Black Orchid Blues

The Lanie Price Mystery Novels #2

by Persia Walker

Lanie Price, a 1920s Harlem society columnist, witnesses the brutal nightclub kidnapping of the "Black Orchid," a sultry, seductive singer with a mysterious past. When hours pass without a word from the kidnapper, puzzlement grows as to his motive. After a gruesome package arrives at Price’s doorstep, the questions change. Just what does the kidnapper want--and how many people is he willing to kill to get it?

Evil hides behind the genteel facades of affluent Strivers’ Row and stalks the ballroom of one of Harlem’s most famous gay parties. In a complex plot that keeps the reader tied to the page, Black Orchid Blues explores the depths of human depravity and the desperation of its victims.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, African American, Historical, Crime, Mystery Thriller

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 9, 2011

About the author

Readers of Persia's 1920s novels know they're in for a fast-paced trip through one of the most fascinating periods in U.S. history, the Jazz Age. In designing her stories, and developing her characters, Persia draws upon her theatrical training as well as her journalistic experience.

She has worked for The Associated Press and Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. She has lived in Germany, Brazil and Poland.

Reviews

[Arlene♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so Black Orchid Blues is definitely not the mystery that I thought it was going to be. And in saying that I can hardly give you a detailed synopsis without giving too much away, but I'll try. In this story we met the very famous Lanie Price a crime reporter for the Harlem Tribune who is out for the night at the local hip nightclub where the even more famous and desired Queenie Lovetree aka the Black Orchid is preforming. While out getting a one and one interview with the famous Black Orchid a masked man comes into the nightclub, tommy gun blasting kidnapping the Black Orchid and leaving several bodies in his wake. Now being a crime reporter, this is just what Lanie Price has been waiting for ever since she changed from crime to society, but little does she know she's being dragged into this kidnapping way more than she should have been. And the mystery continues from there. Now the past of the Black Orchid is being investigated and her involvement in the kidnapping is now involving the most notorious gangster in town Stax Murphy. Can she save her friend without getting killed in the process? Will she be able to get the truth to the papers? I guess you have to read it to find out.

I liked meeting Lanie Price. She's a widow who's husband died of a heart attack, living by herself in the house that they brought. She's strong willed and courageous, always digging for the truth. Even if that puts her life in danger. There's a small romance in the book, which doesn't get in the way of the story, but it helps us see our heroine as a human, if that makes sense. One thing that kinda got on my nerves reading the book was the fact that she kept saying how she couldn't love because of her dead husband, or she couldn't do something socially or romantically because of her dead husband (that was a minor irk, not that serious)

What I liked about this mystery is the fact that it is definitely the first that has some serious LGBT main characters, LGBT themes (famous parties and such) and LGBT 1920s culture. I was happy to see that cause I don't think I've ever read a book that has had these elements in so strongly. There were moments where I thought the wrong pronoun was being used, but I thought that was just the main characters ignorance but when they weren't corrected I thought that might be seen as problematic. Other than that I thought the mystery has some intrigue and depth. Another thing that I really liked about this book was the history of the places talked about. Names clearly associated with the 1920s like the Cotton Club, Madame CJ Walker, Langston Hughes, Claud McKay and so forth were not so named dropped but used in a way that it was like a reporter recalling the backdrop of the stories they write.

Overall I thought it was a very fast pace mystery at about the 1/2 way mark. It was kinda slow to start, like it was just getting all the pieces together, but after that... it gets going. The way this mystery twists and turns in the end was so crazy! I really enjoyed it. A great 4 star book. Now I have got to read the other book in this series. I think it is best to just go onto this blind it adds to the greatness.

[Elizabeth (Alaska) · Rating 4 out of 5]

At six-foot-three, Queenie Lovetree was the tallest badass chanteuse most folks had ever seen. ... many seemed to forget or stubbornly chose to ignore a most salient fact, the one secret that her beauty, no matter how artful, failed to hide: that Queenie Lovetree wasn’t a woman at all, but a man in drag.

This is appears at only two pages in, so not a spoiler. Queenie performs at the Cinnamon Club and has been packing in the crowd for about six months. Lanie Price is a society columnist and is at the Cinnamon Club, talking with Queenie and trying to learn more about Queenie who has been very vague about her background. Before the end of the first chapter, a man with a tommy gun rushes into the club, kidnaps Queenie, and leaves a trail of dead and injured behind him.

