Synopses & Reviews
Mali Anderson is back! Following the stunning debut of Edwards's first mystery, If I Should Die, here is the next book in the series starring this savvy Harlem sleuth.
Dubbed by the Chicago Tribune an "excellent first mystery," and named one of the top ten mysteries by Amazon.com, If I Should Die was published last year to critical raves. Now, A Toast Before Dying takes the reader back to Harlem on a journey through jazz clubs and bars, beauty shops and barbershops, back alleys and tony brownstones, in a gripping and satisfying tale that's sure to delight the growing cadre of Mali Anderson fans.
On a busy Saturday night at a Harlem hot spot called the Half-Moon Bar, a shot rings out. Fatally wounded is a popular barmaid and sometime actress named Thea. The main suspect is the young, suave Kendrick, Thea's boyfriend and the brother of sleuth Mali Anderson's good friend Bert.
Miss Bert, the straight-talking owner of Bertha's Beauty Shop, appeals to Mali to get her brother off the hook. As the story unwinds against the lushly painted backdrop of contemporary Harlem, old characters return (Mali's handsome boyfriend Tad, her jazz musician father, and her preteen nephew Alvin), new characters pop up (the colorful Too Hot, the elegant Gladys Winston), and Mali wends her way through one of the most fascinating neighborhoods on the globe to finally nail the murderer.
About the Author
Grace F. Edwards was born and raised in Harlem and now lives in Brooklyn. Her first novel, In the Shadow of the Peacock, was published in 1988. Her first mystery, If I Should Die, debuted in May 1997.