Customer Reviews

The Devil Riding

5 star:		(17)
4 star:		(12)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I was very pleased with this book. I thought that Tamara Hayle was about to retire after the last case, but I was wrong. This book kept me guessing until the end. And I love the way Basil just appears in her life. If you are looking for a good mystery, this is it. I read it in less then 24 hours.

Tamara Hayes is a beautiful African-American woman, raising a son by herself. She earns a living as a private detective, traveling to wherever the job requires her to go. This time she is in Atlantic City looking for a teenage runaway belonging to an influential family. As she searches for the eighteen-year old, Tamara wonders why four months passed before someone hired anyone. Tamara is shocked to learn that she has been employed only because someone brutally murdered Gabrielle Desmond's roommate and six other runaways.

Tamara goes undercover at a coveted party hosted by a person who preys on the depravations of others. He provides victims to his clients to use as they see fit. Tamara is stunned to find her sometimes lover, mercenary Basil DuPre, attending the same party. Basil thinks Tamara is in over her head with this case. However, the tough Tamara intends to see the case through to its' completion although it means running over her clients, her lover, and a monster that devours innocents.

In THE DEVIL RIDING, highly acclaimed author Valerie Wilson Wesley brings the ambiance and decadence of Atlantic City into the forefront. Although a mystery, the literary prose gives the tale a mainstream feel. Tamara never seems to accept an easy case, but this one appears even more difficult than usual because several different crimes muddy the water. Ms. Wesley never writes a poor novel, but this one is extraordinary as she describes the middle class African-American experience inside a well-designed detective story.

Harriet Klausner

Wesley's new book is set in the ersatz glitter of Atlantic City but deprivation and cruelty aren't far away. While people are dropping quarters into slot machines and high rollers are luxuriating in lavish suites, runaway kids are trying to make a home for themselves in the shadow of all that greed.

Tamara Hayle's looking for a rich runaway here, and her empathy for kids is in full play. She's not your typical crusty PI, but she is hard-working and despite the dangers, you see her job as just that: work that puts bread on the table.

She's appealing; the villain's well worth hissing at; the romantic interest is Billy Dee Williams-hot--but the author's best creations are the kids, whether rich or poor, who've been treated so badly. All that and a fast-moving story make for a fine read, though the writing needed a firmer editorial hand.

AA Newark PI Tamara Hayle is at it again. This time she's in the glitz, grime and sin of Atlantic City trying to locate the runaway daughter of a wealthy client. And as always Tamara's delicious dark guardian angel Basil Dupre is not far behind, showing up just when Tamara needs him.I think this is the best Tamara Hayle mystery in the series. The Devil Riding finds Tamara on one of her most dangerous assignments. She has to go undercover and mingle with crime bosses, druggies, the late night ladies and all of the underbelly people in Atlantic City. When her car is literally blown to pieces as a warning, she knows that she is in over her head. Yet as frightening as the worse scenario is, it still can't touch the horror she finds in the runaway's own home with her "loving" family.The Devil Riding finally gives us a further peek into Basil's life. This time around although he's here to help Tamara he is also here to find a daughter he never knew he had.This is excellent writing and very good reading.Vannie(~.~)

This is a very interesting tale of murder, mystery and betrayal. There is a serial killer on the loose and Tamara's hired by a wealthy wife and mother to go under cover to find her missing daughter before the killer strikes again. But does she find her in time? As the investigation unfolds, some interesting turn of events begin to occur that has you wondering exactly what are the facts surrounding the daughter's disappearance.

The Devil Riding is a very fast paced mystery that will captivate you from the beginning of this tale to the last pages of this surprising finish!

Tamara Hayle is back again! Valerie Wilson Wesley again does a tremendous job with earthy Tamara Hayle. The story was wonderful and I love the way that the characters of whom we are familiar, keep showing up. When you read the Tamara Hayle mysteries, you will simply ENTER into her world.

I love the way that Tamara grows throughout each novel. She is much richer, more grounded, more level headed with each novel. Each book also allows us to follow her successes and changes in her life. The end of this book leaves you anticipating one large decision that she will have to make and will manifest itself in the next novel. Personally, I think that is the fun and excitement and an added bonus of following Ms. Wesley's writing.

Again, read this one. It is well worth your time. If you haven't read the other Tamara Hayle mysteries, read those also(preferably in sequence). You will never regret entering into the world of Tamara Hayle world.

The main character in the novel is a black woman private investigator, Tamara Hayle, hired to find a young woman who has disappeared - or has she? The trail takes Tamara behind the glitter of Atlantic City, into the seamier side of life. The city has become a magnet for both homeless teenagers and evil people who prey on them. An evil man, from unknown origins, is protected by powerful people he is supplying with young women.

Tamara's search for Gabriella Desmond leads her into a snakepit where her own life is in danger. People who knew Gabriella turn up dead, and Gabriella does not want to be found. Along the way, Tamara's old friend Basil appears. The plot ends with a surprising double twist.

A procurer is eliminated, but who did he work for? The story leaves powerful people unidentified, including one killer who is still out there as a 21st century Bluebeard. In that respect, the black hats win. Based on content, I would give this novel a PG-13 rating.

Tamara is back, bumbling and guessing wrong, but still a top notch crime solver, kind of like TV's Columbo. All the while reading this book, I felt like a was watching a black and white gumshoe detective movie. The story was written in such a way that one is able to close their eyes and visualize each scene. It was almost as you were there with Tamara. This time Tamara is in Atlantic City searching for the teenage daughter of the wealthy Desmond family. Clueless going in, she meets all the right people but can they or will they help her, that's the question. And, Basil is in town, adding spark to Tamara's quest.This is one book that I highly recommend for the mystery lovers.

I consider myself to be a big Valerie Wilson Wesley/Tamara Hayle fan and was eagerly anticipating this latest book. However, I was greatly disappointed. This mystery was really no mystery at all since I figured out early on the plot of the entire book. There was no suspense to speak of and the Tamara-Basil relationship was glossed over at best. What happened Ms. Wesley? Were you trying to get the book out because of the demand for it that you forgot about the precedent that you set with the previous novels?I also was surprised to note that with this book coming from a major publishing house that it was missed by all that the jacket preview refers to Darnella Desmond and not Gabriella Desmond. All I can do is shake my head and wonder what in the world happened.

As usual, Tamara Hayle's earthy, witty, and down to earth character led us on an exciting journey. This time, Tamara's destination was Atlantic City. I've read all of the Tamara Halye mysteries since their inception almost ten years ago. I must say, that in the next mystery, I'd like to see Tamara get ahead. I'd like to see her business expand, maybe she could get a partner, maybe she could get a love life....I am just saddened that Tamara is no better off now then she was in 1994. Nevertheless, I'll keep rooting for her, and waiting for the next mystery.