Myst Noir: African-American Mysteries

Featured Title for August: Murder Through the Grapevine!

Murder Through the Grapevine By Teresa McClain Watson

Roni Jarrett was once in love with a high-rolling strip club owner who used her and abused her. He caused her to lose the job of her dreams, not to mention her self respect. With nothing left but her newfound faith in Christ and her old BMW, she hits the road and ends up where she started, in her old hometown. With a new job in an upscale beauty salon, and a position as music director for her church, she's doing all she can to live a life that's pleasing in the eyes of God.

Unfortunately, other people's drama has a way of following Roni Jarrett and it follows her to her new life in Florida. When her best friend from childhood turns up dead in the streets, the local police behaves as if Roni may have had a hand in that death, and everything changes. Roni finds herself caught up in a dangerous maze of gossip and lies that could lead to her own destruction. The only man willing to help her, Police Chief Don Gillette, is a gorgeous hunk of a human being who makes Roni's heart pound, but his own reputation causes even more drama to enter her life. Roni is tested time and again as she struggles to understand what is happening around her. Her budding relationship with Don Gillette, a relationship that seems sent from God, may get caught in the wreckage too. Will Roni's newfound faith be able to withstand so many trials, and will Don Gillette turn out to be the love of her life or the worse thing that had ever happened to her?

Featured Title for July: Murder in the Hamptons!

Murder in the Hamptons by Danita Carter

The residents of Coco Beach, a private enclave tucked away in the Hamptons, are a hoity-toity bunch. Black society snobs with roots in Sag Harbor that run generations deep. So imagine how incensed the locals become when their tranquil summer getaway is infringed upon by TuSmArt, a rapper with money, but without the necessary pedigree to fit into this upper-crust community.

When a body is found floating face down at TuSmArt’s yacht party, the police waste no time swarming in to find the killer. The snooty locals rejoice, automatically assuming that now the police will rid the area of the unwanted inhabitants. However, their victory song is cut short when one of the most prominent residents of Coco Beach is implicated in the murder.

Featured Title for June: Death at the Double Inkwell

Death at the Double Inkwell By Shonell Bacon

Sometimes life is stranger than fiction; take the lives of mystery novelists and twins, Jovan Parham-Anderson and Cheyenne Parham. They are young, beautiful, talented, and on their way to their sixth best-selling novel; that is, until Jo learns her husband, Cordell Anderson, founder of Anderson Technologies, is having an affair with Alisha Stewart, his right hand at Anderson. Before she can confront him, tragedy strikes her home, and Jovan must deal with the fact that the careful, safe life she had with Cordell was merely smoke and mirrors.

Mystery News-Deals & More: R. Barri Flowers

Bestselling crime novelist R. Barri Flowers will be interviewed on two shows in June.

On Wednesday, June 9th, Barri's interview on Investigation Discovery channel's Wicked Attraction series can be seen. The episode is titled, "Twisted Twosome," and will be shown twice at Jun 09, 9:00 am, EST, and Jun 09, 2:00 pm, EST.

And for those of you who live in Canada or have access to Canadian programs on cable, Barri's interview on the History Channel's series, Crime Stories, will be broadcast on Monday, June 21st. The episode is titled, "The Love Slave Murders," and will be shown twice at Jun 21, 11 am, EST, and 3 pm, EST.

R. Barri Flowers has signed a three book deal with Urban Books to write mainstream suspense novels under the pen name, Devon Vaughn Archer. The first title, THE SECRETS OF PARADISE BAY, will be released on July 1st 2010.

THE SECRETS OF PARADISE BAY is the taut tale of bad blood between brothers, the beautiful woman who turns their lives upside down, and a vengeful man determined to kill all three.

The second book, THE HITMAN'S WOMAN, is set to be released in the summer of 2011.

Barri has also signed with Twilight Times to edit a second mystery anthology, MURDER HERE, MURDER THERE, written by bestselling, award winning authors belonging to the American Crime Writers League. It is scheduled to be released in August 2011.