Introducing the Black Mystery Author Directory

09/25/19 • 9 min

I am in the process of building a directory of black mystery authors. Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday I post information on mystery author who is black. This directory will include authors from all over the world.

I am building this directory to expand on the great work started by Eleanor Taylor Bland and continued by Frankie Y. Bailey that resulted in Frankie's List on the Sisters in Crime website. This list contains the names of almost 100 black mystery authors along with Asian, Hispanic, Native American and LGBTQ crime fiction authors. This list of diverse authors is a great resource and my inspiration for building my directory.

So, you may ask, why do I need to build a directory when the Sisters in Crime site already has a list. Well, first I think there cannot be too many sources for readers to discover diverse authors. Also, I plan to expand on the list and provide more resources for readers to discover books.

When you go to the Black Mystery Author Directory on, I Found This Great Book, you are presented with three tabs. The first tab lets you browse the authors by presenting a picture of the authors along with the type of mysteries they write. The authors are listed in alphabetical order by last name. By clicking on the authors name or picture you are taken to a post for the author. The post provides a link to the author's website, the type of mysteries they write, a short bio of the author and the covers of the mysteries the author has written. You can click on a book and you will be taken to a page for that book. The page will include information about the book, the book's ISBN number, a Kindle Book preview if it is available and options to purchase the book via Amazon and IndieBound.org. I do use affiliate links for Amazon. If you make a purchase of a book or audio book from the purchase links, I do get a very small affiliate reward from the purchase. This does not affect the price you pay or the money the author receives. I include Indiebound.org to help book lovers who what to support local bookstores. Indiebound.org helps readers find local books stores where they can purchase a book.

The second tab allows you to browse the books by the authors in the directory. I wanted to create a bookstore experience for you. You can browse through all the books cover by cover. You can also browse the books in a particular style of mystery. I also make it very easy to find mysteries where the sleuth is a woman. I will probably expand on these browsing options as I learn about more authors.

The third tab provides information about the directory including the names of authors I plan to add in the future. I will update this section as the directory grows.

This directory will include authors of African descent from all over the world. I am actively seeking authors for Nigeria, Kenya, other countries in Africa and the Caribbean. If you know of an author I should add, please feel free to contact me at [email protected].

The third tab provides information about the directory including the names of authors I plan to add in the future. I will update this section as the directory grows.

Previous Episode

Eleanor Taylor Bland - Featured Author

Eleanor Taylor Bland was a pioneering author of police procedural mysteries who made a mark on the mystery world with her Marti MacAlister series. She not only made a mark with her books, Eleanor Taylor Bland inspired and guided unpublished mystery authors in fulfilling their dreams of being published. Her work with new authors and the mystery writing communities inspired the creation of the Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award from the Sisters in Crime organization.

Eleanor's mystery series is based around the life of police detective Marti MacAlister. In each of the 13 books in the series, Marti MacAlister deals with the crime in a small midwestern town. Besides the challenge of finding the person or persons responsible for the crime, Marti MacAlister manages the obstacles faced by an African American female police detective in a world where the norm is white males. Marti MacAlister and her partner detective Matthew ‘Vik’ Jessenovik work together to solve crime and they also provide an interesting dynamic between cultures. One aspect of Eleanor Taylor Bland 's mysteries is that her main character has a full family life. Often in mysteries, the family life of the detective / sleuth is minimized to justify the hours needed to track the criminal.

Before her death, Eleanor Taylor Bland wrote 13 books.

Dead Time (1992)
Slow Burn (1993)
Gone Quiet (1994)
Done Wrong (1995)
Keep Still (1996)
See No Evil (1998)
Tell No Tales (1999)
Scream in Silence (2000)
Whispers in the Dark (2001)
Windy City Dying (2002)
Fatal Remains (2003)
A Cold and Silent Dying (2004)
A Dark and Deadly Deception (2005)

Eleanor Taylor Bland also edited "Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African-American Writers". This anthology is a great place to start on your journey to discover mystery and crime stories written by black people.

Eleanor Taylor Bland Crime Fiction Writers of Color Award

Diverse Authors: Frankie’s List

Next Episode

Zora and Langston: A Story of Friendship and Betrayal by Yuval Taylor

Key points from Zora and Langston

Provides a good overview of the years before and the years of the Harlem Renaissance
Very interesting that in the twenty years between 1900 - 1920, only 10 novels were published by black authors.
The book provides details about the growth of available literature by black writers in the 20's and 30's.
The role of patronage and access to funding and publishing played is both familiar and interesting. It is interesting that in about 100 years we see another Renaissance in literature but this time it is very different because of the barriers that are broken due to technology.
Godmother - Charlotte Mason is very interesting. While I can see why her attitude and treatment of these great writers. If it was not for her patronage, we might not have a lot of the works by these great writers.
This book introduces the reader to a whole world of black writers for the Harlem Renaissance. This is a good jumping off point.
A large part of the book deals with the history of the writers in the Harlem Renaissance.
The details of the conflict between Zora and Langston is brief and it is sad that they had these issues over the rights of a play.
One other thing that is brought up is the way Zora was treated by her fellow writers.
The story of a certain group of black people trying to define what is acceptable for everyone is repeated. The resentment of Zora's style by certain members of the black literary clique is very similar to the arguments that have occurred in recent past and now.
It is funny that some of the people critical of Zora were also rebel voices in their own right.
This book sparked an interest in me to read all of Zora Neale Hurston's books and short stories.

A Devil of a Deal by David O'Hanlon

This story features Mr. Scratch who is enjoying his new skin he has inhabited as he goes to a meeting at the Kretcher Motel. A motel that is the center point for all things dark and terrifying. Where the imposing presence of Sybline manages the front desk. Do not mess with Sybline.
Mr. Scratch and his lady companion start to enjoy their evening when suddenly they are interrupted by Mr. Rothstein and his golem bodyguard change everything.
I loved this story. The world that O'Hanlon created drew me in and made me want more. I could love to read a whole novel with stories in this world.

The author David O'Hanlon lives in Arkansas with his two horrible goblins. He generally works in the horror and sci-fi genres, often setting his stories against the backdrop Arkansas' unique folklore, diverse ecology, and assorted trailer parks.

Featured Mystery Authors Grace F. Edwards Danny Gardner