Murder at the Wham Bam Club

Psychics and Soul Food Mystery #1

by Carolyn Marie Wilkins

As Prohibition era speakeasies and Jazz Age excitement reign supreme throughout a deeply divided country at the height of the Roaring 20s, a young psychic in small town Illinois helps the Black community fight crime and corruption in this thrilling historical mystery written by a real-life psychic medium and jazz pianist.

After the death of her brave Harlem Hellfighter husband during the First World War, young widow Nola Ann Jackson returned to her hometown of Agate, Illinois, to live with her Aunt Sarah, a known local psychic. Under her aunt’s care and tutelage, Nola has been learning how to tap into her own intuitive gifts and communicate with the spirits. And she will rely on their insightful guidance when she’s asked to help investigate a woman’s disappearance.

Lilly Davidson, the missing woman, was living at the Phyllis Wheatley Institute for Colored Girls where young ladies are educated and prepared to follow bright futures. But she vanished after a night at the Wham Bam Club where jazz music swings, prohibition is defied, and other vices are encouraged. Lilly was seen fraternizing with Eddie Smooth, trumpeter and leader of the St. Louis Stompers—and a notorious pimp. Nola finds Lilly at the club alive and well, supposedly engaged to Eddie. That same night, the Wham Bam is set afire and Eddie is killed by gunfire, leaving Lilly on the run, a suspected murderer.

Eddie Smooth had shady dealings with Agate’s wealthy elite, Black and white, making plenty of enemies with motives for wanting him dead. He was also a notorious womanizer who left several broken hearts in his wake. To prove Lilly’s innocence, Nola must listen to her spiritual instincts to unravel political schemes and personal vendettas to find a killer desperate to cover up a scandalous conspiracy . . .

Genres: Mystery, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Cozy, Mystery Thriller, Cozy Mystery, Historical

257 pages, Hardcover

Published July 29, 2025

About the author

As a kid growing up on the South Side of Chicago, Carolyn Marie Wilkins dreamed of singing backup for Aretha Franklin while becoming the next Agatha Christie.

Although she’s still waiting for Aretha to call, Carolyn is now the author of five books. Mojo For Murder and Melody For Murder feature the crime-fighting exploits of Bertie Bigelow, a forty-something choir director and amateur sleuth living on the South Side of Chicago. Carolyn’s nonfiction work includes They Raised Me Up: A Black Single Mother and the Women Who Inspired Her; Damn Near White: An African American Family's Rise from Slavery to Bittersweet Success, and Tips For Singers: Performing, Auditioning, Rehearsing.

An accomplished jazz vocalist and professor at Berklee College of Music, Carolyn has performed on TV and radio with her group SpiritJazz, toured South America as a Jazz Ambassador for the US State Department, and played for shows featuring Melba Moore, Nancy Wilson, and the Fifth Dimension. When she’s not in the classroom or writing her next mystery novel, Carolyn can be found hanging out in the jazz clubs around Boston, MA.

Reviews

[Grandma Susan]

DNF. The story wasn’t for me. Great narration.

[Denise Ruttan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an enormously fun start to a new historical mystery series featuring a 21-year-old spunky psychic, a young Black woman named Nola who returns home to Agate, Illinois after her husband is killed in the war, to live with her aunt, who is also into hoodoo magic.

Home also brings with it troubled memories of the Wheatley Institute, a boarding school for young Black women where Nola first ended up when she had nowhere else to turn. But a girl there has gone missing, rumored to be caught up in the sex trafficking ring at the Wham Bam Club, an exciting new juke joint in town with a shady reputation. When jazz trumpeter Eddie Smooth is murdered after a fire destroys his club, the girl, Lilly, becomes a prime suspect and Nola joins forces with the Wheatley Institute to clear her name and the school's reputation.

