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Dead Dead Girls
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
An exciting new #ownvoices historical mystery series set in 1920s Harlem featuring Louise Lloyd, a young black woman caught up in a series of murders way too close to home... Harlem, 1926. Young black girls like Louise Lloyd are ending up dead. Louise Lloyd is doing everything she can to maintain a normal life. She's succeeding, too. She spends her days working at Maggie's Caf and her nights at the Zodiac, Manhattan's hottest speakeasy. Louise's friends might say she's running from her past and the notoriety that still stalks her, but don't tell her that. When a girl turns up dead in front of the caf, Louise is forced to confront something she's been trying to ignore--several local black girls have been murdered over the past few weeks. After Louise's night job gets her arrested, she's given an ultimatum: She can either help solve the case or let a judge make an example of her. Fearing for her and her sister's safety, she takes the case. She soon finds herself toe-to-toe with a mastermind. She must push herself past the limits of her fears and the prejudices of New York City society if she wants to catch a killer.
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Traci1
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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This one is on my tbr for this month. I've been meaning to read it for ages, so I hope I can get to it.
#scarathlon #photochallenge day 3: #dead
+6 team #spookyghostclub
@Clwojick

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Zoe-h
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Mehso-so

I had high hopes for this going in, how could I not when it‘s a historical fiction mystery set New York during the Harlem Renaissance? But unfortunately, it did not live up to my expectations. I did not fully under any of the characters and felt that all of them had only been written at the surface of their stories. I still don‘t really understand the motive for murder and still think it should have been someone else. 3⭐️

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IndoorDame
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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On my TBR because the cover is just so fabulous! And I love reading about the Harlem Renaissance. #Dead #OminousOctober #Scarathlon2022 #TeamMonsterMash @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks @Eggs @StayCurious

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Love it!! 🖤📚 1y
Eggs 💙🖤💙 1y
48 likes1 stack add2 comments
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kera_11
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Louise gets kidnapped when she‘s 15, fights back & gets away. Now she‘s 25 & young Black girls are being murdered. The police force her to do their job and surprise she‘s bad at it bc she‘s not a cop. Obvious who the killer is and it‘s grody. Plot is a cool idea, execution wasn‘t there. MC is pretentious and I swear her own gf barely likes her. TW/ attempted SA, murder, racism, hate crimes, “slut shaming” etc etc

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NikkiCureton
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Pickpick

I liked the historical setting, 1920s Harlem. The characters were interesting and the story was certainly compelling. There were a few angles that could have used more polish and clarity but overall a good start to a new series.

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LiteraryinLawrence
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Panpan

Well, this book was awful. 😬 Since I‘m the 4th reader in my #lmpbc group to read this, I‘m not worried about concealing my opinion. I couldn‘t get past the terrible, terrible writing. Although the premise was interesting, the clunky plot and tortured writing held it back. I very rarely pan books, but this one left me no choice. 🤷🏻‍♀️

That said, I loved my #lmpbc group and reading everyone‘s comments for the last 4 months! 💗

LiteraryinLawrence I don‘t pull myself up to my full height nearly enough, apparently. IYKYK 2y
DGRachel I keep seeing that in other books I‘ve read since then (although not with the same frequency)!! I now picture all characters walking around hunched over until they finally pull themselves up to their full height. 🤣🤣🤣 (edited) 2y
shanaqui Ahaha, I'm glad to see other people feeling this way about it. (edited) 2y
LiteraryinLawrence @kspenmoll This went in the mail to you today and it should get there midweek next week! Thanks for a great reading cycle! 💗 2y
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63 likes5 comments
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DGRachel
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Panpan

I finished it. Because this is for #LMPBC, I will save my #unpopularopinion and vitriol for my Goodreads/Storygraph review. @LiteraryinLawrence I will get this out in the mail on Tuesday.

