A Lethal Lady

Harlem Renaissance Mystery #3

by Nekesa Afia

While on a soul-searching trip to Paris, Louise Lloyd is drawn into the mysterious disappearance of an artist in an exciting new Harlem Renaissance mystery.

Louise Lloyd’s time away in Paris is everything she was hoping it would be until a shocking murder turns her new world upside down.

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Historical, Fiction, Thriller, Historical Mystery, Audiobook

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 30, 2024

Reviews

[CaseyTheCanadianLesbrarian]

I had high hopes for this: a Black lesbian solving crimes in 1920s Paris! But the writing is repetitive (Afia often writes two sentences in a row that say essentially the same thing??) and the characterization is really lacking. I can't even tell the potential suspects apart and Louise, the detective, is supposedly this fascinating, smart person according to the letters her friends, but she shows none of that in her actions. So far most of what she's figured out in relation to the crime has fallen into her lap.

Disappointing, as I felt this had potential! A few rounds of solid editing could have done this a world of good. I also felt frustrated how this was set in a non-English speaking place but the issue didn't factor at all? Can everyone just tell Louise is American? Does she speak any French after living there for 10 months? Why would two French characters speak to each other in English??

If you are going to read this, I don't recommend the audiobook. The voice actor has to do a lot of French accents and a recurring Irish character, and she's not great at either.

[Mandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone say “thank you Nekesa.” No really, I mean it.

A brilliant addition to the wonderful world of Lou and one that left me wanting more mysteries in my life (although I bet I couldn’t solve them as well as our girl Lou)

Add it to your preorder list immediately and then stare in awe at the wonderful artwork that graces the cover.

[Christina Spickler · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved the first book in this series! And I love the characters in these books. But with every new release in the series I find them to be more boring than the last.

[dany · Rating 2 out of 5]

"Lovey" SHUT UP!!! SHUT UP SHUT UP

DNF @ 63%, also read the last few chapters. Obvious killer.

Sadly, this series has deteriorated across each book. I preordered this one and I don't regret that because I want to support indie authors, but I didn't like this book, and I probably won't be reading #4 unless it sounds particularly interesting. My main complaint is that I just can't suspend my disbelief or get into the world Afia is building. It's not 1920s Paris; I don't know what it is. Louise's dreamland?

Louise is the main character of the novel, but she's also the main character of everyone else's life. Her old friends continuously send her letters despite her not responding for almost a year; they love her. Why? Why do they love her?! She's a horrible friend. Why was she accepted into the artist girl club, despite us learning that it's extremely choosy about who gets to join? And she's not even an artist?! I don't know.

The plot was extremely boring and irrelevant and there were way too many characters to follow (I switched to an audiobook 20% through and it didn't help). There never seemed to be any real problems, primarily for Louise; she never has to worry about money, her sex, or her race, despite all three of those things having huge potential to be issues. They were in the first book! But this is not Dead Dead Girls. Oh well.

[Shakila (BooksandThemes) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5⭐️
Thank you #berkleypartner @berkleypub #prhaudiopartner @prhaudio for my gifted copies!

I’m in my cozy girl era! Cozy mystery and cozy romance because this one had both! This is book 3 of this series and of course I haven’t read books 1 and 2, but have no fear, that’s ok. I feel as though you don’t really need to, to enjoy or follow what is happening here. I did enjoy following Louise in her quest to help find the missing daughter.

Now, I enjoyed unraveling the mysteries here with the drama and fighting to get ahead by any means possible in the artistry world with lies, deception, and jealousy! I never knew it could be cut through, but I guess if you’re passionate about something. 🤷🏽‍♀️ Anyway, this was an easy flow through this audiobook with Louise and friends (or not so much friends) and love interests in the streets of Paris! From listening/reading I could picture the scenes which I was excited about since Paris is a bucket list place of mine. Then to throw in the historical aspects, sold.

Like I said, this is a cozy murder mystery, so not much of the tense action you would see In a high stakes murder mystery, but it was a nice easy read to listen to!

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m so sorry, but I was so bored reading this tbh. Too many characters, I had no clue who we were talking to half the time. I didn’t think the letters served a function because? Never emotionally paid off and what did she even do that she needed to move to Paris? Why’d she kill that guy, I’m lost?

Also spending all the time to solve the murder but what were the actual clues and okay let’s make it the most obvious one with no other suspects? The beauty of Agatha Christie is that we suspect everyone?

