Book Review: Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia

This post contains affiliate links which is at no extra cost to you.

My thoughts:

I normally don’t read historical fictions books, but once I saw this cover and read the blurb I knew I had to give it a chance. I really enjoyed this story and the timeline as well. Louise was a refreshing character and I was all for the lesbian romance while trying to catch a murderer. I will say that I didn’t suspect the murder at all. I had three people of interest and I was wrong. I enjoyed the pacing of the story, but I did feel that the last chapter was abrupt and the ending caught me off guard. This is the first book in the series and I look forward to the next story. I also suggest checking out the authors note. Not a lie was told!

About the Book:

The start of an exciting new historical mystery series set during the Harlem Renaissance from debut author Nekesa Afia

Harlem, 1926. Young Black women like Louise Lloyd are ending up dead.

Following a harrowing kidnapping ordeal when she was in her teens, Louise is doing everything she can to maintain a normal life. She’s succeeding, too. She spends her days working at Maggie’s Café and her nights at the Zodiac, Harlem’s hottest speakeasy. Louise’s friends, especially her girlfriend, Rosa Maria Moreno, might say she’s running from her past and the notoriety that still stalks her, but don’t tell her that.

When a girl turns up dead in front of the café, Louise is forced to confront something she’s been trying to ignore—two other local Black girls have been murdered in the past few weeks. After an altercation with a police officer gets her arrested, Louise is given an ultimatum: She can either help solve the case or wind up in a jail cell. Louise has no choice but to investigate and soon finds herself toe-to-toe with a murderous mastermind hell-bent on taking more lives, maybe even her own….