Solve It! The Savage Slaying of a Humble Housekeeper
— From the Archives: A 1920s Article by Lanie Price —
Dear Reader:
The events of August 21, 1924, unfolded on a sweltering late afternoon, with the oppressive weight of summer heat clinging to every surface. Inside the stately Fifth Avenue townhouse of Mrs. Rhoda Thompson, the heavy velvet drapes were drawn in a vain attempt to block out the relentless sun. The air inside the townhouse was stifling, thick with the smell of sweat and dust. Even the polished marble of the vestibule seemed to radiate the day's heat, trapping it within the walls.
As the clock ticked toward evening, long golden shadows stretched through the half-shuttered windows, amplifying the simmering tensions inside the house. It was against this suffocating backdrop that a brutal murder occurred.
Woken from her nap by the sounds of angry voices and a violent crash, Mrs. Thompson rushed downstairs to find her loyal and long-time housekeeper, Mildred Evans, a Harlem resident, lying dead in the vestibule. An extensive investigation ensued and strong suspects emerged, but no one was ever charged, leaving our community to grapple with the question: who could commit such a horrific crime?
The Festive Mayhem mystery and crime fiction anthology is back for another year! In this fourth edition, thirteen crime writers of color have teamed up to offer you a baker's dozen of brand-new short stories centered around the winter holidays. This collection has everything from uplifting cozies to action-packed thrillers and darker suspense!
One of my stories, “The Townhouse That Cried: A Valentine's Day Haunting,” leads the collection. Set in a gorgeous but haunted townhouse, the story tells how a couple's darkest secrets and a buried past threaten to destroy their relationship and their lives.