Again, not the mystery I wanted :(

[Anna Reads Mysteries]

I own book 1 and book 2...
Currently, I'm reading book 1 and it's subpar. I know it's a debut author and I'm being kind when I say it's subpar...
And while I have already paid to buy both books so far, I just don't see myself getting the third one - unless 'Harlem Sunset' pulls a one-eighty, which I highly doubt... for now, I will consider that an accomplishment if I make it through the second one.

So.. sadly, here we are, this goes on the untouched DNF pile.

[Janereads10 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley and Berkley, for the free E-copy for review.

A Lethal Lady by Nekesa Adia takes readers on a captivating journey with a young woman seeking anonymity and a fresh start in the vibrant city of Paris. When a desperate mother asks Louise Lloyd for help in locating her missing artist daughter, Iris Wright, Louise is reluctantly drawn into a mystery that will challenge her hard-won peace of mind.

This cozy, jazz-era tale is enhanced by the author's clever use of letters, which provide insightful glimpses into the protagonist's past and background - a welcome touch for those new to the series. I was particularly struck by Louise's courage and independence, in embracing her new life in the city and her unwavering determination to uncover the truth about Iris's disappearance.

Beyond the central mystery, the story also explores the complexities of Louise's romantic life, as she navigates her feelings for Clemence and Emme. This added layer of emotional depth lends a relatable and compelling dimension to the narrative.

A Lethal Lady emerges as a multifaceted tale, blending the suspense of a cozy mystery with poignant themes of friendship, envy, and the hope for new beginnings.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book before I realized it was a series, so before I read this, I read the first two. And this book was by far the better of the three. I almost didn’t read this because I wasn’t a fan of the first two but they progressively got better as the characters developed.

Louise’s character and personality finally felt natural and unforced. In the previous books some of her attitudes and beliefs seems so rigid and felt like someone telling you who they are, so in this installment it felt like she finally acted like who she is as a person.

I think I enjoyed this story more because it was more like a PI novel and not a police vendetta.

The author does imagery well and I have felt the grittiness of the time period and gruesome nature like a film noir throughout the series.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC :)

[Sam Riner · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love this series so I'm really bummed I didn't like this book more. Despite moving to Paris, a huge chunk of the book is about the old characters, which makes the book feel bloated with all the new characters too. Also the culprit is really obvious and the ending of the culprit seems to come out of nowhere. Here's hoping for the next book.

[Diane · Rating 3 out of 5]

The books are improving as this series progresses which is a good thing. You really need to start from the first novel in order to make sense of this novel. If you enjoy flawed characters, main character in this one has a lot of issues and is kind of a lost soul just trying to do the best she can.

[K Whatsherface · Rating 3 out of 5]

I still think it feels like it forgots it's set in the 20s sometimes. I still don't think this is a cozy. And I did still enjoy it.

[Minerva Gale · Rating 5 out of 5]

The low reviews from people who haven't read books 1 and 2 are frustrating and (I think) inappropriate. No, we don't get a full rehashing of everything from Dead Dead Girls or Harlem Sunset, because this is the third book in a series. If you find yourself with questions about what happened before, go read those books, rather than complain that you're confused.

That out of the way, I loved this third installment of the Harlem Renaissance Mysteries. Afia has improved as a writer every time (and she started off already strong), so it's lovely to see Louise grow and mature along with her author. The novel is quasi-epistolary, which was a great move for a book about an American ex-pat in Paris. I highly recommend the book (after you read 1 and 2!!) foe anyone who likes mysteries, period pieces, Black literature, and/or LGBTQIA2+ fiction.

[Laila · Rating 2 out of 5]

disclaimer: didn’t read the other books in the series

wasn’t a fan of this book unfortunately. the plot was interesting enough, but did not enjoy the writing style, ending, or the characters. lots of references to the past book, but without explaining what happened (i get it, you’re supposed to read that one to understand, but i already didn’t so…). the main character felt kinda mediocre but everyone loves her (society women even though she’s constantly being obviously & obnoxiously nosy, her friends and family even tho the entire book she’s ignoring their letters and they just always write to say “i miss you so much please just read these that’s all i can hope for”, etc.). author used the wrong sister’s name when saying she died, which confused me. the ending was extremely boring & predictable. wish i’d enjoyed it more

[Kimberly Swartz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Before I say anything, I would like to start out by saying, I have no read any of the other books and was no aware this was part of a series.

Anyway, so many characters and somehow I kept it pretty straight. I feel like if I did read the other two books, the stuff happening back home would have been more important but it works for what it was. I enjoyed it for the most part even though I do not love mysteries.

