Dead Dead Girls

PROLOGUE

Winter 1916

The wind whips against her face. Snowflakes stick to her hair, her cheeks, her eyelashes.

She s disoriented as she tries to find her way home. The sun set at four in the afternoon, but it s much later now. It s so dark that it feels as if blackness has swallowed up the city. She s making her way down the streets, relying on streetlamps and muscle memory. It s impossible to see in the snow.

She knows two things: first, that she s going to be in big trouble for being so late; second, that it s not going to be easy to locate her house in this terrible storm. It s a small home. She s the oldest of four girls. The youngest are twins ­high energy and overly demanding of her patience. It s exhausting to keep them in line. They don t behave as they re supposed to. Even worse, they re all crammed into one bedroom.

They live with their widowed father and his sister. Her aunt is strict, but her father is ruthless. He works in the church and has high standards for his children. She also suspects he resents all of them for not being boys. He can snap at any time, for any reason. Anything she can do to protect the twins, she will do.

What s the world like outside of this place? she wonders.

Maybe someday she ll find out.

Maybe not.

She s crossing the street now, turning the collar of her coat to the wind, the residents of Harlem passing her by. They all seem to be in the same rush, wanting to get home and out of the cold. The stove will be nice. She s going to sit in front of it until her face is glowing from the heat. After that, maybe she ll read. Or perhaps write a letter using the new fountain pen in her pocket, which she bought earlier in the day. Or maybe ­

Someone grabs her from behind, a pair of hands that seems to have come out of nowhere. She tries to pull away. She slams her elbows back. Kicks hard. Her hands ball into fists and she turns to throw a punch. But it s too late. A raggedy cloth presses over her nose and

Twenty-four-year-old Nekesa Afia just finished her undergrad degree (bachelor's in journalism, with a minor in English) and is a publishing student. When she isn't writing, she's dancing, sewing, and trying to pet every dog she sees. She's been writing since she was a child and this is her debut novel.

Praise for Dead Dead Girls

Tightly paced, razor sharp, and with a wonderful no-nonsense protagonist, Dead Dead Girls made me fly through the pages. Ms Afia is one to watch." Evie Dunmore, USA Today bestselling author of A Rogue of One s Own
Debut author Nekesa Afia brings 1920s Harlem to life in this twisty tale of murder and betrayal where nothing and no one is as it seems. --Victoria Thompson USA Today Bestselling Author of Murder on Wall Street
 
'Though she be but little, she is fierce.' Shakespeare might as well have been describing Louise Lloyd, the flawed yet fantastic protagonist in Afia's debut set in 1920s Harlem. I loved the world that Afia created and can't wait to follow Lou and her friends on their next adventure. Come for the wonderfully diverse and twisty mystery, stay for the amazing 20s slang and fashion. --Mia P. Manansala, author of Arsenic and Adobo
 
A wholly original, unputdownable thrill ride of a debut from a writer to watch. You heard it here: Louise Lloyd is about to become your new favorite protagonist. Intensely paced and masterfully rendered, Dead Dead Girls is a glittering, irresistible mystery. --Laurie Elizabeth Flynn, author of The Girls Are All So Nice Here
 
Finally, the Jazz Age heroine we deserve! You ll never forget Louise Lovie Lloyd, the fast-dancing, even faster talking protagonist at the center of this tightly-plotted mystery. Come for the music, stay for the murder.   Eliza Jane Brazier, author of If I Disappear
 
Dead Dead Girls expertly combines killer suspense with a heroine to die for .Debut author Nekesa Afia expertly creates an intricate mystery in a lush setting with a strong female main character that is so captivating I'd read a whole book of her doing nothing more exciting than baking a cake. Dead Dead Girls is a must read! -Olivia Blacke, author of Killer Content