OK, so maybe having a former crime reporter on the scene and an eye witness to such mayhem is at least mildly implausible. It's nice when novels reflect real life, but most crime novels do not anyway and I was more than willing to go along with this one. The writing style is good enough (beats the heck out James Patterson and Agatha Christie by a mile). Perhaps only Lanie Price is truly well drawn, although as I got toward the end of the novel it just might be that Queenie Lovetree is also a good characterization.

I'm glad when someone has taken the time to add a description to a series on Goodreads. This one includes genre is noir/pulp fiction which is very apt. One should be cautioned that some details of the result of violence are somewhat graphic. There were enough turns in the plot that I did well to keep up with it, and was not able to anticipate where it would lead me. Author Persia Walker was willing to include aspects of life not normally found in my reading.

This is #2 in the series. I probably got it because I got it as a Kindle Daily Deal. I was hoping that reading out of order wouldn't matter. There is enough back story on Lanie that I think it doesn't not matter. However (!) I liked this enough that today I've purchased the first in the series. No clue when I'll get to it, but I hope it isn't too long. For me, this was a solid 4-stars.

[Jason Pettus · Rating 4 out of 5]

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)

It's true that I've been disappointed lately in a whole string of titles from the usually excellent Akashic Books, not exactly bad reads but just not up to their usual exacting standards; but I'm glad to say that the latest by them, Persia Walker's Black Orchid Blues, is a great return to form, I suspect because of it being in a style that Akashic really excels at, noir tales with a unique, interesting bent. In this case, the gimmick is that all these "Lanie Price" tales (this is the second in the series) are set within the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, a brief time in this New York borough's history when affluent blacks were able to build a vibrant, opulent community of warm brownstones and hot clubs; and this turns out to be an excellent milieu within to set a rat-a-tat-style traditional crime thriller, with Walker using her obvious love for these years to inject all kinds of history lessons along the way, from looks at the neighborhood's real architecture to its infamous pre-Stonewall gay community. Now, to be fairly warned, you're going to need to be a big fan of writers like Raymond Chandler to find this book redeemable at all -- it's essentially a direct homage to that style, which will get your eyes rolling all the way to the back of your head if you're not already an admirer -- but for those who are, this brisk, informative novel is a real delight, and a burgeoning franchise you'd be wise to be following from here at its start. It comes strongly recommended to these particular types of readers.

Out of 10: 8.9, or 9.4 for fans of noir detective fiction

[Phyllis | Mocha Drop · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having been a fan of Persia Walker since the debut of Harlem Redux, I waited quite a while for her second release which introduced the world to 1920s Harlem society columnist, Lanie Price, in Darkness and the Devil Behind Me. In her third novel, Black Orchid Blues, Lanie returns to visit the Cinnamon Club upon invitation from the infamous Black Orchid aka Queenie Lovetree, a statuesque drag queen and overnight sensation who has just recently appeared on the scene (seemingly out of nowhere) taking Harlem by storm. Unfortunately, after an outstanding performance, Lanie is forced at gunpoint to participate in the bloody kidnapping of Queenie; what is left in its wake is heartbreaking in that both her friends and innocent bystanders are left dead in what seemed like excessive use of force. Lanie, seeking answers to Queenie's whereabouts and justice for the victims, transforms from "gossip" columnist to investigative reporter much against her editor (who is also her lover) and police's protests. Thus at the onset in the quest for Queenie's true identity, readers should fasten their seat belts for a bumpy ride to the darker sides of Renaissance Harlem where the seedy underworld of hardened gangsters are glimpsed, dalliances at extravagant balls and private parties celebrating alternate (and very decadent) lifestyles unfold in vibrant and not-so-pretty colors, and the dirty secrets of high society are eventually revealed with a few ugly twists and turns.

