A Psychics and Soul Food Mystery Series

With technological marvels, daring fashions, and the rhythms of jazz to enjoy, Americans across the nation celebrate the Roaring 20s. In a Black community in Southern Illinois, young psychic Nola Ann Jackson witnesses the grime beneath the glamor when desperate people turn to murder.

Franklin C. “Boss” Dillard has served the people of Agate, Illinois as a state legislature representative and is seeking reelection. Despite being a successful lawyer with connections on both sides of the law, Dillard has been unable to stop the rising wave of crime perpetrated by drug addicts afflicting the city, giving his political opponent enough ammunition to unseat him—and threatening the production of a movie being made in the city about the lives of Black people during the Great War.

Nola and her Aunt Sarah, a hoodoo practitioner, have discovered the source of the addictions. A transplanted Texan named Dr. Eric Spyder has been peddling his “Wonder Tonic”, getting folks hooked, and charging them a premium for the additional doses needed to “adjust” to the medicine’s effects. Aunt Sarah hopes to conjure a cure for Spyder’s concoction, publicly calling him out as a dangerous quack.

Then “Boss” Dillard is found dead, supposedly the victim of an opium overdose. His widow believes he met with foul play and asks Nola to uncover the truth. But even as she investigates who wanted the politician dead, another poisoned body is found—and Aunt Sarah is the police’s number one suspect for murder. To prove her innocence, Nola will have to confront a killer whose ruthlessness endangers the entire city . . .

As prosperity and great cultural changes sweep across 1920s Jazz Age America, Nola Ann Jackson learns more about developing her natural psychic talents from her aunt—talents that prove crucial when she investigates murder in her Black community—in this thrilling historical mystery written by a real-life psychic medium and jazz pianist.

“A fast-paced jaunt that touches on race, religion and even romance, aided occasionally by Nola’s own psychic powers.” – THE NEW YORK TIMES

The people of Agate, Illinois, have welcomed Bishop Pius Amun Ra with open arms, flocking to become congregants of his Temple of Righteous Revelation. He has won over the hearts not only of the Black churchgoers, but of the city’s white political and wealthy elite. Bishop Ra is more than a preacher of the good word, he is a faith healer, blessed with the gift on the banks of the Nile during his youth in Egypt. His worshippers believe he can cure cancer—and even raise the dead.

Sequoia LaMarche was saved by Bishop Ra, and the young white woman serves his church as a singer, receiving death threats for her efforts. Despite Ra’s protection, members of the Temple’s inner circle hold Sequoia in contempt, including bodyguard Sam Constant, who publicly accuses her of stealing money from the collection plate. After the confrontation, Sequoia’s murdered body is discovered, and Sam becomes the police’s number one suspect.

Nola is a good friend of Sam’s sister, believing he’s innocent. Guided by her psychic instincts, she conducts her own investigation, uncovering secrets about the Bishop and the people closest to him, including his wife. The leaders of the Temple are not as righteous as they claim. Their altruism masks sins they prefer buried. And when another murder occurs, Nola must unveil the killer before she becomes the next victim . . .

As Prohibition era speakeasies and Jazz Age excitement reign supreme throughout a deeply divided country at the height of the Roaring 20s, a young psychic in small town Illinois helps the Black community fight crime and corruption in this thrilling historical mystery written by a real-life psychic medium and jazz pianist.

After the death of her brave Harlem Hellfighter husband during World War I, young widow Nola Ann Jackson returned to her hometown of Agate to live with her Aunt Sarah, a local psychic. Under her aunt’s tutelage, Nola has been learning how to tap into her own intuitive gifts and communicate with the spirits. And she’ll rely on their guidance when she’s asked to help investigate a woman’s disappearance.

Lilly Davidson was living at the Phyllis Wheatley Institute for Colored Girls where young ladies are educated and prepared to follow bright futures. But she vanished after a night at the Wham Bam Club where jazz music swings, Prohibition is defied, and other vices are encouraged. Lilly was seen fraternizing with Eddie Smooth, trumpeter and leader of the St. Louis Stompers—and a notorious pimp. Nola finds Lilly at the club alive and well, supposedly engaged to Eddie. That same night, the Wham Bam is set afire and Eddie is fatally shot, leaving Lilly on the run, a suspected murderer.

Eddie had shady dealings with Agate’s wealthy elite, Black and white, making plenty of enemies with motives for wanting him dead. He was also a notorious womanizer who left several broken hearts in his wake. To prove Lilly’s innocence, Nola must listen to her spiritual instincts to unravel political schemes and personal vendettas to find a killer desperate to cover up a scandalous conspiracy . . .