The Devil Riding

Tamara Hayle #6

by Valerie Wilson Wesley

Tamara Hayle is never going to be as rich as the Desmonds, one of Newark, New Jersey's most affluent and influential black families. But the struggling p.i. wouldn't want their troubles either, now that their rebellious daughter Gabriella has run off to Atlantic City, where a serial killer is prowling the streets. For a substantial fee, however, Tamara's willing to join the hunt for the missing African-American heiress -- expecially after Gabriella's last known roommate joins the ranks of the murdered. Somwhere in the twilight zone that separates the poor and the wealthy of color -- in the terrifying shadow of a deadly criminal kingpin -- are shocking secrets that Tamara needs to uncover. And suddenly the Desmonds' woes -- lethal and devastating -- have become Tamara's own.

Genres: Mystery, African American, Mystery Thriller, Crime, Contemporary, Book Club, Fiction

304 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published June 5, 2000

About the author

Valerie Wilson Wesley is an African-American author of mysteries, adult-theme novels, and children's books,[1] and a former executive editor of Essence magazine. She is the author of the Tamara Hayle mystery series. Her writings, both fiction and non-fiction, have also appeared in numerous publications, including Essence, Family Circle, TV Guide, Ms., The New York Times, and the Swiss weekly magazine Die Weltwoche.

Reviews

[Ariadne Oliver · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid mystery with a likeable heroine, tough and down to earth. I didn't much care for the love interest, he was way too slippery for my taste.

[Lois · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was pretty good

[Evi · Rating 2 out of 5]

My rating is kind of unfair - I bought the book not knowing it was part of a series. I did not realize until a character named Basil played a greater part in the story.
At first the novel was nonetheless very interesting, and it was a relatively big cast of characters for a novel this length.
There are two things I can criticise although not knowing the background information: Tamara Hayle thinks about her son, who is at home (aka not present at all), like every 30 pages. Children, and her son, is a topic that keeps being talked about. Every character she meets asks her "Do you have a son?" I found that a little weird. The second thing is the weird progress of unveiling the mystery. For a long time, the detective is stuck and doesn't seems to know what to do next. Instead of giving up or going for drastic actions, she basically waits for the next clue to fall into her lap.

[Mahoghani 23 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tamara Hayle has dug herself in deep this time. She's really messing with some ruthless people that would lose sleep if they took her life.

Tamara's working for a black, wealthy family that has multiple secrets and they appear aloof & more worried about their secrets getting out than each other. The Desmonds, Foster, Dominique & Calvin pretend they are looking for their daughter & Calvin's sister, Gabriella but they each have ulterior motives for finding her.

Now Tamara's trying to work under cover in Atlantic City to try to find Gabriella. This is when she rubs into Basil Dupre & he warns her about the company she's keeping. She doesn't listen and she finds out that her cover is blown and there are people who wants to take her life.

I love the fact that Tamara survives on her own free will. She doesn't give in, not even to her son, to change her career pattern. She loves what she does but for someone that doesn't like guns, she normally finds herself in harms way and trying to figure out how to save her life.

Well written and full of descriptive information. Truly an enjoyable book.

[J. Brendan · Rating 4 out of 5]

My second Tamara Hayle - love the mix of classic private eye tropes and the specificity of Black culture and Tamara's life as a single mother. In many ways these books are as much psychological studies as they are mystery novels. Can't wait to read another one!

[Blue North · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really like the Private Detective, Tamara Hayle. She is a strong African American woman. She is also a single parent. She has one son named Jamal. Many of her words are memorable simply because they are wise words about practical living. There is also a humorous side to her. She has an old car. The car is so old she uses a hanger for the antenna. She and Jamal have named it The Blue Demon. However, it's not a bit funny when the Blue Demon is vandalized in a sadistic way. Tamara Hayle lives in Newark, N.J. Her case is in Atlantic city.

In The Devil Riding, she spends a great bit of time in the casinos. Young women are getting murdered. It looks like a serial killer is on the job. When not in the casinos, Tamara spends time with the family who hired her. They are the upper crust of Atlantic City. Their daughter has run away from home. Their daughter is Gabriella. The mom is her stepmother.

