In her triumphant new novel, bestselling author Valerie Wilson Wesley, one of the most respected and acclaimed voices in contemporary African American fiction, poignantly examines the stubborn bonds of family, passion, and a past that insists on repeating itself.
Dani Carter was seven years old -- her sister, Rose, seventeen -- when their beautiful, impetuous mother, Maria, walked out of their lives, abandoning her husband and family for a love affair that would end tragically mere months later. Over the decades that followed, Dani was able to overcome the persistent pain and feelings of betrayal, eventually wedding a successful man and giving birth to a wonderful son. But love has long been missing from her marriage, propelling her into the arms of another and inspiring troubling thoughts of escape. If it were not for the distress caused by the recent death of her father, she might well have already been gone. The sins of the mother, Dani fears, have been visited upon the daughter.
Dani's sister, Rose, never spoke or speaks of their lost parent. And their iron-willed, driven father -- who channeled his shame and anger into phenomenal business success -- always made it brutally clear that he considered his ex-wife to be evil incarnate. But Dani remembers a sweet, funny, vivacious young woman who did everything with exuberant love and tenderness. And now that she finds herself in a similar heartbreaking situation, Dani can't help but wonder who Maria really was.
It's a puzzle that may soon be completed, after a lifetime of searching for missing pieces. Maria, calling herself Mariah, is about to reenter her daughters' worlds -- at a time of emotional confusion and physical chaos -- bearing secrets and bitter truths ... and, perhaps, long-awaited answers to what could possibly drive a mother to sacrifice what was dearest to her heart.

Playing My Mother's Blues

Literature & Fiction

Wesley, Valerie W

United States

William Morrow

A trio of great single women is being driven to distraction; they have one thing in common -- Randall Hollis, a successful art dealer at the top of his game. Randall is rich, handsome, and charming -- the true-to-life dream lover of these smart, independent women who all find themselves passionately involved with him during the same seven-month period. There's Medora Jackson, an artist who has loved Randall since college and is now desperately trying to cut him loose. But turning Randall Hollis out of her life will end up being far more difficult than she thinks. There's Ana Reese-Mitchell, a wealthy widow and art collector who is haunted by the death of her best friend and the specter of her cruel late husband. She hopes Randall Hollis will be her second chance at love. And there's ambitious Taylor Benedict, a graduate student in art history who is coming to terms with her parents' divorce and problems from her childhood that she can't chase away. She's sure that Randall Hollis will be the first rung on her ladder to success. Randall Hollis is a man for all seasons, representing a different fantasy for each of the women who love him. As the novel unfolds, each woman will discover more about herself than she bargained for. And each, along with the errant Randall himself, will finally know the true meaning of love and the peace that comes with forgiveness.

Always True to You in My Fashion: A Novel

At forty, artist-turned-librarian Eva Hutchinson isn't looking for a change. But on a hot Friday the 13th in June, Hutch, her husband of ten years, picks up his suitcase and walks into the night, searching for the "joy" that he feels is missing from their marriage. Suddenly, playing by the old rules doesn't make much sense to a not-quite-young sister whose stable world has turned upside down. 
Now Eva is alone with an empty heart in a big, empty house. Hutch fears he is falling in love with the neglected wife of his wealthy, philandering best friend. Charley, Eva's law-school-bound daughter, wants to chuck it all and become a stand-up comedian -- while Stephen, Hutch's son, harbors a secret that will rock his father's world. And into the mix strolls Isaiah Lonesome, a handsome hunk of a twenty-eight-year-old jazz musician who will teach Eva to play some lusty new riffs on love's oldest song.

Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do: A Novel

William Morrow Paperbacks

Randall is rich, handsome and charming -- the true-to-life dream lover of three smart, independent women who find themselves passionately involved with him during the same seven months.
 Artist Medora Jackson has loved Randall since college and is now desperately trying to cut him loose. But turning Randall Hollis out of her life may be far more difficult than she thinks.
 Ana Reese-Mitchell -- a wealthy widow haunted by tragedy -- hopes that Randall will be her second chance at love. And ambitious graduate student Taylor Benedict is sure he will be the first rung on her ladder to success. A man for all seasons, Randall Hollis represents a different illusion to each of the women who love him. And through him each will ultimately discover more about herself than she ever bargained for. And one will find true love.