This book did an excellent job at setting the scene and showing what life was like for marginalized folks away from Northern cities even post slavery, threatened by the power of the Klan in the area, two-faced white politicians, and the casual, everyday racism they encountered at every turn. This was an intriguing setting for a historical mystery and breathed fresh life into this genre.

The mystery was fun and twisty and kept me guessing at every turn in this jazz-soaked story full of gangsters, delicious Southern food and Black people trying to make it in difficult times. I liked how Nola was a psychic, which added another dimension to the typical amateur detective story. Nola could be a bit naive at times but I liked how curious and whip-smart she was as a character.

The book even ended with the hint of a fun new romance in the works for young, bright Nola.

I'll be paying attention to this series in the future. A solid start, a good mystery, strong characters and a unique setting made for an entertaining and gripping story.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the advance review copy. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Dawn Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025 Butler Library Bingo [Summer Reading] #11

Well this was a very unexpected, excellent surprise!!

This is a really well-written historical mystery, featuring Nola Ann, a young war widow, who is also a psychic, who has had to move back to Illinois, to live with her Aunt Sarah, herself an established psychic and is now teaching/guiding Nola in her practice, from NYC and is struggling with the more overt racism and Jim Crow antics in the town of Agate than she dealt with in NYC.

While at a speakeasy one night [the Wham Bam Club, WHICH is the best club name ever!], looking for a young girl who has disappeared from the Phyllis Wheatley Institute for Colored Girls [a place that Nola herself once attended after her parents death], a man is murdered, the speakeasy is set ablaze and the game is officially afoot.

This is [again] a well-written, very well-researched [this is an excellent look at life in the 1920's north] book that has a good mystery, an excellent MC and side characters, very good history [the accuracy of what life must have been like then is spot-on], an interesting look [though I would have liked to have had more of this - more details/explanation] at psychics/auras/listening to the spirits and [though I wish there had been more about this too] some amazing sounding food that just made me drool whilst reading about it.

Three things kept this from being a 5 star read for me, only two of which I am going to share [the 3rd one may be someone's yum to my yuck and I don't want to influence that]. 1. I knew who the killer was early on, and while that ultimately didn't take away from the overall feel of the book, I was disappointed when I was right and 2. the reveal was very rushed, and V E R Y anticlimactic, and that was the ONLY time, in the whole book, that I was truly disappointed [which, in the greater scheme of things, is truly awesome].

My teeny quibbles 100% do not take away from how fabulous this book really is and I am so glad that I took a chance on it, and am now really looking forward to book 2!!

**A note about the narrator: Diana Blue is the narrator for this book and SHE. IS. AMAZING. I highly recommend this audiobook. You will not be sorry.

Thank you to NetGalley, Carolyn Marie Wilkins, and Kensington Publishing/Kensington for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you Kensington Publishing for the book copy. This was an enjoyable old-fashioned whodunit with some supernatural psychic mixed in. The book was an easy read from start to finish. Although I figured out who the bad guy was pretty early on, there was enough story to keep me interested. I don't think the author was trying to be predictable at all, but a clear description of character personalities can be a red flag sometimes. Overall, an entertaining read.

[Martin Maenza · Rating 2 out of 5]

Kensington Publishing provided an early galley for review.

An interesting title and cover is what drew me to this mystery set in the roaring '20s. The setting and time period offered up a different flavor of tale.

Looking at the Wilkin's published work to date, I can see that music, mystery and psychic abilities are areas she has focused so far with the mid-west and 1920's also common in the settings. These appear to be elements the author enjoys drawing upon. If the reader finds them of interest too, then there might be a good match here.

The story moves along at a good pace, introducing more of the characters in Agate as Nola moves through her investigation. The reader comes away with a good sense of them which will prove beneficial should there be a sequel (the book is labeled as Psychics and Soul Food Mysteries book 1 so it appears the author hopes to continue Nora's adventures).

