Praise

“A page-turning thriller infused with pockets of romance." More.
—M. P. McKinney, APOOO Book Club

"Lanie Price is not just Easy Rollins in a dress." More.
—Alan Symonette, Philadelphia

"Walker has the atmosphere of the Harlem Renaissance just right. She knows the time and place so well she appears to have been there and takes the reader along in trying to find a missing woman in the no-man's land between black and white." More.
—G. Miki Hayden, New York

Synopsis: A Murder Mystery of the 1920s Harlem Renaissance

In December 1923, Esther Todd was a lovely young pianist, a rising star. One month later, she was on the Most Wanted List. She had vanished along the snowy streets of a stormy night in Harlem and thieves had hit the home of her society patron, pulling off a million- dollar heist.

Were the disappearance and the robbery coincidence or conspiracy? Somebody knew, but nobody was talking. Three years later, the puzzles remained unsolved.

As a crime reporter during the renaissance in Harlem, Lanie Price covered the initial case. Now a frustrated society columnist, she's ready for a change. It comes in the form of Esther's sister, Ruth.

Desperate for closure, Ruth begs Lanie to dedicate her Christmas column to the case. Maybe someone, somewhere will remember something. Seeking fresh material, Lanie starts asking hard questions, the dangerous kind, just about guaranteed to get her killed.

Darkness and the Devil Behind Me is a 1920s murder mystery, a Harlem Renaissance historical, featuring a female detective who worked for a black newspaper. Lanie Price is, in part, inspired by real-life society reporter Geraldyn Dismond. See the box below for more information on Dismond.