Book Review of Murder at the Wham Bam Club
Thank you, NetGalley, Kensington Publishing, and Carolyn
Marie Wilkins, for the advanced copy of Murder at the Wham Bam Club to review.
Introduction
The main character is Nola Ann Jackson. Nola Jackson is a
war widow. He died during World War I.
She is now returning to her hometown of Agate, Illinois, to be closer to her
family.
While there, she has been using her psychic abilities more.
With the help of her Aunt Sarah, she is building her skills. She will need
these skills to find a missing girl.
Lily Davidson is a young woman living at the Phyllis
Wheatley Institute for Colored Girls. The Institute is a school where
teachers educate young Black women (referred to as Colored in the book). Lily
disappeared after being seen at the infamous Wham Bam Club. She was last seen
with Eddie Smooth. Smooth is a trumpeter and leader of the St. Louis Stompers.
He is also a pimp.
Analysis
The book’s cover and description are what piqued my
interest. The cover is Art déco style, which I adore. I also love historical
mysteries, especially ones set during the 1920s. The fact that the book is a
psychic mystery made me excited. These are the reasons I picked this book. The
author masterfully crafted an intriguing 1920s psychic mystery.
Wilkins correctly depicted the treatment of Black people
back then. One example is how police wrongly accused Black people of crimes
they did not commit. The author depicted the language of the 1920s. For
example, using the term Colored to describe African Americans. Her depiction of
the character’s period-appropriate clothing and hairstyles was also accurate.
The author’s attention to detail kept me captivated. I was also intrigued by
her descriptions of psychic abilities.
Nola has visions. Each time she has a vision, she enters a
trance. She can see the future or sometimes allow the deceased to speak through
her. Nola can also see people’s auras. Auras are colorful orbs of various sizes
that surround a person. A person’s mood influences their potential for change.
This is also how Nola checks for truth and lies. Her psychic abilities allow me
to see how characters are feeling and whether they are possible suspects.
Conclusion
This book is a delightful psychic mystery. The author
discusses Nola’s gift. First, she offers a small insight into her capabilities.
The book features her ability to see auras throughout. A few scenes in the book
went into greater detail about how her abilities work. Nola’s psychic abilities
were demonstrated in those scenes. She used her skills to crack the mystery.
Murder at the Wham Bam Club by Carolyn Marie Wilkins can be found at Barnes and Noble, Bookshop.org, Books-a-Million, and your local indie bookstore near you. Murder at the Wham Bam Club release date is July 29, 2025.