Black History Month lasts only a few short weeks in February, but with so many talented and exceptional Black authors in the mystery/thriller/horror genre, this is definitely an area to delve into every month of the year. Most are familiar with the popular best-selling authors in the field such as Patterson, Child, Flynn, Baldacci, Grafton, Coben, Kellerman, Johansen, Reichs, King, and Grisham, and for good reason—these are skillful masters of their craft. But why not try a new author and diversify your reading list? The following list of 20 authors includes a wide variety of sub-genres, including cozy mysteries, crime fiction, legal thrillers, international thrillers, psychological thrillers, detective novels, and even horror, because there is as much variation in mystery/thriller fiction by Black authors as there is in the genre in general. These particular authors and their books are on their way or are in the process of being readied for the shelves at the Madison County Library as you read this. So be sure to check in with us and we’ll let you know when they’re available to check out. In the case where you see a numbered book in a series, I have attempted to order the entire series. Some well-known authors that we have on the shelves already, nine titles for each author, are Walter Mosley and Eric Jerome Dickey. The list is in no way comprehensive, but it’s a good start at expanding our reading horizons.

And Now She’s Gone by Rachel Howzell Hall

Bluebird, Bluebird (Highway 59, #1) by Attica Locke

Beneath the Darkest Sky by Jason Overstreet

Buying Time by Pamela Samuels Young

Inner City Blues (Charlotte Justice, #1) by Paula L. Woods

Blanche on the Lam (Blanche White, #1) by Barbara Neely

Good Man Gone Bad (Aaron Gunner, #7) by Gar Anthony Haywood

Dead Man’s Honor by Frankie Y. Bailey

Chaos, Desire & A Kick-Ass Cupcake (Sophie Katz Murder Mystery, #7) by Kyra Davis

Glimmer of Death by Valerie Wilson Wesley

Orange Crushed (Ivy League, #3) by Pamela Thomas-Graham

The Good House by Tananarive Due

The Changeling by Victor LaValle

Hollywood Homicide (Detective by Day, #1) by Kellye Garrett

Ace Boon Coon by Danny Gardner

Find Me When I’m Lost (Charlie Mack Motown Mystery, #5) by Cheryl A. Head

Forty Acres by Dwayne Alexander Smith

What You Don’t See by Tracy Clark

For more information, please call 936-348-6118. Our hours are Monday through Friday from 9:00 am to 5:00 pm, closing from 1:00 pm to 2:00 pm for lunch.

Discover. Imagine. Connect @ Your Library Veronica Landmann is the Library Director at the Madison County Library