Always True to You

Dani Carter was seven years old -- her sister, Rose, seventeen -- when their beautiful, impetuous mother, Maria, walked out of their lives, abandoning her husband and family for a love affair. Over the decades that followed, Dani has married a successful man and given birth to a wonderful son. But love has long been missing from her marriage, propelling her into the arms of another and inspiring troubling thoughts of escape. The sins of the mother, Dani fears, have been visited upon the daughter.
Now that she finds herself in a similar heartbreaking situation, Dani can't help but wonder who Maria really was. It's a puzzle that may soon be completed, after a lifetime of searching for missing pieces. Maria, calling herself Mariah, is about to reenter her daughters' worlds, bearing secrets and bitter truths . . . and, perhaps, long-awaited answers to what could possibly drive a mother to sacrifice what was dearest to her heart.
Playing My Mother's Blues

Always True to You in My Fashion

Three smart, independent single women are being driven to distraction by the same maddening man during the same seven months . . .
Randall Hollis is rich, handsome, and charming—a true-to-life dream-lover.
Artist Medora Jackson has loved Randall since college and is now desperately trying to cut him loose . . . which may be far more difficult than she thinks.
Ana Reese-Mitchell is a wealthy widow and art collector haunted by the death of her best friend and the specter of her cruel late husband. She hopes that Randall will be her second chance at love.
And ambitious graduate student Taylor Benedict is sure he will be the first rung on her ladder to success.
A man for all seasons, Randall represents a different romantic illusion to all three. And each will ultimately discover more about him—and herself—than she ever bargained for.

AVON.

A tough and savvy Newark cop-turned-P.I., Tamara Hoyleis a sister with a mission: to raise her kid right in a mean town. But now the post has come knocking -- bringing trouble to her door in the person of her "dog" of a former husband, DeWayne.
Suspicious "accidents" have claimed the lives of two ofDeWayne's sons from different marriages. And though goodsense warns Tamara to steer clear of her charming, lowdown ex, she has little choice but to offer him her investigative expertise -- because a killer may now be drawing fatally close to home -- to Tamara's only son.

When Death Comes Stealing

Genre Fiction

Cop-turned-struggling p.i., Tamara Hoyle is a hardworking sisterWith bills to pay and a teenage son to raise. So when LincolnStorey -- the richest, rudest black man in the county-offers herbig bucks to dig up the dirt on his stepdaughter's lover, Tamaragladly agrees, even though said lover once broke her heart. Butthen Storey drops dead at his own fancy fundraiser -- right beforeTamara's very eyes. And before she knows it, ties of loyalty andfriendship have dragged her deep into a lethal world of treacheryand dangerous ambitions, where everybody has a nasty littlesecret and is better off With Lincoln Storey dead.

Devil's Gonna Get Him

Where Evil Sleeps

Death doesn't take a holiday -- even when Tamara does.
Off to sunny Kingston, Jamaica, for some much needed relaxation, former Newark cop and hard-working p.i. Tamara Hayle is pleased at first to join fellow Jersey homegirl, Lilah Love, for a night on the town. But with Lilah's abusive husband and his friend Delaware Brown along, the evening starts out bad and gets much worse -- especially when, after a blackout, the lights come abruptly up on a fresh corpse, a murder weapon with Tamara's fingerprints all over it, and two missing companions who have vanished with her money and identification.
Now Tamara's at risk in a strange place far from home. She's already lost paradise. And with death heading her way again, she's about to lose a lot more -- unless she can stop a killer before the killer stops her.

Mystery, Thriller & Suspense

Mystery

In just three Tamara Hayle mysteries, Valerie Wilson Wesley has created one of the most memorable private investigators to hit urban streets in years. As the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel has proclaimed, "Tamara continues to emerge as a strong, decisive woman." 
When the grieving mother of a slain hoodlum begs the Newark p.i. to look into the unsolved murder, Tamara initially refuses, but then discovers a connection between the victim and her late policeman brother. Her search for the truth takes Tamara from the grittiest sections of the city to its middle class neighborhoods where family secrets are preserved at any cost. However, as the case creeps into her personal life, Tamara learns that when it comes to murder--there is no hiding place.

No Hiding Place: A Tamara Hayle Mystery

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Wesley, Valerie W. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Books by Wesley, Valerie W

See the best price to sell, buy, or rent books by Wesley, Valerie W. BookScouter helps to compare book prices from 25+ online bookstores and 30+ buyback vendors with a single search.

Playing My Mother's Blues

Always True to You in My Fashion: A Novel

Ain't Nobody's Business If I Do: A Novel

Always True to You

Playing My Mother's Blues

Always True to You in My Fashion

When Death Comes Stealing

Devil's Gonna Get Him

Where Evil Sleeps

No Hiding Place: A Tamara Hayle Mystery