Walkers's talents shine in in this genre - which is somewhat of a challenge to explain because it blends elements of historical fiction, mystery-suspense, and dare I say "chick lit" and it works well for the offering. She excels with well-rounded, highly intelligent, yet wonderfully wounded and vulnerable characters. Her research into the era's language, politics, and issues is on point. Her pacing is well timed and the plot sequences were well done and led to a satisfying, yet unexpected conclusion. I loved how the reader discovered clues and processed evidence along with Lanie in this sordid adventure. Normally, in similar stories, there is usually a nagging nit left undone or a poorly conceived clue thrown in to move the plot; however, the one coincidence in the story was minor enough for me to overlook. I enjoyed the novel and look forward to the next Lanie Price adventure.

[Persia · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say? It's my book. I truly enjoyed writing it. It's the second in the Lanie Price series. Lanie witnesses the brutal kidnapping of a night club singer and soon finds herself up to her neck in trouble. It's a fun ride for the reader, but not so much for Lanie as she unravels a dark and twisting story.

[Robin Mccormack · Rating 3 out of 5]

I almost quit on this book twice, but each time it sucked me in a little bit more. As my son says, it was "cringe worthy", moments of ick that I found offensive, but when you think about it, were minor compared to what the characters were going through. There were quite a few twists and turns, dumb decisions, and unexpected moments. Nor was there exactly a happy ending. More like a 'maybe I'll try a little bit more.' Another book tuber made a comment the other day - Did I feel things? Yes, I felt things and found myself distancing myself emotionally from the characters and the action. It was unsettling and I really didn't want to invest in the story, but I did. Am I glad I read the story? I don't know. I think I'm still processing. But when all is said and done, it was a dark and disturbing.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Within a few pages I remembered how much I liked the narrative voice. Articulate & smart. I think this one was even better than the previous volume in the series... It's very much steeped in the Harlem period atmosphere, naming plenty of historical figures and places... as well as having a rather nail-biting plot. And it went in entirely unexpected directions. As it went on, I could hardly put it down, especially after an interesting revelation (which I won't spoil for you). But then, other revelations kept coming and it went in an entirely unexpected direction.

The writing is excellent, with a really strong narrative voice. Editing also perfect and I found no typos in the whole thing, so that's worth a golden rodent award. I paid full retail price for the book over on Smashwords. (I also have volume 3 of the series, and I'll probably read that one soon as well.)

[Lisa Lieberman · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'll have to call this one ambitious but flawed. When I start reading as an editor, thinking constantly how I would rewrite the scene, you know a story's not working. But what a great set-up!

[Suz · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads, and I am very happy that I did. I nearly always enjoy the chance to read a book that I don't think I would have normally picked up.

This book was a complete joy to read. The story is engaging, the storytelling is smooth and wonderfully well paced. The book follows Lanie Price, a society column writer, and her journey through a mystery that begins with the kidnapping of a local singer in 1920's Harlem. Ms Price uses fantastic detailing (although not so many descriptions/details that it becomes overbearing) of the time period to entice your mind into the era so that you feel you are there within the story. The mystery has a few twists, as any good mystery should, but some twists are definitely unexpected and all are gratifying - never cheap. Although it does cover some dark subject matter, the story manages to use these dark elements well so even when the plot is shocking it is satisfying at the same time.

I really look forward to more Lanie Price stories, and I enjoyed this book enough to buy the first Lanie Price book Darkness and the Devil Behind Me.

[Iejones · Rating 3 out of 5]

I must admit that the cover was a total turn off. It reeked of go-girl crossover fiction. Nevertheless, I read the jacket and am a total sucker for historical fiction. The story started off slow - yet pretty good with little cussing - another turn of mine - call me a prude - no problem -- I own it! I believe it was around page 60-70 something - where it clicked. A fast-paced drama - with all the right - whodunit - and chocolate love story in the midst of 1920s Harlem - one of the blackest places in the first quarter of the 20th century - all the things I LOVE!! Well, I must admit within three days the book was done - and the last 160 pages were read in one day - a marathon for me - since I like to read three books at a time -- I had to know - whodunit - and why. Let me tell ya -- the who and why is - INCREDIBLE. It made me think about the pain and suffering in this world when remedies are not available for victims or victimizers. Anyone interested in some passive historical facts, coupled with a liberal political bend - this easy reading is one for the shelves - and possibly the holiday stocking

[She Reads for Jesus · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the first piece of fictional mystery that I read by author Persia Walker, and I was not a bit disappointed by it. Black Orchid Blues took the form of a historical, fictional mystery, in that Walker based the novel during the time period of the 1920’s in Harlem, New York. She also included well known Harlem figures during that era, including A’Lelia Walker, who is the daughter of the legendary Madam C.J Walker. Embarrassingly, this was only the second African American author who I’ve read who has written in the genre of mystery, with the first being Walter Mosley. Although no one can compare to the renowned talent of Mosley, Walker creates a space of her own by adding a fresh wave of astounding flair. Walker engages the reader with each turn of the page with a thrilling plot and the creation of audacious characters. I pleasantly enjoyed this book, and look forward to reading Harlem Redux, another murder mystery written by Persia Walker.

