Killer Content

November 30, 2020
Blacke’s sprightly debut and series launch introduces Odessa Dean, a naive 20-something from Louisiana who loves true crime podcasts. Odessa is thrilled to be apartment and cat sitting for her world-traveling aunt in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and working at Untapped Books and Cafe. While posting an online ad for the cafe, Odessa watches a livestream video of a flash mob dancing at nearby Domino Park. The crowd is having a great time—until a woman on an overhead walkway suddenly falls to her death on camera. Odessa is horrified to recognize the woman as her coworker, Bethany Kostolus. The police rule the death an accident, but Odessa is sure Bethany was murdered. Cozy fans will enjoy seeing Brooklyn (and Brooklynites) through spunky outsider Odessa’s eyes as she gathers the evidence to prove it. Distinctive characters enhance the lively plot. Blacke is off to a promising start. Agent: James McGowan, Bookends Literary.

December 15, 2020
A Louisiana belle adjusts to life in Brooklyn. Odessa Dean might have been content to live life as a waitress at the Crawdad Shack in the minuscule town of Piney Island, which, according to her, is neither an actual island nor particularly filled with conifers. Instead, she's rescued by that linchpin of cozies everywhere: her maiden aunt. Instead of dying, Odessa's Aunt Melanie simply goes off to Europe for three months, leaving her niece to housesit a Williamsburg apartment that would be large even by Piney Island standards but is positively palatial compared to the efficiencies and squats her Brooklyn co-workers cram themselves into. Because yes, Odessa trades her Crawdad Shack apron for the neon green T-shirt that's the uniform of the waitstaff at Untapped Books & Caf�, where instead of shrimp po'boys she offers hummus and microbrews to local hipsters. The Untapped crew is a varied bunch. Izzy Wilson is bright and energetic, happy to spend her days making customers happy. Chef Parker Reed does his best to accommodate carnivores and vegans alike. But Bethany Kostolus aspires to more than serving the sandwich of the day. She hopes that her YouTube videos will propel her to fame as a nationally recognized maker of artisanal soap. Unfortunately, her dreams end in a fall from the elevated pedestrian walkway in Domino Park. Detective Vincent Castillo assures Odessa that Bethany's death was an accident, but Odessa isn't convinced. In lieu of the standard cute cop-vs.-talented amateur standoff, Blacke's quirky characters and offbeat plot twists allow her debut to work some pleasing variations on the theme. Refreshing fare.

COPYRIGHT(2020) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

January 1, 2021

DEBUT Odessa Dean, fresh off the Greyhound bus from small-town Louisiana to Brooklyn may be tiny, but she's intrepid. She's pet-sitting for her Aunt Melanie's cat for three months, living in her Williamsburg apartment. It didn't take Odessa long to realize she can't afford New York City, so she's waitressing at Untapped Books & Caf�. She's not happy when another waitress, Bethany, asks her to cover for her one day, but she's horrified when she sees a flash mob proposal at Domino Park and recognizes the caf�'s uniform as a body falls off the elevated walkway. Odessa rushes to the park, only to see Bethany taken away. The inquisitive Odessa realizes, though, that Bethany is missing a medical bracelet she always wore, and her cell phone. Even with Odessa's news, the police detective is convinced the death was accidental. Odessa takes all the knowledge she's gained from true-crime podcasts to prove that Bethany was murdered, pushed off that walkway. VERDICT This debut mystery introduces a spirited amateur sleuth with a unique voice in an atmospheric, upbeat mystery with a strong social media emphasis. Unconventional characters and two charming animals mark the launch of a series with great possibilities.--Lesa Holstine, Evansville Vanderburgh P.L., IN

Copyright 2021 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

February 15, 2021
Louisiana native Odessa Dean has agreed to cat-sit for her aunt in Brooklyn. With a swanky apartment at her disposal and a new job working at Untapped Books & Caf�, her outlook is bright. But when a fellow waitress' death is caught on a viral flash-mob video, Odessa's time in Brooklyn suddenly takes a more challenging turn. As an avid true-crime-podcast listener, Odessa takes it upon herself to investigate her friend's death. The police are calling it an accident, but she is convinced otherwise, much to the chagrin of the detective on the case. Blacke's debut novel is straightforward and entertaining. Her descriptions of the Brooklyn landscape and way of life are vivid, providing the reader with an intimate viewpoint of Odessa's experiences. The story line drags a bit, and the mystery itself is solved a little too easily, but ultimately readers will be satisfied with the inevitable conclusion. Fans of Louise Penny's idyllic Three Pines, Cleo Coyle's Coffeehouse series, or Agatha Christie's underestimated heroine, Miss Marple, might enjoy this one.

COPYRIGHT(2021) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.