LiteraryinLawrence I‘m… excited? 😳😋 2y
DGRachel @LiteraryinLawrence Just don‘t read any reviews. There are some pacing issues and when I got bored, I started looking at reviews, which made it harder for me to overlook flaws. I hope you enjoy it. It just didn‘t work for me. 2y
shanaqui I'm glad it's not just me... 2y
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JazzFeathers Was it that bad? 2y
DGRachel @JazzFeathers I did not enjoy it. Every male character was skeevy, if the main character “pulled herself up to her full height” one more time I was going to scream, and the solution to the murder felt lazy. 2y
JazzFeathers @DGRachel What a shame. I was considering this book. 2y
DGRachel @JazzFeathers Don‘t let me dissuade you. Plenty of other people really liked it or at least liked the setting enough to overlook the book‘s flaws. I would say borrow don‘t buy, though. Just in case. 😉 2y
LiteraryinLawrence I received it! I‘m curious what I‘ll think… 2y
LiteraryinLawrence Just finished it. Totally agree. 😋 2y
52 likes9 comments
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Bookwormjillk
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Pickpick

This dragged some in spots, but the time period and setting made up for it. #LMPBC #20in4 book 1 of 3

Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 2y
LiteraryinLawrence Yay, I‘m excited to read it! 2y
DGRachel Just wanted to let you know it arrived today. ☺️ 2y
47 likes4 comments
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Bookwormjillk
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Reading at the bus stop. Let the #20in4 Readathon begin.

Andrew65 Looks a fun read. 2y
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Bookwormjillk
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Finishing the day how I started- enjoying the quiet and reading my #LMPBC book.

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Bookwormjillk
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Easing into the day.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Pretty ❤️ have a great one!!! 2y
46 likes1 comment
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jdw
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Panpan

I did read the book in its entirety despite me contemplating stopping multiple times (which I do not recommend doing). The writing felt childish & inexperienced - almost every chapter ended with some dramatic sentence that felt out of place. The ending was anticlimactic, giving the sense of a Hallmark movie where there is a lot of build-up and then minimal resolution at the end. This book felt like a genuine waste of time - very disappointing

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gfox
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Mehso-so

It wasn't much of a mystery. The only reason I didn't guess the killer was because I kept thinking it couldn't be that simple...but then it was. Over-all it was a good read but not a good mystery

shanaqui Yeah, some of the foreshadowing was... bad. Just made it far too obvious. 2y
5 likes1 comment
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Simona
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Mehso-so

I loved the setting, atmosphere and historical bits (I didn‘t know the term for clubs - speakeasies) in this Harlem renaissance mystery, but the execution of the mystery part of the book wasn‘t so great …
#Booked2022 #TitleRepeatsItself

Cinfhen Cool cover art 2y
Simona @Cinfhen Thanks 😊 2y
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kspenmoll
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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#HarlemReniassanceMystery #sharreadathon #20in4 #catsoflitsy

Em reading with me this morning. Waiting for temp to rise(10 degrees right now) so we can shovel cars out.

Eggs Pretty girl 🐈‍⬛ 2y
kspenmoll @Eggs Thank you! 2y
76 likes3 comments
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kspenmoll
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Paired this mug (K. Harris to Biden) with this book. Racism in 1920s Harlem theme in this book- protagonist Louise Lloyd wants desperately to shut them up-no spoilers here so that is all I will say. #LMPBC #round14 #groupP #HarlemReiassanceMystery

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kspenmoll
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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AmyG I am surprised this picture doesn‘t show her devouring it. 😂 2y
Bookwormjillk I‘m with Emmy. Yum! 2y
ravenlee “I would NEVER! (while you‘re looking…)” 2y
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RaeLovesToRead Hi Emmy!! 👋😄❤ (so cute!) 2y
LiteraryinLawrence So excited for this round! 2y
69 likes7 comments
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gfox
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Time to start the February Beers and Books Club book. Looks and smells like it might be a good one

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Simona
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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With the longer and warmer days my #weeklyforecast is getting more modest, but I do expect some library holds to mess with my current picks. In the progress are Dead, Dead, girl and A Ghost in the Throat, which I absolutely love! Happy reading week 😃

