Tangled Roots (Kendra Clayton Novels) [Paperback]

Angela Henry (Author)

Book Description

Series: Kendra Clayton Novels | Publication Date: June 1, 2006

For Kendra Clayton life is good—for about five minutes. Then her sweetie, lawyer Carl Brumfield, leaves town to help out his sister in Cleveland. Her soon-to-be-married best friend picks out a hideous bridesmaid dress for her to wear (a sequined Smurf-blue nightmare with a bow on the butt). The work she loves as a part-time GED instructor turns into the job from hell when a retired kindergarten teacher with the personality of a piranha becomes her new boss.

And to top it all off, Trish Harmon, aka Detective Trish Harmon of the Willow, Ohio police department, shows up at her class. To say Detective Harmon and Kendra don't see eye to eye is like saying people in hell are a little warm. And now Detective Harmon is looking for Kendra's favorite student, a troubled young man named Timmy who has been straightening out his life.

A pretty local beautician is dead, and Timmy is suspect number one. When he later shows up at Kendra's apartment begging for help, it's only one more step before Kendra's back on the road to trouble again, trying to find out who the real killer is, stepping over the line from a nice safe life into danger. . .and getting tangled in the deadly roots of secrets and desire.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"Ms. Henry is a refreshing new voice..." -- CrimeSpree Magazine

About the Author

Angela Henry is the founder of the MystNoir website, which promotes African-American mysteries. She lives in Ohio. This is her second Kendra Clayton novel.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Kimani Press; Original edition (June 1, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1583146083
• ISBN-13: 978-1583146088
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.1 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,649,985 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Angela Henry was once told that her past life careers included spy, researcher, and investigator. She stuck with what she knew because today she's a mystery writing library reference specialist, who loves to people watch and eavesdrop on conversations. She's the author of four mysteries featuring equally nosy amateur sleuth Kendra Clayton, and is also the founder of the award-winning MystNoir website, which promotes African-American mystery writers, and was named a "Hot Site" by USA Today.com. When she's not working, writing, or practicing her stealth, she loves to travel, is connoisseur of B horror movies, and an admitted anime addict. She lives in Ohio and is currently hard at work trying to meet her next deadline.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Can I Catch My Breath First?, July 17, 2006

By 

Yasmin Coleman (PENNSYLVANIA, USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Tangled Roots (Kendra Clayton Novels) (Paperback)

Just when life is returning to normal, from her last sleuthing activity, Kendra Clayton finds herself once again involved in a murder case. This time it involves one her favorite students, Timmy. Kendra has a soft spot for Timmy. She believes he is a good kid--who traveled with the wrong crowd when he was younger--but now he is trying to turn his life around and stay out of trouble. Of course, when he is accused of murdering a local cosmetologist and decides to flee rather than stick around to clear his name, he is presumed guilty. Kendra goes to bat for him and will not stop her own personal investigation, despite warnings from her nemesis, Detective Harmon, to stay out of it and allow the police department to handle it. As Kendra searches for the real killer, along the way, she will encounter classism, bourgeoism, prejudice, identity theft and dirty laundry along with a few other skeletons. All of this while juggling a long-distance relationship, a nervous bride and an acting supervisor from hell.

Tangled Web by Angela Henry is a compelling and intriguing mystery. Kendra Clayton is a quirky, eccentric and endearing sleuth who worms her way into the reader's heart. The energy from the first book continues in the second installment and Henry appears to have a successful series on her hand. Henry fills a niche that has been void since the absence of Valerie Wilson Wesley's Tamara Hayle series. Looking for a good mystery series which features an African American female sleuth, check out the Kendra Clayton series by Angela Henry. You do not have to read the first book before reading the second one. But it would be a nice treat if you do.

Reviewed by Yasmin
APOOO BookClub
www.apooo.org

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderfully written suspense story, July 31, 2006

By 

Priscilla C. Johnson "bookmaniac" (Baltimore, Maryland USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Tangled Roots (Kendra Clayton Novels) (Paperback)

After I read, IN the company you keep, I had to read this one. I enjoyed this one much better. Kendra Clayton has once again found herself in the middle of something that she will not let go of. But then she has plenty of time on her hands since her supervisor left to care for her sick mother and she has to deal with the substitte from hell. There are more twist and turns in this book than I can count. Just when I thought who the killer was it changed again. The title is most appropriate becuase you are dealing with a sex hungry paster and his many conquest, family secrets, death and so much more.

Ms. Henry's character kind of reminded me of a young Easy Rawlins. Instead Easy is aksed to help, Kendra is simply nosy. Kendra is a likable character. You don't have to read the first novel to keep up with the story but it wouldn't hurt since many are reoccuring characters from the first book. I was very impressed with Ms. Henry's second mystery and I look forward to reading more.

Peace!!

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing and Thrilling..., July 26, 2006

By 

The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers (RAWSISTAZ.com and BlackBookReviews.net) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Tangled Roots (Kendra Clayton Novels) (Paperback)

Kendra Clayton is a part-time GED instructor and a hostess at her uncle's restaurant. She really loves her job as a teacher until Noreen Reardon, a retired kindergarten teacher who is anal retentive and just plain ornery, becomes her boss. Her life becomes a living hell. In addition, one of her favorite students is accused of the murder of a local hair stylist. True, Timmy is a former crack addict and street person, but he has been off drugs for more than a year and is turning his life around. In fact, Timmy is one of her best students. Kendra feels he is innocent and knows she must help him prove it. Reluctantly, she begins her own investigation that takes her deep into the life of another student in her class and into the family life of a charismatic preacher she finds almost irresistible even though he is married. Her religious grandmother is truly put out when she feels the vibes from Kendra regarding this married man.

Angela Henry has written a delicious mystery with well-developed characters, some you just love to hate and others who tug at your heartstrings. The plot has enough twists and turns that it is impossible to guess who really did what and exactly what the real motives are. It was intriguing and thrilling and I would recommend it for those who love a good suspense tale.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers