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An Odessa Jones Mystery Series

Valerie Wilson Wesley
A Fatal Glow by Valerie Wilson Wesley
A Shimmer of Red by Valerie Wilson Wesley

An Odessa Jones Mystery Series : Titles in Order

Book 3
From the award-winning creator of Newark private eye Tamara Hayle, the third installment in a spell-binding cozy  mystery series featuring a multicultural cast and starring Odessa Jones, a recent widow with a brand new catering  business, a full-time real estate gig, and the gift of second sight. When a young realtor is suddenly killed in a  hit-and-run, Odessa must wade through a legion of lies to find the hidden killer…with a little help from  her spirited aunt, loyal co-workers, mischievous cat Juniper and her own psychic skills.

With pandemic-fearing city dwellers fleeing to the New Jersey suburbs, Risko Realty—and Odessa Jones—are having their best year ever. Finally on solid financial footing, Odessa is debt-free and looking forward to the future. But she doesn’t need second sight to sense her new young co-worker, Anna Lee, is on edge–and straight-up terrified–in spite of her hot sales record and sunny, outgoing attitude. And when Anna is killed in a hit-and-run, Odessa sees immediately that it was no accident . . .

It’s soon clear that Anna was being stalked. But even with the help of family, friends—and Odessa’s feisty cat, Juniper—Odessa is coming up with more questions than clues. Why was Anna avoiding influential real-estate mogul Emily Delbarton? Why is Delbarton’s decidedly creepy brother so fixated on Anna? Did Anna make enemies through her previous job at the town’s exclusive gentlemen’s club? And can Odessa rule out her own ex-fiancé—who’s back in her life with an astounding connection to Anna—and wanting a second chance?  Finding the answers will come at an increasingly deadly cost—one Odessa’s talents must somehow trap a killer to repay . . .

“There’s also something oddly comforting about a Black woman in fiction who isn’t weighed down by societal pathology and who can appreciate a good glass of Merlot and reruns of “Downton Abbey” as much as the next woman. In between heavier mystery fare, this unicorn of a Black cozy is a welcome palate cleanser.” —The Los Angeles Times on A Glimmer of Death
Book 2
From the award-winning creator of Newark private eye Tamara Hayle, the second installment in a spell-binding cozy mystery series featuring a multicultural cast and starring Odessa Jones, a recent widow with a brand new catering business, a full-time real estate gig, and the gift of second sight. When a wealthy businessman dies during a catered brunch, it’s up to Odessa to find the culprit…with a little help from her spirited aunt, loyal co-workers, mischievous cat Juniper and her own psychic skills…

Sometimes even good luck can mean bad fortune. For Odessa Jones—reluctant psychic, part-time caterer, full-time realtor—an elegant affair turned deadly threatens her reputation, and her life…
 
Recently widowed Odessa Jones is sure the exclusive catering job she’s scored from wealthy businessman Casey Osborne will propel her catering career into the big leagues. So when Dessa’s pesky second sight warns her that Osborne is bad news, she ignores it. She wishes she hadn’t when he drops dead at his brunch after sampling her homemade preserves. Osborne’s death is declared a homicide. Dessa and the friends who helped her cook are considered suspects…
 
To clear her name and find the truth, Dessa delves into Casey Osborne’s life. Everyone from his sinister business partner to his tormented ex-wife has reason to kill him—and the opportunity to do it. With the help of her spirited aunt, loyal co-workers and mischievous cat Juniper, she desperately searches for answers. Until a second murder leads Dessa down a frightening path filled with insidious hidden agendas—and someone poised to change her life forever.
 
Praise for A Glimmer of Death

“There’s crispness in Wesley’s plotting and sparkle in the supporting characters.” —Los Angeles Times

“Wesley perfectly captures her protagonist’s emotions, including the lingering melancholy she feels for her late husband. . . . Readers will hope to see a lot more of kind, empathetic Odessa.” —Publishers Weekly

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