Review by Booklist Review
Wallbrook's debut is chockablock with themes, plots, and subplots: a murder mystery, a frank and disturbing assessment of how women--especially Black women--are treated in society in general and in academia in particular, an examination of racism and violence against women, a love story, and insight into the importance of love and support from family and friends. Daphne Ouverture defied her family's expectations by getting her PhD in history and accepting a tenure-track position at prestigious Harrison University. She's barely started at Harrison when she receives a cryptic text message from Sam Taylor, whose telegenic looks, charm, intelligence, published papers and books, and multiple television appearances make him the darling of the university. The day after Daphne receives Sam's text, he's found murdered, and Daphne's treasured copy of Papillon goes missing. Daphne uncovers terrible secrets, putting her life in grave danger. But her investigation also introduces her to police consultant and bookstore owner Rowan, who's definitely boyfriend material. Funny, touching, and extraordinary, this sometimes dark series starter delivers strong messages about life and the importance of sticking to one's principles
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
Wallbrook's delightful debut centers on Daphne Ouverture, a junior professor of European history at the prestigious Harrison University. When Sam Taylor, a high-achieving frenemy from Harrison's anthropology department, sends Daphne a strange text message about Henri Charrière's novel Papillion, she's perplexed and deletes it. Soon after, Daphne learns that Sam has been murdered and her own copy of the book has gone missing. Police detective Asma Ahmed, who's tasked with solving the crime, has few leads aside from Sam's cryptic texts to Daphne. Asma asks her ex-partner, Rowan Peterson, who left the force to open a bookstore, to consult on the case, and they come to believe Daphne may be hiding evidence. Then Daphne is attacked in her home by an unseen assailant, and it becomes clear she might be the next victim. Not content to hide out, Daphne decides to solve the crime herself--with help from Rowan--while juggling classes, campus politics, and the shock of discovering that some of her colleagues aren't who they seem to be. There's plenty to enjoy about this witty, erudite mystery, including a lovable cast of characters, enlightening historical tidbits from Daphne's lectures, and a dash of romance. Readers will eagerly await Daphne's next adventure. Agent: Michelle Richter, Fuse Literary. (July)
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Review by Kirkus Book Review
A history professor well versed in the abuses of the past turns her formidable skills to fighting the injustices of the present. Although bringing up the way "nineteenth-century Belgian colonial administrators in the Congo dismembered indigenous Africans for the purpose of scaring local villagers into creating profit for their newly emerging rubber industry" turns out to be enough of a buzzkill to discourage potential dating partners, Prof. Daphne Ouverture's encyclopedic knowledge of colonial history earns her the admiration of her students and the respect of many of her colleagues--excluding, of course, the ones who can't distinguish her from sociologist Tiffany LaFleur, who also happens to be Black. Daphne is a powerhouse: perceptive, empathetic, and endlessly witty. Just listening to her dish with best friends Sadie and Elise is worth the price of admission. When a colleague is murdered, Daphne is drawn into the investigation, because moments before he was killed, he'd sent her a cryptic text message in French. Daphne proves herself as astute a detective as she is a scholar because, after all, what is history but discovering the past? What she finds is both shocking and all too predictable. In focusing solely on Daphne, Wallbrook misses an opportunity to highlight another interesting woman: Asma Ahmed, the police detective assigned to the case. Wallbrook allows occasional peeks into Asma's interior life, but opening the door more fully into her secondary characters would move her into the first ranks of the mystery world. Readers should be on the alert for a follow-up to this promising debut. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