As someone who focuses a lot on writing (due to my own writing endeavors), I had observations that might not get picked up by the average reader. For example, I felt that Nola's ability to read psychic auras came across as a too convenient manner to tell me details rather than narratively show me. There were places where the dialogue came across as exposition heavy. I also could not help but notice when the passive sentences were cropping up a good bit. As these are some of the areas I watch for when editing my own work, they jump out when I am reading published works too.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different and very real look at the US in the 1920s. The story/mystery solving is meticulous and very well done, but the history lessons are things that need to be remembered and changed. Nola came back to her hometown in southern Illinois at her aunt's request after Nola's husband was killed with the Harlem Hellfighters in WW1. Like her aunt, Nola is a psychic and views auras. The first thing she is asked to do is to find a young woman who has left the boarding school for orphans which Nola herself escaped from. While looking for Lilly, Nola is at a speakeasy when it is burned to the ground and a local notorious womanizer is found shot to death. Everyone is rounded up and taken in except Lilly who becomes the only suspect in the eyes of the police. The author takes us into the music scene and some of the political intrigue of the day as Nola investigates and finds that her heart is not as dead as she thought. Very excellent read with engaging characters and complex history lessons.
I requested and received a temporary uncorrected digital galley from Kensington Publishing | Kensington via NetGalley. Pub Date Jul 29, 2025
#MurderattheWhamBamClub by Carolyn Marie Wilkins @jemaya7 @kensingtonbooks #NetGalley #PsychicsAndSoulFoodMysteriesBk1
#paranormal #psychic #soulfoodie #historicalmystery #historicalresearch #warwidow #herbalist
#Blackhistory #thriller #suspense #amateurdetective #diversereleases #cozymystery @goodreads #*****bookreview @bookbub @the.storygraph @booksamillion @barnesandnoble @bookshop_org @bookshop_org_uk #BlackAuthors #BlackWriters @librarythingofficial @kobo @waterstones

[Matthew Cost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nolan Ann Jackson navigates the streets of Agate, Illinois during the latter days of Prohibition. There is a pinch of conversations with the spirits, run-ins with the racist white society, a dash of jazz music, a sprinkle of romance, and a heaping of mystery and suspense. Take this romp through a past era and enjoy all of the nuances of life in 1930s America.

[Carmen Lang · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25. Very enjoyable. Likeable main and supporting characters. The psychic aspect added a little something extra. Deals with some strong subjects, but has cozy mystery elements. No spice or gore. The mystery aspect was good, I picked the wrong person as the killer. Will read next in the series.

[Ashli Rich · Rating 5 out of 5]

A spellbinding jazz-soaked mystery with heart, history, and a heroine you won’t forget.

Murder at the Wham Bam Club is everything I want in a historical mystery: richly atmospheric, socially aware, and driven by a fierce, intuitive protagonist. Set in a vividly drawn 1920s Illinois, the story thrums with speakeasy secrets, smoky jazz clubs, and a community fighting for justice in a world stacked against them.

Nola Ann Jackson is a standout heroine—grieving widow, budding psychic, and a voice for the voiceless. Her emotional depth, spiritual journey, and unflinching loyalty to the truth make her both inspiring and deeply human. I loved how her psychic abilities were portrayed as powerful yet grounded—woven into the plot in a way that felt natural and compelling rather than gimmicky.

The murder mystery kept me hooked with its layers of political corruption, hidden motives, and complex social dynamics. I especially appreciated how the book centers Black voices and experiences in an era often whitewashed in historical fiction. The author’s own background as a psychic medium and jazz pianist clearly shines through—infusing every page with authenticity, rhythm, and a dash of the otherworldly.

If you're a fan of historical fiction with strong female leads, a touch of the supernatural, and high-stakes sleuthing, Murder at the Wham Bam Club belongs on your TBR.