Cinfhen I‘ve seen loads of love for this one…maybe I‘ll pick it up if I can find it 2y
Simona I started it yesterday on the walk, and it is really good, so far … and it is interesting genres mashup. Audio is on Scribd😘 2y
47 likes2 comments
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Simona
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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I just finished Trust by D.Starnone, and I quite liked it, actually, I liked it more than some of his previous novels which I've read so far … so a little bit later tonight I‘m going to start reading tagged book.
#WeekendReading

Andrew65 Well done 👏👏👏 (edited) 2y
shawnmooney Glad to hear you like this latest to be translated from Starnone! One of his earlier ones was a bail for me and I‘ve never been interested to try anything else – but maybe this one! 2y
Simona @shawnmooney I don't think so. If you read Trick or Ties and dislike it, I don't think you'll like this one either. From the perspective of thematisation (love, marriage, cheating …) and writing style all three books are the same, but this time he adds to the plot a little different angle. 2y
Simona @Andrew65 Thank you ☺️ 2y
47 likes4 comments
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kspenmoll
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Here are some choices; I have lots more!!! #lmpbc #mysteries

DGRachel My vote is either Dead Dead Girls or The Railway Detective 2y
Bookwormjillk I love the look of Dead Dead Girls, but am happy with anything. I pulled some books out tonight but it‘s too dark to take a pic. Will post in the morning. 2y
LiteraryinLawrence Dead Dead Girls and Death in Rough Water intrigue me the most! All good choices! 2y
kspenmoll @DGRachel @Bookwormjillk @LiteraryinLawrence Let‘s go with Dead Dead Girls! It‘s on Bookshop.org, Amazon, etc (edited) 2y
53 likes4 comments
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TheKidUpstairs
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Pickpick

An enjoyable and engaging historical mystery. I loved the 1920s Harlem setting, and Louise is a great MC. The reveal is foreshadowed with an overly heavy hand and the ending is a bit anti-climactic, but I found I really didn't mind. I've heard rumblings of a sequel, and I'm definitely interested to see how Afia evolves from this solid debut.

#Booked2022 - Title Repeats Itself
@BarbaraTheBibliophage @4thhouseontheleft @Cinfhen

Simona Good to know, because I have this book for the same prompt! 2y
Cinfhen Very cool graphics 2y
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Blerdgal_Fenix
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Pickpick

Good book! Nice little twisty mystery. It does have some racial charged moments and languages based on the time frame this story takes place. I give it a 7.5/10. I might read the follow up to this story #lgbt #woc #poc #femalelead #harlem #1920s #murder Read on a Kindle and borrowed using the #libby app

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shanaqui
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia

Not a setting/period I know much about, so looking forward to digging into this one... it's a book club book this month, and oh boy I've been slow to get started, oops.

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kimmypete1
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Pickpick

Mostly a pick.

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Eggbeater
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Pickpick

The atmosphere created for the setting of this book was done perfectly. I also liked that it wasn't a traditional "girl aids police detective" trope. The characters were complex and interesting and I imagine the history was portrayed accurately. I do wish parts of the plot hadn't been given away. It wasn't a perfect book, but it was a good debut novel and I look forward to more.

#AnyWayYouReadathon book 1
@MidnightBookGirl @kimmypete1

kimmypete1 I'll be starting this one soon! 2y
53 likes1 comment
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Eggbeater
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Listening to Louis Armstrong for atmosphere while I read this 1920s Harlem Renaissance mystery. Kicking back and really enjoying it. Big band jazz music always makes me think of my grandmother, who loved to dance when she was young.

Centique Beautiful flowers too! And I do love Louis. 😍 2y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Beautiful photo ❤️🐶💐 2y
54 likes2 comments
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megnews
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Pickpick

Rejected by her father after her failed engagement, Louise spends her days working & her nights enjoying Harlem‘s speakeasy nightlife alongside her girlfriend & her brother until she‘s sucked into helping investigate the serial murders of several other black women in her neighborhood. While I‘ve fallen out of love with mystery over the years, this is just different enough that I‘ll definitely check out the next in the series when it is released.

