10 Crime and Mystery Fiction Books by Black Authors to Buy from Afrori Books
Afrori Books, Brighton’s award-winning Black-owned bookshop, is aiming to sell 1,000 books in April to help keep its doors open. One of the easiest ways to support them is to buy your next read directly from the shop. If you love crime, mystery, courtroom drama or psychological thrillers, this list is a great place to start.
Photography by D Pamben
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Korede is used to cleaning up after her sister Ayoola — quite literally. But when Ayoola begins dating the doctor Korede secretly loves, this sharp, darkly funny thriller turns into a deadly dilemma about loyalty, family and survival.
Price: £9.99
Every Smile You Fake by Dorothy Koomson
Ex-profiler and therapist Kez Lanyon finds a baby abandoned in her car with a warning note. The child’s mother, a social media star with a dangerous past, has disappeared – and Kez must decide whether to protect the baby or risk everything to find the truth.
Price: £16.99
My Other Husband by Dorothy Koomson
A writer’s murderous fictional ideas start appearing in real life — and she is being set up as the prime suspect. But clearing her name would mean revealing the secret she has been hiding: her other husband.
Price: £16.99
Missing White Woman by Kellye Garrett
What begins as a romantic trip to New York turns into a nightmare when Bree wakes to find a missing white woman dead in the house — and her boyfriend gone. As the police and social media close in, Bree must uncover what really happened before she is blamed.
Price: £9.99
Rosewater by Tade Thompson
The first book in the Wormwood Trilogy, Rosewater follows Kaaro, a government agent with a criminal past, in a town built around a mysterious alien biodome. When people like him start dying, he is forced to confront his history and a terrifying future.
Price: £9.99
Until Proven Innocent by Nicola Williams
Barrister Lee Mitchell is pulled into a controversial courtroom case after a 15-year-old boy is shot in South London and the evidence points to a corrupt police officer. As community anger rises, Lee must defend a man many believe is indefensible.
Price: £9.99
The Light and Shade of Ellen Swithin by D. G. Coutinho
Ellen is tired of being overlooked at work while less capable colleagues get ahead. When one office slight goes too far, her career takes a murderous turn in this subversive thriller about ambition, toxic workplaces and revenge.
Price: £9.99
The Gosling Girl by Jacqueline Roy
Michelle Cameron was convicted of a horrifying crime as a child and released years later under a new identity. When another death occurs, she is immediately suspected, forcing both Michelle and the detective investigating the case to confront racism, media judgement and the legacy of childhood trauma.
Price: £8.99
Grown by Tiffany D. Jackson
Enchanted Jones dreams of becoming a singer, but her life changes when a famous R&B star takes an interest in her career. When she wakes with blood on her hands and no memory of the night before, this gripping mystery explores power, exploitation and the vulnerability of young Black girls.
Price: £8.99
The Exes by Leodora Darlington
Natalie believes James is different from the men before him. But when a night of celebration turns frightening, old patterns and buried secrets rise to the surface — and Natalie realises she may be closer to violence than she wants to admit.
Price: £18.99
About Afrori Books
Afrori Books, the UK's only bookshop specialising in books by Black authors, are facing a critical moment due to rising rates and hard times for independent businesses. As well as running their beautiful Brighton bookshop, they also do invaluable anti-racist work, offer safe spaces, groups and events, and are a wonderful community hub. And now they need our help.
Afrori need to sell 1,000 books by the end of April to stay open, so please support if you can or help spread the word!
Ways to support:
Buy books, subscription boxes (only £16.20 a month!) or gift cards online at afrori.co.uk
Select them as your bookshop on bookshop.org (for both physical or e-books!)
Buy an audiobook on Libro.fm and select them there
Or pop into their gorgeous shop! At the front of the Brighthelm Centre on North Road, Tuesday-Saturdays 10.30am-6pm