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Rating: 
Summary: A Mystery Lover's Dream
Review: Are you bored, with nothing on your bookshelf that will stimulate your mind and activate your imagination? If the answer is yes, then SHADES OF BLACK could be the book for you. This anthology features over 20 stories by various African-American writers of the Mystery genre.
I am an avid reader and mystery is one of my favorite genres so I'm always on the lookout for something to get my mysterious juices flowing and SHADES OF BLACK did this for me. Usually when someone speaks of a good suspenseful novel, Walter Mosley and maybe two or three other authors immediately come to mind. With this anthology, I was exposed to a wealth of African-American mystery writers who are prominent in the literary scene today. My favorite contribution to this collection was "The Werewolf File" by Hugh Holton. This story involved a murderous and vengeful werewolf and three very colorful detectives. The attention to detail and the author's writing was so vivid I was on the edge of my seat the entire time.
SHADES OF BLACK is a great example of the talented mystery writers who are on the literary scene today and their works are a welcomed change from predictable stories with very little mental challenge. This anthology has me anxious to check out the works of the authors who were not familiar to me.
Reviewed by Simone A. Hawks
of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers
Rating: 
Summary: Like a literary Jackie Robinson!
Review: It is about time an anthology of black writers came out. It has been shameful these authors have lived in the shadows of mainstream mystery and suspense authors, be the white authors "huge names" or amateurs (like me!) writing Cozies. My father used read Himes in the 1950s, but I did not know this until my mother and I obtained this anthology. Himes was a contemporary of Chandler and Hammett, and just as good! Kudos to women Bland, Woods, Edwards. I am always impressed with gum-shoe writer Phillips' work, and Mosely is stellar as always. Notable also was thrill/suspense man Chambers, who was shocking yet very, very interesting. Frankly, nobody in this bundle of stores disappoints me, and avid readers should note that these stories aren't about "ghettoes" or rap music or sex. They are about great mystery writing, and I think we're all enriched by them.
Rating:
Summary: Uneven , poorly edited--yet entertaining collection
Review: Shades of Black: Crime and Mystery Stories by African-American Authors is an uneven yet entertaining collection of stories all penned by African-American authors, some well known, other fairly obscure. Not all of these are "mystery" stories in the traditional sense. Some of the "mysteries" here cover issues as mundane as a missing dog. Others are "mysteries" mainly in a cultural context, as is the case with Walter Moseley's contribution, "Bombardier". It's all in all a very diverse collection that, in total, ought to have something among the 22 submissions that would appeal to virtually any reader. If there can be said to be an underlying theme to these stories it would be, generally speaking, an examination of the underlying forces of society, relationships and personality that motivate one toward the life of crime. If that's the question, the fact is the answers-to the extent there really are any-are all over the board. The writing throughout is universally good. The proofreading and editing, by Eleanor Taylor, is slipshod and uneven. One is left with the sense Ms Taylor didn't so much edit this collection as assemble it. While this is often a source of mild irritation it doesn't detract in a serious way from enjoying the book. In the end one is not so much moved by the mysteries presented as by the wit, superstitions, mores, aphorisms, attitudes and-most keenly-the shared experiences of the authors, specifically as it relates to the minority experience in America. All in all, a very good diversionary, beach type of read.
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: This delightful twenty-two short story collection is written by African-Americans though some of the writers are not household names yet. The stories are all solid with no losers, but only a handful attain the great label such as Walter Mosley's thought provoking take on the use of the race card. In fact the better known authors like Mr. Mosley, the late Hugh Holton, Frankie Y Bailey, and Gar Anthony Haywood provide the best tales. Much of the remaining stories are well written, but seems a bit formulaic yet fans will enjoy the contributions while getting a glimpse of the future. Look forward to see how far African-Americans have come (especially this group of authors) in a decade when one compares editor Eleanor Taylor Bland today to what she was writing ten years ago. It is interesting to see who was writing then and how many more have joined the rapidly growing community. SHADES OF BLACK: CRIMES AND MYSTERIES STORIES BY AFRICAN-AMERICAN WRITERS contains reliable tales that entertain the audience. Harriet Klausner
Rating:
Summary: Entertaining
Review: This delightful twenty-two short story collection is written by African-Americans though some of the writers are not household names yet. The stories are all solid with no losers, but only a handful attain the great label such as Walter Mosley's thought provoking take on the use of the race card. In fact the better known authors like Mr. Mosley, the late Hugh Holton, Frankie Y Bailey, and Gar Anthony Haywood provide the best tales. Much of the remaining stories are well written, but seems a bit formulaic yet fans will enjoy the contributions while getting a glimpse of the future. Look forward to see how far African-Americans have come (especially this group of authors) in a decade when one compares editor Eleanor Taylor Bland today to what she was writing ten years ago. It is interesting to see who was writing then and how many more have joined the rapidly growing community. SHADES OF BLACK: CRIMES AND MYSTERIES STORIES BY AFRICAN-AMERICAN WRITERS contains reliable tales that entertain the audience. Harriet Klausner
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