[Courtney Pityer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This debut novel in a soon to be series is indeed an excellent read if you are looking for an American 1920's mystery. It has all the exciting elements such as prohibition, gangs, murder and the whole nine yards. If that is what you are looking in a novel then this is definitely the book for you. I will say that I was very impressed with. this novel. The plot itself was interesting and the characters themselves had interesting backstories.
Our story starts with the introduction of our main character Nora who lost her husband in the great war. She decides to return to the home of her aunt. Nora lost both her parents at a very young age and was enrolled at the Phyllis Wheatley school which she had a very bad experience at. After she arrives home the school reaches out to her telling her that one of its students is missing. Nora reluctantly agrees to help search for the missing girl.
After going around looking for answers Nora eventually ends up at a Jazz Club the Wham Bam Club. While the missing girl is there the story doesn't end there. There ends up being a murder and the missing girl is considered a suspect. Will Nora be able to uncover the truth in this investigation.
I received an arc copy from Netgalley and all opinions are of my own.

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wow. I obviously read a different book than those who wrote five star reviews. The story was ok but extremely linear. There were no interesting little surprises along the way. All the incidents seemed to happen rather conveniently so the story could progress according to the author's planned outcome. Nothing felt organic. If a difficult problem arose that the author couldn't resolve with cunning or wit, voodoo or magic became the solution.
The writing itself was a bit juvenile. Some things were "clarified" unnecessarily to make sure the reader understood. A man mentions he works in an office that looks like a bachelor's pad and he eats a simple bachelor's lunch and two paragraphs later the FMC wonders if he's married.
Very disappointing.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it.Great read.. Received it through net galley.Must purchase for my home library I thoroughly enjoyed this novel.My first read by this Author.I love this era of time period.,the Prohibition era with speakeasies,jazz ,,the home for colored girls,the shady characters.The mixture of the historical insights and the spin of mystery with a little bit of Hoodoo.keep me up reading .I would love to see Nola embarking on some more adventures.Loved the characters in this novel. Will be looking out for more books from this author

[David Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thanks to Net Galley for an advanced reader copy. Set against the vibrant backdrop of Prohibition-era speakeasies and the electric energy of the Roaring 1920s, this thrilling historical mystery delivers on every front. The author—herself a psychic medium and jazz pianist—infuses the narrative with a rich sense of authenticity, making the historical depiction not just fascinating, but immersive. The music, the danger, the double lives—all pulse through the story like a syncopated rhythm.
At the heart of the novel is Nola Ann Jackson, a complex and engaging heroine. A young Black widow and budding psychic, Nola is not only navigating her grief but stepping into her spiritual power under the guidance of her Aunt Sarah, a seasoned seer. Her role as an intuitive investigator gives the mystery a unique twist that feels both grounded and magical. I was drawn deeply into Nola's world as she tackled the disappearance of a promising young woman and uncovered far more than anyone expected.
The mystery unfolds with clever pacing and a creative solution that kept me guessing until the final pages. From corrupt elites to the seedy underbelly of jazz clubs like the Wham Bam, the plot spins a compelling web of scandal, murder, and social injustice that never loses momentum. Each character—from the haunted Lilly Davidson to the enigmatic Eddie Smooth—feels vividly real, layered with motives, secrets, and unexpected depth.
This book is more than just a mystery—it's a page-turner that skillfully blends historical richness with supernatural intrigue. If you're looking for a novel that crackles with Jazz Age excitement, celebrates a powerful and intuitive heroine, and delivers a satisfying and surprising conclusion, look no further. I couldn’t put it down.

[Shawna Borman · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s book review time! This month, I decided to try a new cozy mystery series. Murder at the Wham Bam Club by Carolyn Marie Wilkins was released yesterday (the 29th) from Kensington Books. As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. Let’s get to it!

Murder at the Wham Bam Club follows Nola Ann Jackson as she returns to her hometown after the death of her husband. It’s the 1920s and Nola’s a young psychic just learning how to use her gifts. When she’s asked to help find a missing young woman, Nola finds herself dragged into arson, murder, and mysteries. While everyone else would be happy blaming the missing girl, Nola is determined to find out what’s actually going on in her small town. Whether or not she can do it before the police find and charge the missing girl is the question.