[Adrienna · Rating 5 out of 5]

First time I ever picked up a book by this author and the cover spoke to me when I tried to pass it by at the library. Yet, once I opened the book, I was en-captivated by the author's style of writing and voice in the literature is timeless. I love it and want to read the other books; yet, I did not know it was a series/installments. I hope to find out what is book 1 and so forth.

The descriptions are splendid and delightful to read, some say it may be an overkill but as a writer myself, I enjoyed most of them and had to even look up a few terms. This author makes me want to go back to my first love of reading such books: mystery!

I'd love to see this as a TV series or movie for sure.

[Nakia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really good, gripping, crazy, ridiculous murder mystery. There were parts of the book that got really corny for me, and the ending seemed quite ridiculous, but the majority of the book was so intriguing that I honestly didn't care. This book kind of came across like the Black woman's answer to... (full review at Zora_Toni-Maya)

[Yasmin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the APOOO July BOM...I'm hoping it's a good read as I've heard nothing but good things about it from fellow bookclub members. Of course, MochaGirl enjoyed it and since she and I have similar reading taste, I don't think I can go wrong with Black Orchid Blues.

UPDATE THIS BOOK WAS MINDBLOWING...if you enjoy mysteries then you will like this one.

[Fran Burdsall · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a bizarre story! I had to suspend my disbelief so many times, I felt like a one armed paper hanger. It's like a 1950's style Perry Mason but the author had to hold it together with child abuse and insanity. Eh.... the author worked hard to sell the story line, but in the end you just had to kill nearly everyone off to make it work.

[Aisha Moore-hughes · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mystery novel really drew me in. As a fan of historical fiction I was hooked on the description of Harlem Renaissance and the mystery murder plot was a great one. Then something went awry when it came to the handling of trans issue.

One of the most stigmatizing tropes in society is that trans people have a mental health disorder. That they aren't normal. That they are confused people. So I was disappointed to see that come up at the end. To make the character, Queenie a murderous, bipolar & a hermaphrodite didn't sit well with me.

[Matthew Cost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast-paced entertaining story of 1920's Harlem. Great characters. Could've used better editing.

[Rosa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is the braiding of Urban fiction meets mystery and history. Very sensational, and just when I almost put in in the “DNF” list, the twists and turns started and did not stop. It became a page turner, but be warned, it starts out a bit melodramatic. It’s well woven, and is one of those mysteries where everything fits. Every person has a role, just not what you expect. This novel won’t change your life, or give any life lessons, but it is an adult, plot driven novel. The psychiactric twist was neat. An interesting read.

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am not sure how to rate this one. For me, it ended up between two and three stars, but I rounded up because it was a somewhat compelling read. However, I wanted to like it much more than I did. This was one of those books that I kept reading and reading and reading and never felt like I was getting any closer to the end of the book. During the story I thought 'she has everything in her except the kitchen sink... then I got to the end and there it was - the kitchen sink was in there too. Sometimes less is more and writer's really can refrain from trying to use 'every trick in the book'.

That said, I liked the idea of Lanie as a protagonist, a feisty, intelligent woman of African heritage, and generally liked Lanie as a character. I also enjoyed the inclusion of Sam and Lanie's complicated relationship with him, as well as some of the other characters that Lanie interacts with throughout the book. On the other hand, I did not particularly like Queenie/Black Orchid. The use of mental illness in such an over-the-top way in the name of 'entertainment' for me was not that entertaining. It also made the book much less credible and considerably less enjoyable. Yes, mental illness can be included as a plot line, but to do so the author must use it in a respectful way, or at worst in a way that is satirically over the top. But just 'overdone because the writer did not know when to stop'? For me, that just did not work and the tactic came across as borderline offensive.

