It's another murder in the little town of Roble. But not to worry, Romaine and Auntie Zanne are on it! It's the 100th Boule of the Distinguished Ladies' Society of Voodoo Herbalists. They've gotten together to eat, drink, be merry and vote for the next Lesser Mambo, a lifetime appointment second only to the Most High (bet you'll never guess who holds that position). But the second in command spot keeps becoming vacant—that's because the women who fill it keep dying off. This time though, it looks like murder. During an alcohol-infused dinner and a tall glass full of absinth, a seemingly innocent drink is spilled in the lap of Mrs. Eugenia Elder, the Lesser Mambo Elect. A quick drying off and change of clothes were thought to be all that was necessary, that is, until Miss Eugenia turns up dead. And while the server seems remorseful for her "accident," it's soon discovered that the whole thing was planned. Vivienne "Miss Vivee" Pennywell, Logan...

A wedding and a murder... Star football player and NFL hopeful, Michael "Bumper" Hackett is getting married. Word's going around that it's a shotgun wedding, and there just might be some truth to it, seeing that the bride-to-be is showing a baby bump. But before the ceremony can even get started, the poor groom collapses from what appears to be an asthma attack. Unfortunately, things aren't always what they seem. Romaine knew it was a bad idea to have a wedding at the funeral home, but newly elected justice of the peace and sole proprietor of the Ball Funeral Home & Crematorium, her Auntie Zanne, thought it was a perfect way to advertise her business. Instead, it's another murder that's been dropped on her doorstep. That can't be good for business! Add to that, Romaine's beau from up north shows up out of the blue and has her hoping for her chance at happily ever after and escaping her tiny hometown of Roble. First, though, a murder has to be solved and...

A chilling anthology of crime fiction by 19 acclaimed authors of color.From a simple robbery gone horribly wrong to a grisly murder in a secret love dungeon, this stellar collection of crime fiction short stories showcases some of today's finest young fiction voices of color.Edited by Wall Street Journal bestselling author Abby Vandiver, this anthology will keep you on the edge of your seat.Welcome to Midnight Hour...Jennifer Chow: "Midnight Escapade"After years of silence, two women decide to meet up in a unique escape room but get trapped in a deadly game from which there may be no escape.Tracy Clark: "Lucky Thirteen"A gun. A last meal. And only one survivor. Sometimes the stars align—but only for the lucky one—as predator and prey come face-to-face one fateful New Year's Eve.H. C. Chan: "Murderer's Feast"Techpreneur John Manley left a trail of duped investors and damaged women in his wake. What...

Romaine Wilder, big-city medical examiner with a small-town past, has been downsized and evicted. With few other options, she’s forced to return to her hometown of Roble in East Texas, leaving behind the man she’s dating and the life she’s worked hard to build. Suzanne Babet Derbinay, Romaine’s Auntie Zanne and proprietor of the Ball Funeral Home, has long since traded her French Creole upbringing for Big Texas attitude. She’s a member in a number of ladies’ auxiliaries and clubs, including being in charge of the Tri-County Annual Crawfish Boil and Music Festival. Hanging on to the magic of her Louisiana roots, she’s cooked up a love potion or two—if she could only get Romaine to drink it. But her plans are derailed when the Ball Funeral Home, bursting at the seams with dead bodies, has a squatter stiff. Dead Guy is a problem. Auntie Zanne can’t abide by a murderer using her funeral home as the dumping grounds for their crimes, and Romaine doesn’t want her newly elected cousin, Sheriff Pogue Folsom, to fail on his first murder case. Together, Romaine and Auntie Zanne set off to solve it.