The Company You Keep Book

I am always looking for good mystery. Quality mystery is hard to find, and quality African-American mystery is even harder to find. Thus, I was eager to read Angela Henry's novels.

However, I was greatly disappointed with this novel. While the plot itself is interesting enough, I was never able to respect or like the main character. The main character, Kendra, seems smart enough in general, but she does some things related to the mystery that are, well, just plain ignorant. The first of these events is entering a house that she knows to be a murder scene before the police arrive. The author justifies this act by making it Kendra's concern for someone else that she believes may be in the house that causes her to enter it; nevertheless, that does not make the act any less ignorant. This is just the first of several incidents that made me shake my head and want to put this book down.

Even though I have been informed that the next two books in the series are much better, this book has kept me from reading them so far.

If you are looking for some really good African-American mysteries, then you might consider pushing this book to the bottom of the list and starting out with some of the early Valerie Wilson Wesley.

Additionally, Plain Brown Wrapper: An Alex Powell Novel by Karen G. Bates was enjoyable, although I have been told that the follow up novel was not anywhere near as good as the first.

I also enjoyed Claudia Mair Burney's Death, Deceit & Some Smooth Jazz and Murder, Mayhem, and a Fine Man at least somewhat more than I enjoyed this book.

Beverly Jenkins's books The Edge of Midnight, The Edge of Dawn, and Black Lace are also worth a read, but I may be biased because of their Detroit link. LOL

Lastly, although I have not read her yet, my sister also highly recommends Charlotte Carter, as well.