Overall, however, the book was compelling. I did keep reading and reading and reading and did finally get to the end. I might well even read others of the series as I come across them.

[Rhonda Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Smoky clubs, slow jazz and Harlem in the Roaring 20s.

I don't tend to give an synopsis with my reviews. I will say that I couldn't wait to get back into this book after I had to put it down for various Real Life obligations (like, well, sleep). Lanie's voice keeps us at the center of the action. Surprises are many. At least, they were surprises for me.

There is an incident, when you read it, that I bet you'll guess what really happened but Lanie won't - at least, not as quickly, anyway. There's really No Way she could know that information, but we know it thanks to our information-saturated society. So, what's common knowledge to us adds to the suspense of the story.

I recommend this book.

[Amiee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes! A new Lanie Price book! In the latest of the Lanie Price series, a local star is kidnapped in a crowded nightclub and Lanie is one of the main witnesses. As she begins to work the case, she soon learns that her involvement was deliberate.

Black Orchid Blue has twists and turns that will keep you turning the pages...and its hard to stop reading!

Overall, it was a great read; worth checking out.

[Pria Alston · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a wild one. Crazy mystery with a very interesting twist set in my favorite time period.

[Anastasia Kinderman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was intense.

[Kim G. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Persia Walker writes a page-turner of a story its a rollercoaster ride full of twist and turns I love mysteries that take place in the era of 1920's. Still, this mystery was not what I had anticipated to be. I was amazed by the topics of the LGBT community talked about in the 1920s. I enjoyed the mention of Madam CJ Walker and Langston Hughes, just a couple I named from the book. So you have a drag queen who has split personality from the abuse he suffered as a child. I also really enjoyed the main character Lanie Price, a crime writer for a newspaper. Such as a strong-willed, independent woman; the author Persia Walker is becoming one of my favorite author's can't wait to read more of her stories. All and all I give it 41/2 stars. Forgot to mention, I love the cover of the book.

[Vivienne Neal · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Gripping Murder Mystery

The author does not disappoint when it comes to writing a plot that will shock you to the core; when you peel back the layers, there is more to the story than meets the eye. Lanie Price, a society writer for the Harlem Chronicle is back along with her editor, Sam Delaney, and Detective John Blackie. There are some colorful, impressive, and diabolical new characters, exposing juicy drama, twists and turns, deceit, betrayal, conceit, and murder. This captivating mystery will keep you turning those pages from start to finish with a sequence of events that will have a twist of an ending.

[Marsha Valance · Rating 4 out of 5]

When Lanie Price, society columnist for the Harlem Chronicle, decides to check out a sultry transgender blues singer who is drawing raves at a gay bar, the Cinnamon Club, she walks into a hurricane. 6-foot-3 Queenie is snatched by a tommy-gun-toting kidnapper who shoots up the club, killing the bouncer and numerous patrons. Intrepid Lanie discovers that Queenie has a closetful of secrets, including a history of child abuse leading to Lanie's neighbors on Harlem's upscale Strivers' Row. Nero Award Nominee (2012).

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was fun!

The narrator/protagonist is a bit...verbose for my taste and the book constantly felt like it needed a better editor, but the story is entertaining and there's a drag queen! I loved this as an addition to the African American detective/crime fiction I've been working through; reading it felt like watching a classic old timey movie. Also loved that the narrator is a black woman reporter.

[Nancy]

This historical novel is exotic, suspenseful and very poignant. It is most definitely a page-turner and it offers the reader a dip into one of Harlem’s sub-cultures in the early 20th century.

I was drawn I to the story and the characters, but would have enjoyed it even more if there had been more local history .

[Henry · Rating 4 out of 5]

It wasn’t quite what I expected. Walker has an excellent knowledge of the history and players of the Harlem renaissance.

It was historical, a gangster crime novel and a mystery with a twist. It kept you on the edge of your seat through the whole novel. There was some graphic description, but it fit the context of the novel.

I look forward to reading more in the series.

[Darlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

I !oved the twists and turns of the story. I am looking forward to next book.

I never heard of this author. I will be on the lookout for more from Lainie.

The story kept me riveted.