The plot is pretty standard. There are some interesting red herrings. I fully admit that I found some of the romances icky. A 16 year old shacking up with and getting married to a bass player of unknown age after one meeting (not even a date). Gross. I get it in the context of the story and its setting, but it still makes me cringe. Most of the relationships in this book have huge red flags. But the mystery part of the book is entertaining and distracting enough that the story is still enjoyable.

The characters are pretty well fleshed out. I like Nola and her aunt. I thought Lilly and Brenda could’ve used more page time because they both feel a little cookie cutter. Jim has potential. It felt like he was going to prove the rumors wrong, but then he just kind of disappears from the book. Hopefully he gets his redemption in later books. I really like Nola’s bosses at the catering company. They provide a levelheadedness to the book that helps bring Nola back to her senses once in a while. Everyone basically has potential to grow (for better or worse) in future books.

As for the writing, I enjoyed it. But the language is pretty true to its time period, so if words like negroes or a school for “colored girls” bothers you, be aware. I still suggest reading it because it’s a fun mystery, though.

Ultimately, I enjoyed Murder at the Wham Bam Club. I’m not sure I’ll add it to my must-buy series, but I’ll definitely give book two a shot whenever it comes out.

Overall, I gave it 4 out of 5 stars. I do recommend it if you’re into cozy mysteries. Just be aware of the language if you’re sensitive to that kind of thing.

[Mary Polzella · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fabulous mystery set in Illinois in the 1920s, Nola Jackson is a vocal and strong minded heroine living in time when African Americans had few rights. Nora, a young widow, returns to her home town to live with her aunt and she's asked to assist in helping to locate a missing young woman. When the missing girl appears to have become embroiled in a murder of a famous singer at the local Wham Bam nightclub, Nora must find the girl and help prove her innocence. She is a compassionate and strong advocate for others and uses her abilities to get to the truth - I loved how this book unflinchingly tells a story set in an environment of corruption and social injustice.

I just love books set in this era - prohibition-era speakeasys, smoky nightclubs and jazz bands. It's edgy in an exciting and romantic way. Written by Carolyn Marie Wilkins, this is a great story set during the prohibition. A writer and accomplished jazz singer, her love of the era and music is obvious in her writing and it adds depth and authenticity to the book. A highly recommended read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for the opportunity to read and review this book. Publication date is 29 July 2025. Publication date is 29 July 2025.

[Sharon S · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this in a giveaway and am glad I did. The author did a wonderful job creating interesting female characters and giving a strong sense of the place and time, especially how the stark racism of that era permeated peoples’ lives in such blunt ways. I found myself really rooting for the main character, Nola Ann Jackson, as she worked her way through the intertwined mysteries. The fact she was assisting her former orphanage, and beginning to relate to its leader on a more adult level, helped show her emotional depth and made her very relatable.

I did struggle a bit with some of the plot twists getting overly confusing, and it was a little hard to tell all the male characters apart. (Or maybe it was just that most of them weren’t very likeable.) And I also felt that the final ending missed any explanation of how things ultimately got resolved after Nola solved the mystery, especially given how stacked the justice system was against the original suspect. But overall, the book was strong enough that I’m eager for the author to write another book so I can see what Nola (and her amazing Aunt Sarah) do next.

[Sharon Healy-Yang · Rating 5 out of 5]

An engaging mystery with great world building and a strong, smart, but human female lead. In 1922, Nola Marie Jackson, a young black woman returns to her hometown of Agate, Illinois after being widowed in WWI. It's not a restful return. Though she has the support of her Aunt Sarah, a wise, psychic, herbalist, Nola finds herself drawn into solving the mystery of a disappearing young girl that leads her through dangerous mazes of political corruption, predatory men, uncertain romance, racism, and murder. Herself a psychic, Nola learns to draw on her powers through her trials by fire in searching for a proud young woman, as well as in surviving racist oppression and threats, and unclear enemies and allies. The recreation of 1920s Illinois, with its unjust black/white social splits is spot on and creates an atmosphere that makes you cheer on the heroine and all those who find ways to maintain their dignity and subvert the system. The recreation of music, entertainment, and education gives added pleasure. And the descriptions of food will leave your mouth watering, without ever slowing down the fast pace.