[Linda (The Arizona Bookstagrammer) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the free book Berkley Publishing @BerkleyPub and Nekesa Afia @nekesawritesbooks #BerkleyPartner #Berkley
“A Lethal Lady” (Harlem Renaissance Mystery #3) by Nekesa Afia ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Historical Mystery. Location: Paris, France. Time: Summer 1928. NOTE: LGBTQ+ friendly.

THE SERIES: In 1916, Louise Lovie Lloyd (15) was kidnapped off the streets of Harlem. But she fought back, rescuing herself and 3 other girls, becoming known as “Harlem’s Hero”. Now she’s trying to live a normal life. After working at Maggie’s Café and spending nights at Harlem’s hottest speakeasy, she becomes manager of the Dove, a club owned by close friend Rafael Moreno.

THIS BOOK: For 10 months, Louise has enjoyed a break in Paris, living in a tiny 6th floor maid’s quarters, directly above Irish playwright Ciarán Dunne. Her time in Paris is almost like her time in Harlem-cafés, work, dancing-but no death, no murder. Instead, it’s Dauphine’s Café for coffee and flirting with Clémence, work at Allaire’s parfumerie, nights with friends at the Aquarius club, dancing, smoking, and drinking way too much. Then Lucy Wright begs her help locating her missing artist daughter Iris Wright Montgomery (28). Red-haired, blue-eyed Iris frequents Madame Blanchet’s elite dinner parties, and is in a privileged group of artists who hang out in a Montparnasse pied-à-terre and call themselves La Mort des Artistes. Detective Daniel Toussaint closes the case, but Louise has a bad feeling. With help from reporter Emme Foster, Louise plunges into a web of lies, jealousy, and betrayal to find the truth.

Author Afia inserts letters from home, catching us up on previous characters. Louise is a troubled spirit-flawed but strong and sensitive, a fast-talking, fast-dancing Jazz Age woman who drinks to forget. Her book explores women’s lives, hopes, dreams, fears in the context of late 1920’s history, slang, fashion, attitudes. There are red herrings-no one is quite what we think. It’s suspenseful, interesting, a fascinating look at another time in Paris. It’s 4 stars from me🌵📚💁🏼‍♀️ #BerkleyBookstagram #berkleyinfluencers #alethalladybook #nekesaafiaauthor

[Danielle Woolard · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book so much more than I actually did. In the acknowledgement, the first line says "First, as always, thank you to me. Writing this book was hard and I persevered." I literally almost bumped up the rating to 4 stars for that sentence alone, because hell yeah Nekesa Afia, congratulations on your book! But also, same girl, as the reader - this book was kinda hard and I persevered in the reading of it..

I did like the murder mystery part, and how our main character ran away to Paris only to be found in the same situation she was running away from. I loved the magic of 1920s flapper Paris and longed for more of that scenery in the book, because really, this story could have taken place anywhere.. I love that our main character is attracted to women and that there are several queer couples in the story, and that that's not the main storyline.

I ultimately decided 3 stars instead of 4 because the book didn't steal me, at all. There were days when I would want to read before bed and then just scrolled on my phone with the book in my lap because the book is just barely interesting. I don't understand the letters sprinkled throughout the book.. I don't think they're in sequential order, it's not immediately obvious who's sending the letter so I would peak at the signature before even reading it to help curve confusion. I guess it provides glimpses of Louise's previous life that she's hiding from and introduces friends and relationships that she doesn't want to talk about. And after a full book, I still don't know what actually happened to her and her sisters before Louise moved to Paris.

*edit to add - omg I didn't even know this is the 3rd book of a series. That's hilarious. Alright, so maybe it could have gotten 4 stars if I had read the first two books, but as a standalone, I stand by my rating. I will be ordering the first two books in the series.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book much, much more than I did. I love the time period and setting, and the main character is appealing and memorable. Set in 1920's Paris, this is book three and my first problem was that so much evidently happened in books 1 and 2 it's perhaps imperative to have read those first as I was confused by the main character, Louise's, relationships to the folks who are writing her letters. She's left Harlem for Paris and left behind a family and some sort of tragedy. While she reads the letters, she doesn't answer them, so when about half way through two of her New York friends turn up on her doorstep, I think I was as glad to see them as she was.