This mystery has a heavy, dark ending. You just never know why a person might start a killing spree. I always thought there was no reason. Maybe serial killings are more scarier because sometimes, like in this instance, the killer knows exactly why he is taking each step he takes. I can only say the memory of a horrible childhood never left this person. Don't miss this one especially if you like psychological dramas. http://www.valeriewilsonwesley.com/

[Nanette Buchanan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Devil Riding

Avid readers of the "Tamara Hale" mysteries by Valerie Wilson Wesley won't be disappointed as the female investigator takes on what may be a serial killer. We are introduced to the Desmond family who are not only rich, but have connections with what may be the mafia. Each family member has their own problems which add to the reason Tamara has been hired. Fearing that Gabriella, Dominque Desmond's daughter, may be the next on the list of murders, Tamara is unveiling deep family secrets.

As in all of this dynamic author's writings, the twist and turns make this story a page turner. There aren't many author's who take on the challenge of mystery writing and Ms. Wesley has grasped the attention of her audience with her Tamara Hale, female African American detective. Valerie Wilson Wesley has been one of my favorite authors for years. If you're looking for great reading, excitement page after page, and riveting stories, purchase Valerie Wilson Wesley's books.

5 Star Review
Author, Nanette M. Buchanan

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

Das Buch habe ich gekauft, weil es in Atlantic City spielt und ich eine besondere Beziehung zu dieser Stadt habe.
Es handelt sich um Band 6 der Tamara-Halle-Reihe. Ich war davon ausgegangen, dass die Geschichten in sich abgeschlossen sind und alleine gelesen werden können. Was den Kriminalfall betrifft ist dem auch so.
Dass diesem Band eine Vorgeschichte voraus geht merkt man beim Lesen leider allzu deutlich, insbesondere wenn es um die Beziehung zwischen Tamara und Basil geht.
Die Geschichte ist aber zumindest in Teilen spannend. Insbesondere fragt sich der Leser, wie und warum so viele der Vermissten nahestehende Personen sich der aktiven Mithilfe an ihrem Auffinden verweigern können. Es verwundert auch, wie eine Ermittlerin so konstant falsche und unspezifische Fragen stellen kann. Dafür ist die Auflösung wiederum einigermaßen interessant und ungewöhnlich.

[Wayne Hazle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love the Tamara Hayle series. This is another good entry. Good to have Tamara out of her element. Atlantic City was a good backdrop. For some reason I did not find the girls she was trying to protect very compelling. But I will anxiously go to the next book in the series.

[Kishanna Laurie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Who doesn't enjoy a great mystery series, and she's from dirty jerz!

[Arlene · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jersey PI from Newark, doing a job in Atlantic City was what interested me. Quick, entertaining, easy read.

[Vonnie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy reading this Author's books. The Tamara Hayle mysteries are great.

[Karen · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5. Better than most mysteries I've read but not worth a 4.

[Sharon · Rating 3 out of 5]

When Tamara Hayle goes undercover in the casinos of Atlantic City to track a runaway pregnant girl she runs into a great many unexpected obstacles, some of which may endanger her life. The book is interesting in this regard but it seems to me that it goes off in so many different directions that its a mystery in itself how Tamara can achieve success. Although I did enjoy the book and the topic of sexual abuse was well handled, it seemed to me that Tamara's mission depended too much on luck. Also I could have done without the "love interest" portion.

[yourfavouritemixtape · Rating 4 out of 5]

I‘m not sure if there is another sleuth that I like more than Tamara Hayle.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was just what I needed, characters I know and love, fast (enough) pace, and a plot that keeps me reading. What more do I need when the political climate is so frightening? Perfect escape. :)

This is probably the fourth book I have read by this author and I have enjoyed each one. They are not terribly intellectual, but that's not what I need when I am stressing. For some odd reason, murder mysteries are my "go to" genre when real life gets scary. I know that sounds rather contradictory, but that's what works for me. Murder mysteries draw me in and I cannot let go until everything is resolved.

Valerie Wilson Wesley is a gifted writer. She totally draws me in with a main character I can totally relate to. Tamara Hayle is far from perfect, but she does the best she can with what she has. In this particular story, she is hurting financially and takes a job that she knows will be a challenge, but she needs the money, so she takes it anyway. She is draw into the underbelly of Atlantic City, trying to find a runaway. As usual, there are plenty of twists and turns (and murders) before the case comes its surprising conclusion. I will not give anything else away. If you like murder mysteries, particularly if you like African-American mystery writers, give this one a try.

[Ed · Rating 2 out of 5]

an easy read, no substance but enjoyable

[Yvonne Shine]

Good read....