[Oscar · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a mystery? It’s fine; but as historical fiction? I have to say, I really enjoyed this book. All the “world building” that took place is a delight to read, though a slight warning for some readers out there. This book is set in a city with Klan presence, and there are several mentions of lynching throughout the book. Sure, not graphic (thankfully), and the KKK is not important for the overall plot since this is a cozy mystery first and foremost.

Biggest miss for me is that our main character and her aunt are purported to be psychic, yet that part is ignored for most of the book. I know that writing a character with superpowers can be difficult (especially in a case like Nola, where the book could have ended before it began if only she had done so), but they’re mostly relegated to just a quirky, synesthetic way of describing emotions. It’s only until the last 1/4th of the book when they start being used in any interesting or useful capacity, and would have loved it if there had been more moments like these peppered throughout the book.

[WeLoveBigBooksAndWeCannotLie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Murder at the Wham Bam Club was the perfect title for this book, it’s already setting the scene for a 1920s murder mystery.🫆
However, I didn’t realize the depth and vivid storytelling this book would have!
When a man is murdered at the Wham Bam club and they try to blame it on a young runaway, Nola feels compelled to help. With some guidance from her aunt Sarah, Nola has some psychic abilities, and she uses these to help figure out what is going on in the small town of Agate Illinois. But it’s the 1920s, not only is she struggling as a woman to get answers, but she’s also struggling as a black woman in a town where the KKK is a respected group.
I adored Nola’s determination and tenacity to find answers. I hope you get a chance to check this one out, it’s beautifully written and a page turner!
Thank you @kensingtonbooks for this gifted copy!
Murder at the Wham Bam Club by Carolyn Marie Wilkins will publish on 7/9/25 and is available on our Amazon storefront!🧜🏼‍♀️🌺

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nola Ann Jackson has returned to her Illinois hometown after the death of her beloved husband in World War I. She is living with her aunt, Sarah, a well-known psychic, and working for a caterer while trying to keep her psychic abilities under wraps. When a young woman from the Phyllis Wheatley Institute goes missing, the headmistress asks for help from Nola, a former resident.

It doesn't take Nola long to find Lilly at the local speakeasy but that very night, the speakeasy catches fire and Lilly's lover is murdered. Lilly disappears again--this time suspected of murder. Nola must navigate local politics and prejudices while trying to find Lilly and keep suspicion away from her aunt.

This is a delightful new mystery series with an intriguing setting. I look forward to reading the next book. #MurderattheWhamBamClub #NetGalley

[Vintagebooklvr · Rating 3 out of 5]

A young Black psychic is asked to find a woman who has disappeared from a local institute for Colored Girls. Nola finds the woman but she disappears once again after a fire and a murder at the local jazz club. Nola will need all her wits and psychic ability to prove Lilly innocent and find the real murderer before the person strikes again...

An entertaining mystery with a vital woman who has unusual talents. It also shows the casual and overt prejudice and terrorism that the Black community faced while still having a rich life in music, food and hope for the future. The mystery had plenty of twists that kept me entertained until the end.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Ruth Spencer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This who done it mystery has a combination of characters who are debonair, intense, mystical, cunning, diabolical, and just plain people. Potential culprits abound along the way. This thriller demands you turn the next page.
Ms. Wilkins is extremely attentive in using beautiful descriptive adjectives and providing historical nuggets for the reader to fall in love with the words on the page. Humor abounds in just the right places. You can feel the lush sounds of the Wham Bam Club musicians. The mystical scenes will light up your imagination and she provides colors to enhance the experience. The descriptions of the Deluxe Catered meals will make you salivate.
This easy and delightful read is a must to feed the palate of all who love mysteries and historical fiction. rs

