African American Crime Fiction

"Captivating, suspenseful & raw. An accurate depiction of life during that time. Incredible!" When Danny Jackson says "the N-word" on his fifth birthday his grandmother tells him their family doesn't use that word, though he's learned it from his father. There's a mysterious grave in their woods, and all he's ever heard it called was "the N-word Grave." Thus begins a family saga and coming of age story as an Appalachian grandmother tries to change her family's trajectory regarding race relations. Danny and Martin Noble Peoples, a descendent of the murdered black man, team up to uncover the ...

This drive through the dark streets of the Motor City “is one of the best in Akashic Books’ noir series. You cannot go wrong with this anthology.”—Reviewing the Evidence From cri….

College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe's life is ever the same. Carl is a dying Vietnam veteran-and a convicted murderer. With only a few months to live, he has been medically paroled to a nursing home after spending thirty years in prison for the crimes of rape and murder.

Award-winning author William Kent Krueger has gained an immense fan base for his Cork O’Connor series. In Ordinary Grace, Krueger looks back to 1961 to tell the story of Frank Drum, a boy on the cusp of manhood. A typical 13-year-old with a strong, loving family, Frank is devastated when a tragedy forces him to face the unthinkable - and to take on a maturity beyond his years.

She was loved by many… and envied by more. Reese Hamilton was the kind of woman who seemed untouchable, respected professor, brilliant in the classroom, admired by her friends, desired by men who should’ve known better. But when she’s found dead, everything unravels. Detective Jordan Cross is pulled into a case where every suspect has a motive: jealousy, betrayal, obsession, greed. Reese’s friends, her lover, even her family, no one is above suspicion. Secrets spill. Lies crack. And the truth, when it finally comes to light, is darker than anyone imagined. Sometimes the people ...

After mysterious homicides of an Atlanta hip hop legend and a med student, the stage is set for the chess match between Detective Aisha Sawyer and a mastermind killer. Sawyer mixes it up with a diverse suspect list, from a world-renowned surgeon to a hip hop vixen scorned. As the death toll rises, Sawyer notices the victims share one immoral trait, which means that their killer is a vigilante, an agent of karma. High stakes, political vendetta, the detective risking the badge for the sake of justice: things you might find in an epic struggle between a mastermind killer and a hardnosed ...

There are many ugly things in this world, but Julius Graves is considered one of the ugliest of those things. His Big Lips, Big Nose and Jet Black Skin have always been the perfect recipe for nasty stares, cold shuns, and violent beat downs his entire life. Once Julius moves to a new neighborhood, the torment he thought he escaped gets far worse when he becomes targeted by a menacing crew that’s led by an egomaniac that’s determined to make Julius’ life a living hell! Julius finds refuge in an unlikely ally that sends his life spiraling even more out of control at the cost of losing ...

Big Jesus the father of drug kingpin, Black Jesus, tried to take his son’s spot after they found parts of his body nailed to his house. Big Jesus set out to get all the youngsters under his wing but Black Jesus’s daughter Queen saw her granddaddy for who he was and went out on her own mission to rise to the top. Along Queen’s rise to the top her plan backfired to where she had to go on the run and do a prison bid but back on the streets again, she was ready to be crowned again as the First Lady of Indianapolis. Will the killers on the streets allow a woman to rise above them? Or will ...

1959 - Greensboro, North Carolina - White family in a well-to-do part of town hire a young black woman to be their maid – cleaning, cooking and washing etc. Over a few months, the maid realizes the man of the house is a Pedophile. But it’s 1959, he is wealthy with friends in high places. She’s a poor black woman. No one believes her. She goes on a quest to expose him.

Kimera Davis finds comfort in dating married men. It's easier that way. Her needs are taken care of, and she doesn't have to give more of herself than she wants to. No messy feelings involved. But when the man she's seeing poses an unexpected question, Kimera quickly realizes she's not the only woman pulled in by his charm. Their new arrangement doesn't require much from Kimera, but she soon discovers someone else is pulling the strings. She's not looking for complications, yet she can't help feeling there's something devious at play.

Why did I decide to put together a Bundle of my FOUR BBW Urban Fiction Series? Each series shows Plus Size Women as main characters. They aren’t sidekicks, ugly ducklings, or undesirable third wheels. Their beauty is up front and center. These BBWs are not late-night booty calls. And they’re not their lovers’ last options. Sexy, dangerous, street ninjas love and desire them. These are the most attractive men on the market. And they're willing to do anything to get their hands on the Big Beautiful Woman who is the object of their desire. Of course, as a writer, I want everyone to read ...

