No Hiding Place by
Valerie Wilson Wesley
pbk out May 98
(Headline)
at £5.99
Tamara Hayle is a black PI. who lives in Newark, New Jersey. She has a
thirteen year old son called Jamal and a fixation with Jake, a lawyer who lives next door. Trouble is, he has a sick wife whom he adores and an adolescent daughter. It might not prevent some but it prevents Jake.
The action begins when a teenage boy called Rayshawn holds up Tamara in a car lot at gunpoint. It quickly becomes clear that he is an integral part of the case in which Tamara becomes embroiled. Bessie Raymond, the boy's grandmother, wants Tamara to find the killer of her son, Shawn Raymond. Bessie is old, tired and desperate for the truth, so despite herself Tamara takes the case.
The Lennox family had various connections with Shawn Raymond and Tamara begins to unearth an enormous amount of bitterness and anger and a number of hidden truths. In doing so, her own life is endangered, a fact which is compounded by her involvement with Ben Lennox, an old flame. The whole atmosphere of the book is one of moody realism; a has-been town where frustrations simmer beneath the surface and Blacks are seen as second class citizens.
The social realism of this story isn't at all preachy or sanctimonious yet some of the injustices detailed stir up anger in the reader as if they were fact, not fiction. The point is, some of these attitudes did and do exist which is why this novel is so believable. Light relief is to be found however in the Beauty Biscuit parlour Adjacent to Tamara's office, it is where to go to find out useful information. Wyvetta who runs the place is a wonderful gossip who frequently tells Tamara that she isn't beautifying herself enough. Similarly, Annie who is Tamara's secretary is continually prying about her love life then feigning deep indignation when she is told to mind her own business.
I really enjoyed this book and am delighted to see that several more exist in the series. Reminiscent of Paretsky, Grafton and Barnes, It does have it's own style and in to be highly recommended. Read it, you will be hooked.
No Hiding Place by
Valerie Wilson Wesley