The crime: a young woman has disappeared and as a favor for a friend, Louise agrees to try and find her, though her actual job is working as a clerk in a perfumerie. She makes some headway by getting to know some of the missing woman's friends - she was an artist and a member of some kind of private collective for women artists. The woman ends up dead (of course, this is a mystery novel) but third problem, the solution was so incredibly obvious I doubted it was the right one, so there was really zero suspense. I think there might be more suspense on a Murder, She Wrote episode. That said I really liked Louise, though she is certainly struggling to find herself. I liked the perfumerie, I liked that she hangs at Le Chat Noir (by that time in it's second incarnation), and I loved her clothes and the writing about parties is surprisingly fun, like an actual party. The writing about the artists is also well done. But half way through the book kind of lost steam, and I was disappointed by the end.

[Sam K · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was almost as good as the first one.

The second book in this series was an emotional whirlwind, and this one didn’t make me anxious that everyone that protagonist Louise loved would get murdered which was definitely a win.

I really liked the new characters Afia established, I thought the world she created in Paris was so fun. I’m also glad she gifted me with a lesbian multiracial love triangle, a true win for me and the sapphics.

I was pretty sure I knew who the murderer was fairly early on (and I was right!), but I still thought the clues Afia dropped were really well done. It did feel like she skirted a little bit too obviously away from who ended up being the culprit at first, but I know in her other two books in felt like the murderers were “twist endings” and I like that she didn’t go that route with this one.

The friendship content was also so special to me. Not only did we get solving murders, but Afia is really good at having Louise interact with the other characters, especially her friends, and I noticed that specifically in this book. I also thought that Louise having the past two culprits haunt her in this book made for a nice nod: it often feels like the detectives in these kinds of series forget their past cases, so it was nice not to see that here.

Overall another great installment in the Harlem Renaissance Mystery series.

[Debbie · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was mislabeled. It's a LGBTQIAP+ soap opera more than a historical mystery. We're not told relevant information from previous books beyond Louise left her ex-girlfriend behind to live in Paris, but her reputation as a detective followed her. At 30% (where I quit), she's spent a lot of time lusting after a woman at a café, looking at a portrait of a nude woman, sitting for a nude-on-top portrait with a bunch of artistic women (at least some of whom are bisexual or lesbians), and the like.

The mystery is a woman with a husband and both a male and female lover on the side (that we know of so far) has died. She was last seen about to run away with her lesbian lover. The only real detective work Louise has done is to find no clues in the studio were the woman died. Most of that 'detecting' scene was describing her kissing the woman reporter who was with her. While there have been no sex scenes so far, I'm not sure it's going to stay that way. Sorry, this is just not interesting to me.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[cat · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited for this arc. The cover is gorgeous, the synopsis is captivating, and the setting is one of my favorite periods. While I haven't read the rest of the series, it was easy to understand and begin with this book. I like that this story has a diverse cast, but unfortunately, most characters don't feel like real people. Besides Louise, it was tough to connect to the characters. It felt like the reader was being held at arm's length. The story's central mystery is the disappearance of Iris Wright, but she also felt underdeveloped. It made it hard to care about her going missing at first. Despite some misgivings, the book picks up about 50 pages in and is very atmospheric. I loved the world-building. This book was still fun and easy to read. I flew through it in three days, and it's a solid three stars.
tw for racism, abuse, suicide
Thank you so much to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book!

[TrixieB · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book!

I find it interesting how the author manages to make these books good mysteries, with complex characters, but also not make them too fluffy or too sad. There are sad bits in them, but really well done.

I pre-ordered this book the second it was available, and if there's a fourth one, I'll be doing that as well.

We read this book in audio form, and the voices are delight! The narration really adds to the ambience and tension.

When I started the book I thought for sure Louise would end up going back to New York City. But I can see how that is all part of her past even though she brought some people forward with her to Paris. She's so brave starting a new life there and I look forward to seeing where she goes next. I don't know if she'll stay in the artists club? Part of me thinks she should but I can see how maybe it would be awkward.

[CarlysGrowingTBR · Rating 3 out of 5]

Harlem renaissance novel that definitely hits some high and low points.

Disclaimer: I did do this as a tandem read with a physical book free from Berkeley, as well as as an audiobook copy from the Penguin Random House audiobook influencer club. Thank you to Berkeley and Penguin Random House for the free copies. This is my honest and voluntary review.

When I started this novel, I was not aware that it was the third in a series of novels following the same detective. And while I started this novel without reading the first two I do feel like it held up well to being red as a standalone. Things were described and explained as the story went on that filled in gaps from me from the first book well enough that I was able to enjoy what I was reading. I really enjoyed the Renaissance theme as well as the characters that were within the novel. I found them to be very interesting and stimulating.