[Briana (TheBookWorm) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this historical mystery. I loved the characters, especially Aunt Sarah, she reminded me of my grandma. Her wit, wisdom, and loving nature ended up pouring down to Nola whom at first felt like a failure since returning home. Now I guessed right at first about the suspect but the author did a great job of adding a little bit of doubt as the story went on. The pacing was just right. It didn't feel rushed or slow in any area. Aside from the mystery, I think the main element that kept the story going was the dialogue between the characters, that is where we got our tensions, clues and peoples personality. I believe the ending tied up nicely and everything was settled. I would love to read more books from this author.

[Ladiami · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick, fun read. I loved the 1920s setting—full of jazz clubs, secrets, and danger—and Nola Ann Jackson is such a compelling character. Her journey as a young widow learning to embrace her psychic gifts while solving a murder mystery kept me hooked the whole way through. The mix of historical fiction, suspense, and a touch of the supernatural was really well done. Definitely recommend if you’re looking for a smart, atmospheric mystery with a strong female lead! Looking forward to another installment.

Thanks to Netgalley Kensington for the ARC and opportunity to provide an honest review.

[Antoinette B. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Roaring Twenties Jazz Age, Agate Illinois
Young widow Nola Ann Jackson returned to her home town of Agate, Illinois, following the death of her brave Harlem Hellfighter husband during the First World War. Nola lives with her Aunt Sarah, a psychic, who is helping her tap into her own intuitive gifts. Nola is asked to investigate the disappearance of Lilly Davidson, a resident of the Phyllis Wheatley Institute for Colored Girls, where Nola lived years ago. Lilly was seen at the Wham Bam Club where jazz is played and Prohibition defied. That same night the club is set fire and Eddie Smooth, trumpeter and pimp is killed. Nola searches for the girl before she is charged with murder.

[Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

2025

Goodreads giveaway winner

I just want to start off by giving the author some props because she brought me straight back to my high school days of reading Mary Higgins Clark. The way the book was written felt very much like reading an MHC mystery. Her stories always sucked me right in, as did this one! And just like MHC, I felt like I knew who was behind whatever dastardly deeds were happening and, ultimately, I was wrong!

If you want a mystery with a sprinkle of supernatural abilities, this book is the one for you!

[Liz Grabber · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this first outing with the Psychics and Soul Food Mysteries. It is wonderful to have a woman of color as the protagonist in the role of detective, and following along with her adventures in solving her first case was a lot of fun. It also gives a glimpse into prohibition times, and the oppression people dealt with, especially in small southern towns at that point in history. I look forward to reading more from this series; this first book established a great foundation for what’s to come.

[David Campbell · Rating 3 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed this murder mystery set during the prohibition era in a small southern Illinois town with an active Klan agitating in local and state politics and the black community attempting to take care of their own. Nola is learning to trust her psychic abilities as she leans on her Aunt as teacher and guide after the loss of both her parents and husband. The insights she gains are part of the many clues she digs up in hopes of finding the real murderer and clearing an innocent young woman.

[Betcei · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a delightful mystery! The characters were perfect for telling a story set during the Jazz age. I do hope that Carolyn Marie Wilkins continues writing novels like this one. She included a bit of history in the book, that added to my enjoyment. I marked it down to 4 stars because I was able to figure out the murderer early on, but didn't care so much about that because the other characters were keeping me entertained.

[Jason · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jazz, a murder mystery and history...these are a few of my favorite things! Set in the 20's in Southern Illinois, our heroine, Nola has moved home to put her life back together after losing her husband to the Great War. She's charming, smart and a little psychic. No she has to save a young lady and in the process her small town. Full of fascinating characters, jazz music and glorious descriptions of food, this novel is the perfect starting point for Nola's further adventures!