Tamara Hayle Books In Order

Publication Order of Tamara Hayle Books

Tamara Hayle is a character featured in Tamara Hayle Series by Valerie Wilson Wesley. The novels describe her as brilliant African American ex-cop and a single mom who earns her daily bread as a private detective in New Jersey. The readers of Valerie Wilson Wesley novels were are first introduced to the character in When Death Come Stealing novel which was first published in 1994. The book features Tamara doing an investigation into murders of several sons of his ex-husband fearing that the life of her child could be the next on the serial killer list. Tamara is also featured in some other novels by the same author. The Private Eye Writers nominated When Death Comes Stealing for the Shamus Award for the Best First Private Eye Novel.

Books featuring this character
Tamara Hayle is featured in over five novels that have received positive reviews from readers globally. She first made her move in 1994 in When Death Comes Knocking, later in 1994, she appeared in Devils Gonna Get Him. Hayle made her latest appearances in The Devil Riding and Dying in the Dark published in 2000 and 2005 respectively.

Descriptions of 2 early books When Death Comes Knocking
In the debut novel When Death Comes Knocking, Wesley introduces and independent private investigator and a single mother as the main character in the novel. Tamara Hayle is a divorced and a retired police officer who lives with her 14-year old son Jamal in Newark and proximal to Jamal’s Father, DeWayne who has three other children with other women. She has no sympathy for her ex-husband but when one of his sons dies in what is allegedly claimed as drug overdose she agrees to help him to identify the cause of the death. In the deceased young man, room is a fridge with fresh food, and some stashed money in the house- this is not what is expected of a drug addict house and soon Tamara realizes that this could be more than a drug overdose.

Her doubts are confirmed when Dewayne second son drowns in his bathtub several days later while the third son is shot dead. Now Tamara fears that the killer could be targeting DeWayne sons and she fears for the life of Jamal who also happens to be DeWayne, son. The author, Wesley creates a diverse and an impressive cast from the polite Jamal to a hot-tempered Jamaican who attempts to seduce Tamara. The author reveals little of the Private Investigator life. However, much of the strengths is portrayed in the capabilities of a black family in dealing with calamities and tough times.

Devil’s Gonna Get Him
With bills to cater for and a son to provide for, the ex-cop and struggling private investigator agree to undertake investigation when she is consulted by Lincoln Storey, the richest and the rudest African-American man in the county. Lincoln wants Tamara to do an investigation on his stepdaughter’s fiancé who is later revealed to be once Tamara’s boyfriend. Unfortunately, Death strikes, when Lincoln Storey dies during his fundraising campaign and just right in front of Tamara’s eyes and before she knows it, her ties and friendship with Lincoln have already dragged her into a brutal and lethal world of venomous ambitions and treachery where everybody has got dirty little secret. This novel vividly highlights what people are capable of especially when pushed beyond limits.

Where Evil Sleeps
Murder does not take a holiday even when detective Tamara goes on a vacation trip to Kingston, Jamaica and meets with her Jersey friend Lilah Love. When spending their night at a bar with Lilah’s abusive husband and his friend, there is a blackout, and the lights go off. When lights abruptly come up, there lie two corpses on the floor and beside them a murder weapon with Tamara fingerprints, and to make matters worse, with the money and identification documents missing. Now Tamara has to depend on Basil Dupre for rescue for she is at risk far from home and she has already lost the paradise she was looking for. With now death heading her way again, she realizes that she is about to lose more unless she gets to stop the killer first.

No Hiding Place
When Newark gangster Shawn Raymond is killed, his mother approaches Tamara with a stash of cash in her hand to undertake some investigation into the murder. According to Raymond mother, the cops did not give much concern when her son was killed, and no investigation was conducted. According to her, the only hope that she can rely on is Tamara. Even though she admits that her son was a gang member, she admits to Tamara that she can remember the times when Ray was an innocent boy who was mentored by his dead brother Jonny. She further admits that Johnny’s death could have been the leading cause of Ray wrong choices. Touched by Raymond mother narrative, Tamara agrees to take Raymond case; she is later to find out that the killer’s paths lead through the city streets and into her personal life as well.Tamara learns a valuable lesson that when it comes to murder and evil in the hearts of the people, truly there is no hiding place.

Easier to Kill
Easier to Kill is the fifth novel in the Tamara Hayle series by Valerie Wilson Wesley. Tamara is hired by Mandy Magic a radio hostess to investigate the person behind the threatening notes she found in her office. Tyrone Mason, Mandy Magic cousin and Pauline Reese, her closest friend, are murdered, this makes Tamara believe that Mandy Magic has got some little dirty secrets that she does not want to discuss. Getting the lady to spit out the truth is next to impossible as finding the person sending the threatening notes. Tamara persistence bears fruits, and she finally makes the truth from the hostess. Easier to Kill contains a rollercoaster series of events, and most of the readers would agree that it is in fact one of the greatest mystery novels by Valerie Wilson Wesley.