Waiting to enter a movie theater to see "Dr. No," the first James Bond movie, Simon sees a cute Black girl standing in a separate line that leads to the balcony, the "colored" section. A friend tells him, "You're in the South. Stick with your own kind.” Simon doesn't. It's the steamy summer of 1963. Simon Klein has moved with his family, Jews from St. Paul, Minnesota, to Pickettville, Alabama, where his father has taken a job at a nearby Army base. He is as mystified of the South as Southerners are of a Jew While gathering information for a story he is writing for his school paper, Simon ...

For Reece and Qwess, being rap superstars was the dream, but in real life, nothing moved without the money. So they formed the Crescent Crew, an outfit of young, ruthless hustlers who locked the Southern drug trade in a stranglehold. They're at the height of their power when Qwess is offered a record deal from a major label. He accepts and makes plans for his whole crew to go legit, but Reece enjoys his position as king of the streets and has no desire to relinquish his crown.

Nikki Ashford had it all. Not only was she drop-dead gorgeous with a figure to match, but she was smart – a top student at one of the most elite high schools in town. Moreover, Nikki was used to getting her way. As an only child, she was spoiled rotten by parents who had worked their way out of the hood in order to give her everything she ever wanted. The only problem was that Nikki wanted everything: clothes, money, jewelry... But at the top of the list was Quilon – who, shockingly, didn’t want Nikki. Unfamiliar with being denied what she wanted (and certainly not accustomed to being...

No matter how tough the odds, Ricky, Derrick, and Jamal learned to unite and fight during their time at the Branch Avenue Boys' Youth Institute. But their adult lives have driven them apart - and set off a series of events their friendship may not survive. All Jamal's political achievements can't erase his bargain with DC's corrupt mayor. And when he finds himself the latest target on Mayor Johnson's hit list, he'll risk everything to end the mayor's deadly reign - even if it's the last move he ever makes.

Nobody ever gave Jamil Rock anything - much less hope. To survive a rough home life and one bad break after another, he became his hood's most successful drug dealer. With loyal friends at his back, Jamil coolly takes care of business and never thinks too far ahead - until Gia Ellis walks into his life. Suddenly, ruling the streets is nothing compared to the instant heat, and alluringly innocent aura, Jamil can't resist....

Carlton “Big-Carl” Watts made his name in the streets by robbing and terrorizing drug dealers in order to provide for his family. That is, until he was murdered by a close friend. Leaving his wife to raise their two sons, ‘Champ and Mook’, alone in a poverty-stricken environment where only the strong survive. After their father's untimely demise, brothers, Champ and Mook, find themselves knee-deep in street life at very young ages. Burdened with the pressures of providing for their family as well as living up to the ruthless legacy their father left behind, they decide to dive head-...

Riley James was just elected the CEO of Petro Incorporation. Things seem to be going good in her life. She has who she thinks is the perfect fiancé. Life has a way of showing you differently; especially for Riley. Davin Sumpter is a jealous man on a mission after Riley’s father grants her the position that he thought was meant for him. With Riley’s best friend Larissa being on his back about taking care of her, he does what he as to do to make things happen.​ Davin calls upon someone that he hung with back in the day. Mecca Anderson was hired and paid fifty G’s up front to kidnap ...

The most ruthless ride-or-die women of Memphis saved their empire by nearly destroying the streets. But as unexpected new rivals rise and brutal secrets shatter lives, betrayal means winner rules all. Putting out chaos with gasoline is one play that even the women of the Dirty South can't control. One merciless kill vaults good-girl-gone-bad Ta'Shara into gangland's power elite - but an enemy she doesn't see is targeting everything she can't afford to lose.

In the gritty urban landscape of Brooklyn, a tale of loyalty and betrayal unfolds, where alliances are tested, and lives hang in balance. Bucktown Hittaz delves into the life of Blood, a fearsome youngster whose unwavering loyalty is put to the ultimate test. Blood, a product of the tough streets of Brooklyn, has always stood by his mentor, Big, a well-respected figure in their neighborhood. But when Big is unjustly incarcerated, Blood finds himself thrust into battle against a ruthless group of old heads led by a notorious gangster, Duke. As Blood fights to protect his mentor’s legacy ...