won’t let anyone, least of all Mandy Magic, forget where she came from, and her adopted daughter, Taniqua, whose young, haunted eyes have seen more of life’s evil than anyone should. And the more truth Tamara seeks, the more of Magic’s lies she uncovers, until she faces a brutal killer hell-bent upon taking a cruel revenge and destroying everyone that stands in the way.

The Devil Riding

Tamara Hayle goes undercover in the casinos of Atlantic City to track a runaway teen in this gripping new mystery. Hailed as one of the best ethnic and female sleuthing mystery series, Valerie Wilson Wesley’s Tamara Hayle novels are consistent standouts. ‘She keeps peeling back layers and layers with a skill and determination that recall Ross MacDonald,’ says Kirkus Reviews. Now, in her sixth Hayle mystery, Wesley mines the intersection of African American rich and poor caught in the crossroads of Atlantic City. Darnella Desmond, stepdaughter to wealthy Foster Desmond, leaves her plush home for the wilds of Atlantic City, eschewing all contact with her family. When Darnella’s last known roommate is murdered, apparently by a serial killer stalking Atlantic City’s vulnerable runaway population, Darnella’s mother hires Tamara Hayle to track her daughter down. As her investigation brings her closer to Darnella, Tamara discovers that at the heart of the young woman’s disappearance lie two generations’ worth of familial perversity and a legacy of betrayal that threatens to undo the Desmond family. Rich in the vices and delights of Atlantic City, freighted with characters whose passions too often lead to murder, The Devil Riding finds Valerie Wilson Wesley at her tempting best.

Dying in the Dark

Valerie Wilson Wesley’s Tamara Hayle mystery series featuring Newark, New Jersey s number one private investigator are loved for their smart, sexy protagonist who has a way with a wisecrack that is positively lethal Washington Post. Now in Dying in the Dark, Hayle is entrenched in a sinister investigation that will demand her best detective work yet.

Tamara Hayle s past has come back to haunt her literally. She s been plagued by terrifying dreams about Celia Jones, an old friend whose walk on the wild side led her to a horrible death. Celia s teenage son, Cecil, begs Tamara to find his mother s killer…
only to end up dead himself, stabbed through the heart.

The search for Celia and her son s killer pulls Tamara deep into her friend s troubled love life, where everyone adored her but somebody held a murderous grudge. There s her bullying thug of an ex husband; a handsome ex lover who woos Tamara with charm and lies; and an angry, jealous woman who claims that Celia broke her heart. And those were just the obvious people with axes to grind.

Despite her better judgment and the admonitions of the police department, Tamara refuses to back away from the mystery surrounding her old friend s death and the tragedy that met her son. All clues lead to the past Tamara shared with Celia Jones, and Tamara fears that that past will threaten her own son. But she uncovers more than she bargained for and unearths secrets someone would kill to keep in the shadows.

From the Hardcover edition.

Of Blood and Sorrow

Valerie Wilson Wesley’s private investigator, Tamara Hayle, whom the Houston Chronicle calls smart, sexy, tough but tender, has earned enthusiastic acclaim from reviewers and readers alike. Now Newark, New Jersey s savviest detective confronts the one case she never saw coming and discovers how ties that bind can easily become a noose.

Tamara Hayle can t believe that her life is this good. New York s most powerful businessman wants her to work for him, her new lover seems caring and supportive, and her son, Jamal, is thriving. But as Tamara sardonically observes, When things stir that easy, there s always something lumpy at the bottom of the pot.

Enter Lilah Love, an old acquaintance who begs Tamara to find her missing child. Tamara, however, is wary of Lilah, who attracts mayhem and murder like an alley cat attracts fleas. Next up is Basil Dupre, Tamara s outlaw ex lover, who always brings passion and chaos when he strolls into Tamara s life. Suddenly Tamara s safe world isn t so secure, especially when Jamal witnesses a brutal murder and becomes the prime suspect.

As the body count rises, Tamara and Jamal will follow a long forgotten secret into a terrifying confrontation with love gone bad, trust turned lethal, and a past hungry to claim more lives.

How to Lose Your Class Pet

What new set of rules does Willimena live by in this adventure? Well, summer’s over, and Willie is finally about to enter the third grade. Things are looking pretty rosy until she learns that Mrs. Sweetly who’s anything but sweet is going to be her teacher for the whole year. Not to be daunted, Willie wonders how she can make a good impression on the ‘sinister’ Mrs. Sweetly. And, as Willie soon finds out, the first rule to losing your class pet and impressing your teacher is to ‘volunteer to bring your class pet home.’ Rule 2? ‘Make sure you look away while cleaning his cage in your backyard’. And so, when Lester, the third grade’s beloved floppy eared guinea pig makes a break for it, Willimena’s rules are about to change.

How to Fish for Trouble

It was spring break, Willimena’s favorite time of the year. Besides that, Teddy, Willie’s favorite cousin, was coming to visit for a week. They were going fishing, kite flying, and bird watching with Willimena’s dad. What could be more fun! But then it happened. Everything began to revolve around Teddy. It was ‘Teddy this…
‘ and ‘Teddy that…
‘ and ‘Teddy is so good at everything!’ On the day of the family fishing trip, Willie was determined to capture the spotlight and catch more fish than anyone especially Teddy. So, when Teddy caught the only fish of the day, Willimena put down her pole and began fishing for trouble. And she didn’t have to go far. Teddy was her bait.

