The Mysterious Death of Junetta Plum

This thrilling historical mystery series debut propels readers into the dazzling excess of the Roaring Twenties, as the world celebrates the end of the war and the Spanish flu pandemic, and the Harlem Renaissance marks a thriving rebirth of Black cultural activity. Yet across the country, the mix of Prohibition and new freedoms is a recipe for flourishing corruption—as one Harlem newcomer is about to discover . . .

1926: Harriet Stone, a liberated, educated Black woman, and Lovey, the orphaned, biracial
12-year-old she is bound to protect, are Harlem-bound, embarking on a new, hopefully less traumatic chapter in their lives. They have been invited to move from Connecticut by Harriet’s cousin, Junetta Plum, who runs a boardinghouse for independent-minded single women.

It’s a bold move, since Harriet has never met Junetta. But the fatalities of the Spanish flu and other tragedies have already left her and Lovey with little to lose—or so it seems as they arrive at sophisticated Junetta’s impressive brownstone.

Her cousin has a sharp edge, which makes Harriett slightly uncomfortable. Still, after retiring for the night, she finally falls asleep—only to awaken to Junetta arguing with someone downstairs. In the morning, she makes a shocking discovery at the foot of the stairs.

What ensues will lead Harriet to question Junetta’s very identity—and to wonder if she and Lovey are in danger as well. It will also tie Harriet to five strangers. Among them, Harriet is sure someone knows something. What she doesn’t yet know is that one will play a crucial role in helping her investigate her cousin’s murder . . . that she will be tied to the others in ways she could never imagine . . .  and that her life will take off in a startling new direction. . . .