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 ...

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.

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.

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….

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 ...

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.

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 Akashic Noir series’ forensic study of Southern California sharpens its focus on one of Los Angeles’ most recognized neighborhoods.

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....

A Harlem kingpin meets a struggling, single mother. Hood love is in the air. Drako Williams is an up-and-coming Harlem Kingpin. He plans on doing things differently than those that came before him. He used to be the head of the 116th Street crew. But he shut down all their operations. He's gone legit. And he's putting all his time and money into the nightclub scene. His spot, Shakerz, is the hottest in town. But he won't be able to get away from his past quite that easily. There’s too many skeletons in his closet. Too many fingerprints and traces of DNA left in places where they shouldn't...

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 ...

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 ...

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...

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 ...

Thirty-year-old Holland Strokes was thrust into a lifestyle she had no idea existed after she said the words I do. Her life now is all about glamour, keeping up with the Joneses, and knowing at all times when to stay quiet and submit. The only thing that keeps her focus, besides the allotted time she’s awarded away from her chaotic life, are the pottery lessons she teaches. That’s until a mystery fellow joins her class with the skill and passion of an omega man, but the heart of an alpha. Thirty-six-year-old Flyte Tyme had always lived a lowkey lifestyle. He’s seen before heard and an...

Jamie MacKenzie was my light in a childhood of captivity—until his clan ripped him away and left me in the dark. Now, he's back. No longer a boy, but a battle-hardened ex-Marine, armed with vengeance and regrets. He says he’ll burn the world to the ground to free me—even if I fight him every step of the way. But I’m not just haunted by my past… I belong to a ruthless Bratva tsar who branded me as his. And he won’t let me go without a war.

He lost the love of his life as a casualty of the war between the drug cartels. Now KING must face his demons with the loss of Selena, the guilt of killing his parents, and the fact that the two women that were always in his corner have married and moved on with their lives. When his Colombian connect states he needs to move more product and meet an improbable deadline, KING reaches out to the two people he trusts most, the mothers of his two sons. He not only needs to move more weight; he needs to teach the heir apparent to the Colombian Empire how the game works. KING wants to go ...

After finding her mother dead, Vera is separated from her baby brother and carelessly placed in the care of her mom’s killer, Skip. There, her life quickly becomes miserable alongside multiple other women and children. She wants nothing more than to find her brother and run far away with him. Unfortunately, Skip isn’t willing to let her go so easy. He is more interested in using her for his own needs versus letting her be free. In attempts of escaping this lifestyle, Vera and a friend, Essence venture out in search of an escape. They find it in a man by the name of Bishop. Bishop ...

After he was thought to be dead, Cheno is ready to show his face in the streets and he’s on Demon time. Ending the beef with his rivals is top priority and nothing is going to stand in his way. Back in the day, women and children were off limits, but when Cheese and his crew strike first, all bets are off. Trust is questioned on both sides of the war. The Grim Reaper overshadows the city of Chicago as death rears its dark face at every turn. No one is safe. Even the girls are going to battle for what they believe in, which is getting revenge and standing on business as A THUG'S STREET ...

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.