How toRuin Your School Play

When Tina, Willie’s big sister, gets to cast and direct the next school play, Willie assumes that she is a slam dunk for the lead. Every night Willie dreams of her reviews in the school newspaper: ‘BRAVO! SPECTACULAR! OUT OF THIS WORLD! A New Star Is Born at Harriet Tubman School and her name is Willimena Thomas!’ But Willie’s audition goes south and she is cast as a tree. And without saying a single word, Willie still manages to make the headlines on opening night: ‘NIGHTMARE ON TUBMAN STAGE! Tap Dancing Tree Ruins School Play.’ Needless to say, Willimena does her best to make things right. But in the process, she makes things worse than Tina could ever imagine.

23 Ways to Mess Up Valentine’s Day

After being held prisoner for years, Artemis Fowl’s father has finally come home. He is a new man an honest man, much to Artemis’s horror. He makes his son promise to give up his life of crime, and Artemis has to go along with it. But not until he has completed one last scheme. Artemis has constructed a super computer from stolen fairy technology. Called the ‘C Cube,’ it will render all existing human technology obsolete. He arranges a meeting with a powerful Chicago businessman, Jon Spiro, to broker a deal for the C Cube. But Spiro springs a trap he steals the C Cube and mortally injures Butler. Artemis knows his only hope of saving his loyal bodyguard is to employ fairy magic; so once again he must contact his old rival, Captain Holly Short of the LEPrecon fairy police. It is going to take a miracle to save Butler, and Artemis’s luck may have just run out.

How to Face Up to the Class Bully

Great things usually happen in September. Except when you get the back to school blues, which Willimena has. Willimena is going to be in a bigger class, with new kids, a new teacher. It ‘s the first day of school, and she’s scared! Tina, her know it all big sister, says Willimena should just smile and be nice. But a smile and ‘nice’ won’t get you very far if the class bully also known as Mean Irene jumps in your face. And that’s just what happened to Willimena. Willimena had to do something big to put Irene in her place.

Ain’t Nobody’s Business If I Do

At forty, artist turned librarian Eva Hutchinson isn’t looking for a change. But on a hot Friday the 13th in June, Hutch, her husband of ten years, picks up his suitcase and walks into the night, searching for the ‘joy’ that he feels is missing from their marriage. Suddenly, playing by the old rules doesn’t make much sense to a not quite young sister whose stable world has turned upside down.

Now Eva is alone with an empty heart in a big, empty house. Hutch fears he is falling in love with the neglected wife of his wealthy, philandering best friend. Charley, Eva’s law school bound daughter, wants to chuck it all and become a stand up comedian while Stephen, Hutch’s son, harbors a secret that will rock his father’s world. And into the mix strolls Isaiah Lonesome, a handsome hunk of a twenty eight year old jazz musician who will teach Eva to play some lusty new riffs on love’s oldest song.

Always True to You in My Fashion

A trio of great single women is being driven to distraction; they have one thing in common Randall Hollis, a successful art dealer at the top of his game. Randall is rich, handsome, and charming the true to life dream lover of these smart, independent women who all find themselves passionately involved with him during the same seven month period. There’s Medora Jackson, an artist who has loved Randall since college and is now desperately trying to cut him loose. But turning Randall Hollis out of her life will end up being far more difficult than she thinks. There’s Ana Reese Mitchell, a wealthy widow and art collector who is haunted by the death of her best friend and the specter of her cruel late husband. She hopes Randall Hollis will be her second chance at love. And there’s ambitious Taylor Benedict, a graduate student in art history who is coming to terms with her parents’ divorce and problems from her childhood that she can’t chase away. She’s sure that Randall Hollis will be the first rung on her ladder to success. Randall Hollis is a man for all seasons, representing a different fantasy for each of the women who love him. As the novel unfolds, each woman will discover more about herself than she bargained for. And each, along with the errant Randall himself, will finally know the true meaning of love and the peace that comes with forgiveness.

Playing My Mother’s Blues

Dani Carter was seven years old her sister, Rose, seventeen when their beautiful, impetuous mother, Maria, walked out of their lives, abandoning her husband and family for a love affair. Over the decades that followed, Dani has married a successful man and given birth to a wonderful son. But love has long been missing from her marriage, propelling her into the arms of another and inspiring troubling thoughts of escape. The sins of the mother, Dani fears, have been visited upon the daughter.

Now that she finds herself in a similar heartbreaking situation, Dani can’t help but wonder who Maria really was. It’s a puzzle that may soon be completed, after a lifetime of searching for missing pieces. Maria, calling herself Mariah, is about to reenter her daughters’ worlds, bearing secrets and bitter truths…
and, perhaps, long awaited answers to what could possibly drive a mother to sacrifice what was dearest to her heart.

Playing My Mother’s Blues