Lyrics of a Blackbird

June 3, 2002
Walker's highly competent murder mystery, set during the Harlem Renaissance, features exotic locales, an odd supporting cast, worthy subplots and a baffling set of clues. At the center of this carefully constructed tale of murder, deception and betrayal is a twisty whodunit based on the efforts of David McKay, a young black attorney from one of Harlem's most respected families, to find out how his level-headed sister Lilian really died. Why would Lilian, a reclusive, conservative, sensible young woman, hang out in dives, hobnob with gangsters and become pregnant before her suspicious suicide? Like a character in a Nero Wolfe caper, David visits Lilian's haunts and quizzes her new friends, unraveling a host of dark secrets about her while also learning about the Harlem art world and nightlife. Walker slyly taunts and teases readers with her shrewdly rendered characters: Gem, the twin sister with a heart of glass; Lilian's husband, Jameson Sweet, a conniving gigolo; Rachel, an old flame of David's; Neila Harding, the bestselling author with a yen for David; and mysterious crime boss Adrian Snyder. Although the ending could have packed a stronger punch, and the prose is overworked in places ("the sun hung low in the sky with a dull, metallic gleam, like a watch dangling from a banker's pocket"), it's entertaining to watch the various pieces of Walker's puzzle come together. Agent, Julie Castiglia.