Midnight hour An anthology

In this wonderful all-original anthology, Vandiver (the Romaine Wilder series) showcases 20 mystery and suspense stories written by people of color, each with a pivotal moment set at midnight. One highlight is Callie Browning's twisty "Dead Men Tell No Tales," which centers on the murder of the prime minister of Barbados, "a notorious Lothario with a penchant for dim-witted women with loose morals." Another standout is Christopher Chambers's clever "In the Matter of Mabel and Bobby Jefferson," in which Shane, an English major now working the night shift at an insurance company call center, wearily concludes, "It's going to get funny tonight," but he doesn't know the half of it. In Tina Kashian's unsettling "Cape May Murders," Sona and Priya, both mothers of young daughters, go away for a relaxing weekend at the Jersey Shore and wind up sharing their B&B with a murderer. Sanjay, the Hindi Houdini, finds his séance spinning out of control in Gigi Pandian's droll "The Diamond Vanishes." Each contributor offers a surprising and original take on the mystery genre. Full of varied voices, this volume is must reading for mystery aficionados. (Nov.)

An exciting anthology of 20 crime and suspense tales by and about people of color. Vandiver brings together a diverse group of short stories that chill and thrill in their exploration of the many human passions that lead to crime. Tracy Clark tells the tale of a young punk looking for easy money who makes the fatal mistake of choosing the wrong victim. David Heska Wanbli Weiden explores the theft of a book covered in the skin of a Native American that turns out to be much more than a theft for hire. Editor Vandiver's tale of murder has a surprise you won't see coming. Callie Browning's story of hate and karma is set on tropical Barbados. Richie Narvaez's account of blackmail and revenge in Puerto Rico has plenty of odd twists. A district nurse and a parrot help solve a convoluted case of murder during a robbery in Frankie Y. Bailey's quick read. E.A. Aymar surveys the choices available to a man down on his luck. Jennifer Chow follows two old high school friends whose decision to meet in an escape room has unexpected consequences, and magic and a séance drive Gigi Pandian's story of a clever escape from an abusive husband. This eclectic collection will appeal to mystery readers. An excellent collection of stories told from many different viewpoints. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.