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megnews
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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True for MC Louise in 1926, still true today. ☕️

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megnews
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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I‘ve seen this in a couple of books recently and I can‘t quite figure it out. How does a ❤️ squeeze? Does yours? I tried and I don‘t think mine does. 😂

MaureenMc That makes me think of a heart attack. 🤷‍♀️ 2y
mom2bugnbee Haha! I always use this phrase to describe the feeling I have when I look at my daughters & have an overwhelming wave of love for them. ☺ But it is a strange turn of phrase! 2y
megnews @mom2bugnbee I know that feeling! I wouldn‘t have thought to call it that. Never heard it used before until these last couple of books. I wonder if it‘s a regional saying. 2y
22 likes3 comments
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MidnightBookGirl
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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#LittensDressedInBlood Today's prompt is October Pile.

Since I've recently reposted a picture of my physical piles, I thought I'd use my #BookSpinBingo card for October for this prompt too. I'm starting with Dead Dead Girls because the audio is due soon, and I'm very much digging it!

#Scathalon2021 #TeamSlaughter @Clwojick #Screamathon @4thhouseontheleft
@thearomaofbooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!!! 2y
40 likes1 comment
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Eggbeater
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Spooky book haul from my favorite indie bookstore @FountainBookstore . All ready for Halloween! 🎃💀🧙🧹

Clare-Dragonfly Very intriguing covers! 2y
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Laughterhp
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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#BookReport - Finished 3 books this week, 1 on audio. 2 were just okay. I really like Once There Were Wolves.

Currently Reading: The last few chapters of Persuasion. I‘ve been slacking on Fierce Fairytales, so I need to pick that up again this week.
I randomly started Mount Char and am so intrigued by it! Already 160 pages in.

#WeeklyForecast - Finish up these 2 books at least. Not sure how far I am on fairytales and start my #LMPBC books

Cinfhen I really liked this one too 3y
42 likes1 comment
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mhillis
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Mehso-so

I liked the setting of 1920s Harlem. The sleuth Louise had an interesting back story that we get to know more about as she gets involved in the murder investigation. Dead Dead Girls is the author‘s debut and I‘m interested to read the next in the series.

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Laughterhp
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Mehso-so

Sigh. I wanted to like this book so much more than I actually did. Close to a Pan. I skimmed the last half just to finish it and see who the killer was.

The writing felt super clunky and it just didn‘t flow. The chapters were short but I felt like I was missing out on a lot.

Like her sister had a secret but you never find out what that secret is and things like that. It was a bit annoying. Things like that kept happening.

#BookSpin finished

TheAromaofBooks So frustrating!!! 3y
54 likes1 comment
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Laughterhp
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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#BookSpin this month is tagged book

#DoubleSpin is a #BOTM book. I keep these ones vague because I never know which BOTM I‘ll want to actually read! 😬

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amma-keep-reading
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
Pickpick

3.5 without rounding up.

I didn't love this one but I enjoy a solid mystery especially when it's also historical fiction with a diverse cast of characters. It's also eery how this story could easily be set today with the same issues and social commentary.

I'm glad I went with my gut and borrowed the audiobook from the library.

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BookishMarginalia
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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Isn‘t this a #gorgeouscover?

BiblioLitten Absolutely! 3y
kspenmoll Beautiful! 3y
DivineDiana Yes, it is! 3y
Velvetfur Yes it is, I love it! 3y
99 likes4 stack adds4 comments
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BookishMarginalia
Dead Dead Girls | Nekesa Afia
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So… we went back to the bookstore today… these pretty mysteries came home with me (plus a few other tomes…) #bookhaul

LeslieO Those Sherlock Holmes look pretty. 3y
84 likes1 comment