Lyrics of a Blackbird: A Jazz Age Mystery

Lately I have had the pleasure of reading so many good mysteries that I have been in reader's heaven and I certainly count Harlem Redux among the best of them. David McKay, the prodigal son, returns home after a 4 year self imposed exile. His sister Lillian is dead and the authorities are convinced it is suicide. David knows better and suspects foul play. So much has happened in his absence, his other sister, Lillian's twin, Gem, has disappeared; Lillian was living a life she never disclosed to him in their clandestine correspondences , and old friends have potentially devastating secrets. Harlem Redux has so may twists, turns and elaborate subplots it reminds you of an old Alfred Hitchcock thriller. It is like a house of cards; each secret you unravel brings you one step closer to solving the mystery and bringing down the house. I also thoroughly enjoyed the historical look at Harlem in the early twenties and thirties. When reading time pieces or historical accounts of the early 1900's I am always amazed at how little people and their attitudes change. Technology gets bigger and maybe better, our lives become complicated and more stressful but when you get right down to it, people really do not change a whole lot, and Harlem Redux reminds us of this. The very same ideas and beliefs that shape so many of the characters in this novel and cause their unraveling are very prevalent today and are just as destructive. Our ideas about love, acceptance and tolerance govern us and in many ways direct the path our lives take. I strongly recommend this one even if you are not a big fan of Mysteries. Reviewed by Ruby APOOO Book Club

Gripping.........from the very first page I was engaged in this mystery. Oh, I must say this work is much more than a who-done-it.........take a trip down Strivers Row......circa 1920. An absolute must read!

Harlem Redux by Persia Walker could be described as a history lesson with a murder mystery thrown in for good measure or vice versa. Walker's portrayal of the affluent McKay family and other families on Harlem's Striver's Row during the 1920 era, is rich in detail as the mystery is superbly laid before our eyes.David McKay, an attorney living in Philadelphia, returns to Harlem after a four-year hiatus to question his sister's suicide. What he finds is, "all is not as it seems" and he sets out to find the truth about his sister's death. As David investigates, several characters stand in his way of the truth. David thoughts constantly revert back to "all is not as it seems" as he stubbornly rushes into seedy joints and ruthless people who have something to hide. David too, has a secret that he would rather keep hidden because it could destroy the family name. But as David inches closer to the truth, the threat of his secret being revealed is probable at best. Harlem Redux is a complicated murder mystery and just when you believe you can name the culprit, Walker reveals other riveting details to further complicate matters. When all is said and done "all was not as it seemed." Persia Walker has written an excellent murder mystery that provides necessary and vivid descriptions of Harlem and its people, both rich and poor, during a time when people were proud of their determinations. Harlem Redux will go down as one of my all-time favorite mysteries and one of my all-time favorite books......Reviewed by Dawn R. Reeves, APOOO BookClub

It is very rare that I read novels whose setting occurs before I was born in 1970; however, Harlem Redux was so well written that I wasn't conscious of the excellent history lessons I received as I enjoyed the novel. Persia Walker places our minds and imaginations into a Time Machine, where she uses her words, imagery, and mystery to transport us back into time. We land in Harlem circa the 1920s, where the black social elite inhabit Strivers Row. Safe, secluded, and tucked away from the mars of the black lower class.An engaging and intoxicating mystery. David disappeared from his family's prominent home on Strivers Row. His sister, Lilian's, untimely and suspicious death prompted his return. David's suspicions about his sister's death has him remaining in Harlem longer than he anticipated. Not good. You see, David has a secret of his own that he doesn't want revealed.Harlem Redux addresses disputes among African Americans and between African Americans and Caucasians. We get a history lesson and an eclectic view of Harlem in the 1920s. Inner-racial prejudice and racial division are skirted, but the big issue is WHO DID IT? You'll enjoy the ride as David pounds the pavement and browbeats everyone available. He is determined to get the truth about his sister's death.Persia did an excellent job of having the novel set in history, but still making the story interesting. Her vibrant descriptions provide luscious scenery of historical Strivers Row. The characters were a splendid array of black aristocracy, peasants, elitist, and elite wanna bees. I love the way the story unfolds...you think you've figured everything out, only to be presented with more mystery on something else, utterly dispelling your previous hypothesis. Reviewed by KaTrina Love

After serving in France during World War I, David McKay attends Howard Law School. Following graduation, David becomes a civil-rights attorney. His efforts mostly occur in the South, gaining David a reputation and many enemies. David avoids lynching by going underground. While he works in hiding, one of his sisters, Lilian commits suicide.When David finally learns that his sibling is dead, he resurfaces in Harlem to find out what happened. He quickly realizes that life moved on while he toiled around saving the world. Feeling guilty, David makes inquiries into Lilian's life after he became a big shot attorney. He finds out that Lilian married attorney Jameson Sweet, who inherited most of the relatively large estate. David meets former lover Rachel, who informs him that she gave birth to his child after he went underground. His little girl, whom he had never seen, died from an illness. Now he must prove his innocence.HARLEM REDUX is a powerful historical fiction focusing on the life of African-Americans in the 1920s. The mysteries take a sidebar to the vivid descriptions of the era through the price of active involvement in a good cause on one's personal life. David is a wonderful lead character and the insightful look at mid-twenties Harlem Renaissance is a delight. Though the Sweet homicide subplot adds little to the tale except an unnecessary coda, sub-genre fans have quite a treat and hopefully Persia Walker will furbish a sequel starring David and cronies living during the Depression.Harriet Klausner