There were a few things in the novel that didn't quite work for me, though. Things seem to come a little too easily to the main character. Things that could've been difficult problems to solve seem to resolve seemingly on their own or with little effort from the characters in order to accomplish any goals. That seemed to ruin some of the tension for me that was surrounding some of her obstacles and it was just not giving what I wanted it to. Given that the main character was not an acceptable member of high Society, and not very well ingrained into the atmosphere she was currently in, people seem to answer questions to her extremely easily and offer a little to no resistance. Especially when it came to her entering areas that were very exclusive. She was just let right in without a thought by pretty much anybody. This just struck me is entirely too convenient and made it hard to believe the situation is going on in the novel.

It was still a very decent murder mystery plot that I found intriguing even with these few flaws in the novel. An easy middle of the road read that still handled some interesting topics while being a quick read. I might pick up the previous two novels just to see how they go, but they're not gonna be too high on my priority list.

[Enid Wray]

I DNF’d this very early on…

The entire premise on which the novel is based is just so unbelievable… I could not get past that. Not buying it. Not drinking the Kool-Aid.

The real kicker though came on page 22 when we have the use of the “n” word. It would have been so simple for the author to have chosen any one of a number of other words in its place. I don’t know what she - or her editor - was thinking. What was the point? No point that I can make out.

I was ready to toss it in right then and there, but I kept reading a little longer - just to convince myself that I was correct to decide to DNF this one. I was.

DNF

[Kristen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another 4 *s for latest book in The Harlem Renaissance series. Louise is hanging out in Paris after the events of the 2nd book. Looking for a quiet life (but never without dancing!) and keeping to herself. She's made a few new friends, and has a job in a parfumerie which she enjoys, and all that changes when she's asked for a favor to help track down a woman's missing daughter.

Of course poor Lovie can't leave it there, she's pulled into an "artistic" murder mystery that could upend everything she's built for herself in Paris.

The reader is given a look into the lives of those that have been left in NY through letters which Louise never replies to - a device to get some previous characters over to France to check on our heroine - but it's nice to see how the others are doing without it having take up a chunk of the current story. And of course, they help her solve the mystery.

I hope there's more to Louise in our future, each book gets a bit better.

[claudia reads it all · Rating 2 out of 5]

I had a difficult time connecting to the characters in this book - even Louise, the main character. We are told many things about her, but I feel like I didn't really get to know her for the most part. The rest of the cast feel like stock "artsy expats" and aren't fully developed, and this includes the woman at the center of the mystery, Iris Wright, which makes it hard to get invested.

I love books set in Paris, but A Lethal Lady had some "tell, not show" issues and it felt like it was more atmosphere than plot.

[Marissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle Copy for Review from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing.

I received a free, advance copy of this book and this is my unbiased and voluntary review.

It was a idyllic trip to Paris but it quickly went downhill. She is introduce to a desperate mother I search for her missing daughter turns into a murder, But can she trust thee woman even though she was given a letter of introduction from an old friend for Harlem.

She’ll enter a world of privileged as she tries to unravel the truth. All is not what it seems in this compelling mystery as lies will quickly unravel.

[Shelby White · Rating 1 out of 5]

It does not hold up well as a stand-alone. I have not read the other Harlem Renaissance Mystery novels, so maybe it is more enjoyable after reading those two.
There were too many characters and they seemed random to me. There were no surprises or twists.

One thing that bothered me that I couldn’t put my finger on until the end was that Louise doesn’t seem to feel anything. She is constantly drinking, but we don’t know why she drinks or how it makes her feel. If she is drinking to forget, does she? She seems to be a very flat character to me.

[Angelina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really like this series. LGBTQIA+ representation, a BIPoC heroine set in the 1920s during prohibition with a murder mystery on the side. Louisa is always finding herself in the middle of someone dying and needing to solve it. I feel like she just needs to become a detective, which wouldn’t happen in that time. I’m excited to see what comes about in the future. I really did like her and Rosa Maria as a couple but I’m curious to see if things go anywhere with Clemons (I listened to the audio so idk how to spell her name).

[Carolyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the setting being in Paris, and also that it was set in the late 1920's among reasonably well-to-do people. It portrays a group of people who are artists, with money to support themselves, apparently. Being drawn into investigating a death after accepting the task of finding the victim in the first place, seemed a bit much, especially as the police determined it to be an accidental fall or a suicide. I'm not sure I see the reason for randomly inserted letters.