Customer Reviews

Of Blood and Sorrow: A Tamara Hayle Mystery

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Tamara Hayle's life couldn't be sweeter. She has a supportive mate and her son Jamal is doing well as a typical teenager. Tamara's professional life is on the upswing as well when the city's most powerful businessman wants to work with her. But Tamara's seeming quiet life is interrupted when an old acquaintance named Lila Love seeks her help in finding her missing child. To further confuse things, Tamara's ex-lover Basil Dupre comes back into town stirring up trouble and old feelings. But nothing disturbs Tamara more when Jamal witnesses a brutal murder and becomes the prime suspect. Tamara must now try to solve this murder and clear her son's name.

Of Blood and Sorrow is an enthralling novel by Valerie Wilson Wesley. Wesley successfully pens a mystery novel that is full of non-stop drama. This story not only deals with Tamara getting to the bottom of a mystery, but it also deal with the relationship that she has with her son Jamal. You will see the various trials and tribulations that Tamara has to deal with in trying to raise Jamal the best way she knows how. There are also some favorite characters from Wesley's previous novels such as Basil Dupre and Tamara's best friend Wyvetta Green that adds just the right touch to this story. Of course no Tamara Hayle mystery would be complete without a mind-blowing twist. Of Blood and Sorrow is full of edge-of-your-seat drama and raw emotion that will delight Valerie Wilson Wesley's legion of fans.

Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
for Urban Reviews

Private Investigator, Tamara Hayle, is finally back on the case in Of Blood and Sorrow by Valerie Wilson Wesley. The beginning of the mystery finds Tamara in a good place. She has money in the bank, is finally in love with a good man and though her son, Jamal, has had a few struggles he seems to be doing okay as well. Of course, we know, things will change. Lilah Love, one of Tamara's old clients, shows up on the investigator's doorstep and we know that bodies will soon start to drop and we are not disappointed. Lilah is interested in hiring Tamara to find her baby. She insists her sister has stolen the baby, and she wants her back. Tamara warily declines but is soon to discover that she will be in pursuit of Lilah's baby because she is hired by Treyman Barnes, Newark's most successful businessman, to find his granddaughter, Baby Dal, Lilah's baby. From that point, people start missing and Tamara becomes personally involved in the mysterious deaths.

Of Blood and Sorrow gives us a peek at what happens to keep a family together and what can break them apart. The novel is filled with secrets and cover-ups. We also get a glimpse at what occurs when the detective's family is threatened.

It was nice to be reintroduced to the Tamara Hayle mysteries and get reacquainted with the people in her world. New readers will enjoy her leisurely, `home-girl' way of unveiling a mystery. Old readers will be glad to see that she is back on the case, with her usual style of crime solving, mixed in with bits of humility and romance. I recommend Of Blood and Sorrow to all mystery fans, particularly Ms. Wilson-Wesley's loyal readers.

Angelia Menchan
APOOO BookClub

Before you pick up this latest episode, purchase the paperback of 'Where Evil Sleeps' to be completely 'caught up.' I won't give away too much, but a 'die-hard' fan was NOT disappointed. I finished the book in a day. Can't wait for Ms. Tamara to hit the big screen. Any takers?

In this, the latest Tamara Hayle mystery, Tamara's past has come back to haunt her in the form of an old friend, Lilah Love (aka Lily Sweets, aka Black Widow or aka Killer, depending on what really happened years before in Jamaica). Armed with a new threat to her son, Lily has requested that Tamara locates her missing daughter. Pulled into a web of mystery, suspense and death, Tamara attempts to solve who has Baby Dal. As the adventure unfolds, Tamara finds herself not only the center of a ghastly murder investigation, but facing both her deliciously sexy, and equally mysterious on-again-off-again ex-lover, Basil; her present and ambitious lover, Larry (who wants her to lose her less refined friends to build her life with him); and trying to understand the growing pains of her teenage son, Jamal.

One criticism that I do have is when the killer is revealed, it is slightly anticlimatic because you realize that it wasn't really as complicated as you orginally thought, and you should have known who the killer was, definitely before the two additional deaths. Thus the story is slightly predictable, once all of the secrets are revealed.

What I did like about the story, and what rates it a "4", is that although this story wasn't any different than the other Hayle mysteries (people associated with her always die tragically), the characters are familiar and missed. Wynetta, is still the proud owner of the Beauty Biscuit, and still knows everyone's secret. Jamal, is still stuggling to become a man, deal with the lose of his siblings and his parent's divorce, and remain the sweet boy we have seen grow up over the years. DeWayne Curtis, the ex-husband, is still full of regrets and excuses. And Dear Basil, is still well, the mysteriously sexy Basil, and as familiar as an old sock. So what makes the novel so enjoyable is the fact that it feels like home.

In conclusion, I would definitely recommend this book, especially if you are a long time fan and have missed Tamara. And I will definitely read future Hayle mysteries if for no other reason, to see how Wesley resolves the Basil/Tamara storyline.

I got the audible version of this book and listened to it straight through the 7 plus hours,and enjoyed every minute. I've read the other Tamara Hayle mysteries and have loved them all. This one didn't disappoint.

The book was very interesting and an easy read. Our book club enjoyed discussing the characters in the book.

Valerie Wilson Wesley is one of my favorite authors and I just love her Tamara Hayle mysteries. Of Blood and Sorrow was such a juicy page turner that I finished it in 1 day. In Of Blood and Sorrow we meet up again with tall, dark and handsome men from the past, another blast from the past (from Jamaica) and so many new "characters". As the mystery unfolds you will be completely surprised at who gets knocked off and who the murderer is. A great read!

OF BLOOD AND SORROW by Valerie Wilson Wesley brings back Tamara Hayle to solve another mystery. Lilah Love comes to her office wanting her to find her missing baby. Lilah knows that her younger sister has taken her baby and she wants Tamara to get her back. Tamara is less than thrilled because she remembers her from years ago and tells Lilah she won't do it. Then, the most important businessman in Newark wants her to help him get the baby because his son had been briefly married to Lilah and he feels she is not a good mother. In the midst of this turmoil, Tamara's former lover, Basil, shows up, throwing another wrench into the program. She is now with Larry who is kind and considerate and although she wishes he had a better relationship with her son Jamal, she is quite happy with him. Then Lilah Love turns up dead in the trunk of a car and Tamara's son, Jamal, was the last person to see her. She knows she must find out who killed Lilah in order to protect her son.

Once again, Valerie Wilson Wesley has written a marvelous mystery that catches your attention and doesn't let you put the book down until you find out who did it. The characters were well-developed, including the murdered woman. It's not hard to believe that someone would want to hurt Lilah, but who? Tamara's quandary about her two lovers puts some heat into the action and I found myself wondering which man she would choose. For mystery lovers, it's an excellent story.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ(tm) Reviewers

Ms. Wesley.....please keep the Tamara Hayle Mystery Books coming. I have enjoyed each and everyone of them.

Since I am a tremendous fan of the Tamara Hayle series, this much anticipated book seems to have taken much too long to write. As usual, Valerie Wilson Wesley interweaves personal and professional storylines in a seemingly effortless manner. A lady from the past brings Tamara's present into a custody battle, and in the process, endangers her almost grown son, Jamal. I felt Tamara's anguish at her son's choices which put him smack dab in the middle of her investigation. I felt her anger at her ex husband's seeming lack of understanding about the seriousness of Jamal's situation. And then there is Basil Dupre--always mysterious, but seemingly ready to give up living on the wrong side of the law to settle down with Tamara. Maybe. If you like the series, you'll enjoy this edition.