Black Orchid Blues

By Persia Walker

"Walker's exuberant third Harlem Renaissance mystery [is a] dark, sexy novel."
--Publishers Weekly

"[T]he tale is strengthened by plenty of period detail and a fine feel for both the gay underworld of Harlem in the 1920s and the sociopsychological dynamics of her characters. Best of all, [protagonist] Lanie has the makings of a strong series heroine. Walter Mosely fans, in particular, should look for more from this promising crime writer."
--Booklist

"Put a Bessie Smith platter on the Victrola, and go with the flow on this mystery/romance/history mix."
--Library Journal

"Black Orchid Blues works as a study of class and race, plus the debilitating effects of grief, the question of identity and the far-reaching impact of family secrets . . . Walker has a crystal clear eye for what motivates people as she explores disparity and desperation."
--Florida Sun-Sentinel

Lanie Price, a 1920s Harlem society columnist, witnesses the brutal nightclub kidnapping of the Black Orchid,” a sultry, seductive singer with a mysterious past. When hours pass without a word from the kidnapper, puzzlement grows as to his motive. After a gruesome package arrives at Price’s doorstep, the questions change. Just what does the kidnapper want--and how many people is he willing to kill to get it?

Evil hides behind the genteel facades of affluent Strivers’ Row and stalks the ballroom of one of Harlem’s most famous gay parties. In a complex plot that keeps the reader tied to the page, Black Orchid Blues explores the depths of human depravity and the desperation of its victims.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Akashic Books
• Release date: Mar 22, 2011
• ISBN: 9781617750199

Reviews for Black Orchid Blues

[tea58 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Black Orchid Blues by Persia Walker is more than a mystery. It's a highly dramatic book about the mind of a person who operates outside of his gender. Queenie/Junior is an impersonator in a New York high society nightclub during the 1920's. Queenie is kidnapped at the nightclub. It causes chaos and mayhem. However, this is not just a novel about the murderous rages of a psychotic mind. It's also a novel about the trauma of childhood sexual abuse. Persia Walker shares on a deep level what a child might do if abused by a family member. It's also about the family members involved. How far will a family go to protect their reputation, and how far will they go to keep their lies and dreadful activities a secret? Plus, how many innocent people become lost in the spiderweb of a dysfunctional family?Persia Walker writes professionally about Queenie and Junior's slide from one person to the other Their need to survive is almost magical. Most events are told through the eyes of the crime reporter, Lanie. I really like Lanie. She has a heart and high morals and of course, she's a whiz at her work.When I thought Persia Walker had taken me further than I wanted to go or thought she could take me, she took me five more steps. By the end of the novel, my mind was completely blown by those who murder in rage, by those who are innocent victims to the lusts and desires of other people and the power of the mind to think of ways to survive and live through horrendous events. The story is told simply with no frills. Therefore, there is a great deal of violence. Thankfully, there are no judgments. Certainly none are made by Lanie. Her strongest desire is to see the killing stop, end, finish. I am anxious to meet Lanie again under different circumstances. persiawalker.com/books/black-orchid-blues/ AKASHIC

[jasonpettus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

(Reprinted from the Chicago Center for Literature and Photography [cclapcenter.com]. I am the original author of this essay, as well as the owner of CCLaP; it is not being reprinted illegally.)It's true that I've been disappointed lately in a whole string of titles from the usually excellent Akashic Books, not exactly bad reads but just not up to their usual exacting standards; but I'm glad to say that the latest by them, Persia Walker's Black Orchid Blues, is a great return to form, I suspect because of it being in a style that Akashic really excels at, noir tales with a unique, interesting bent. In this case, the gimmick is that all these "Lanie Price" tales (this is the second in the series) are set within the Harlem Renaissance of the 1920s, a brief time in this New York borough's history when affluent blacks were able to build a vibrant, opulent community of warm brownstones and hot clubs; and this turns out to be an excellent milieu within to set a rat-a-tat-style traditional crime thriller, with Walker using her obvious love for these years to inject all kinds of history lessons along the way, from looks at the neighborhood's real architecture to its infamous pre-Stonewall gay community. Now, to be fairly warned, you're going to need to be a big fan of writers like Raymond Chandler to find this book redeemable at all -- it's essentially a direct homage to that style, which will get your eyes rolling all the way to the back of your head if you're not already an admirer -- but for those who are, this brisk, informative novel is a real delight, and a burgeoning franchise you'd be wise to be following from here at its start. It comes strongly recommended to these particular types of readers.Out of 10: 8.9, or 9.4 for fans of noir detective fiction

[ravenswoodpublishi-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

"BLACK ORCHID BLUES" BY PERSIA WALKER (REVIEW)Persia Walker writes the kind of mystery-thriller that draws you so far in you cannot stop reading until the end and even then you don't want it to stop. With her ability to plunge you into the past and weave a reality of that time period so thickly around you, she leaves you no room to wiggle your way out."Black Orchid Blues," is the kind of mystery that leaves you breathless and amazed. You will never suspect the truth behind "Queenie and Lanie" this is a one of a kind story. You need to meet these characters and immerse yourself into their world!-Kitty Bullard / Great Minds Think Aloud Book Club