Wesley’s cozy mystery series featuring Odessa Jones – a realtor and caterer and amateur sleuth with psychic abilities – caught my attention for a variety of reasons. I was lured in primarily by the unique combination of Odessa’s multi-faceted talents. As expected, these talents helped build a well-plotted mystery revolving around murders - not just one but two. There was a broad mix of supporting characters – some of whom were likeable, including Odessa’s delightful cat and her quirky, somewhat psychic Aunt Phoenix, and some were not.

Unfortunately, not having read the first in the series, I struggled with filling in the backstory of the various characters especially Odessa. My confusion made for a slow first quarter and unanswered questions that remained throughout. Once the past was put aside, the story and characters of <i> A Fatal Glow</i> became the focus in what turned into an entertaining, light cozy read. In retrospect, I was surprised that it was Odessa’s culinary adventures that caught my attention over her fledgling psychic tendencies which she mainly dismissed.

There’s a number of solid ingredients in this series which just need a bit of development.






FYI - I received a copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is a new to me author and I have to say I am looking forward to reading more by this author! I loved this book

This is book 2 in the Odessa Jones series and I think I would have enjoyed it more if I had read book 1, A Glimmer of death. . There is a lot going on with Odessa. She is a psychic, a caterer and a real estate agent. When she is offered a catering job for a wealthy business man she ignores the psychic warning. She and her staff become prime suspects in his murder when he eats her homemade preserves. When a second murder occurs she must work to clear herself and her friends. I received a copy of this ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Odessa Jones is a breath of fresh air as far as cozy mystery characters go. Yes, many others are widowed, others work several jobs, have strong family connections, and a no-nonsense look on life, but not all together. All this makes Odessa so much more relatable. She has a good heart and a struggling business but she’s doing her best, solving crimes and saving her friends along the way. I loved this story. It was well-paced and had so much going on, I didn’t want to put it down. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

Thank you to Kensington Books and NetGalley for the free Advanced Reader’s Copy of A Fatal Glow.

Odessa– Dessa to her friends– Jones is a realtor with a catering business on the side. Dessa is a recent widow who is still struggling to live her life after the death of her husband. In addition, Dessa also has a spiritual gift. She can read people’s auras and can smell approaching death. The title comes from her ability to see a faint glow from some people.

There are times when starting a new book that I feel a sense of coming home, of nostalgia. I had such a feeling when starting this mystery. As the book opens, Dessa gets a catering job from Casey Osbourne who was a big deal in her high school. Osbourne was married to an old friend of Dessa but then they split up. They have a son together. Osbourne has remarried again. His wife is expecting. When Osbourne drops dead at the party that Dessa was catering, there are so many possible suspects!

I recommend this mystery novel wholeheartedly. Odessa is a great character. I look forward to reading more of her adventures. I gave this four plus stars.

The first book in this series took a little getting used to since it was new to me author, but this felt like a seamless transition from the first. I love that the characters have depth. Even characters you expect to be flat have hidden characteristics that come out. It makes for an interesting read. This was a good mystery and a fun read. Excited to see what's next for Odessa.

Princess Fuzzypants here: Dessa’s two gigs, real estate and catering, come together when she is hired to make the food for a fancy party for one of the friends of her boss. Dessa knows this guy already from her school days when she was a good friend of his ex-wife. The years have not improved him so when he dies on the day of the party in his kitchen there is some question of whether it was murder or natural causes. She is going to get caught up in some very twisted complications.

Her “gift” seems to have a capricious sense of humour or she just is not reading the signs. It is of very little help in trying to figure out who, if anyone, is to blame. There are two children involved in the mess. One is the daughter of the first suspect and the other is the son of the deceased and Dessa’s friend. Both of them need her help in different ways and she cannot refuse even when her aunt keeps warning her to back off.

There are no winners in this story. Two more murders and several lives torn asunder by the time the killer is apprehended. It certainly does not have a cheery ending. Or does it? You will just have to read the book to find out. Four purrs and two paws up.

Odessa is back! I stated at the end of my review of book one that I would look for the second book to stay engaged with this series, and I am glad I did. This story is well-crafted and I really enjoy the characters. But this series continues to lack a major element of the cozy mystery genre — the amateur sleuth having a strong connection to the community. I am beginning to wonder if the author is being purposeful in not giving us this. I will stay tune… I am starting to enjoy Odessa very much.

A Fatal Glow
By Valerie Wilson Wesley
Kensington
March 2022

Review by Cynthia Chow

Although she has worked at Risko Realty ever since the death of her beloved husband, Odessa Jones’s true passion has always been to pursue her dream as a baker and caterer. She has doubts about accepting a catering opportunity from Casey Osborne though, as while he may be one of the richest men in Essex County he is also a repellent human parading around his new trophy wife and speaking disdainfully of his starter first wife. Dessa’s new boss Tanya Risko “encourages” her to take on the client as a favor, and while Dessa doesn’t see one of her psychic glimmers around him she definitely senses something off about him. Ignoring her instincts turns out to be a mistake, and when Casey Osborne falls ill and dies during their catered brunch Dessa can’t help but worry that either she or her Aunt’s canned jellies could be responsible. It is her coworker Louella Jefferson’s baby-daddy and fiancé Red who is arrested for the murder though, having recently argued with Osborne after blaming him for stealing family land. Louella pleads with Dessa to help prove Red’s innocence, and affection for their daughter has Dessa reluctantly pulled into the investigation.

Not that Dessa wasn’t already a bit involved though, having – also against her instincts – been coerced into preparing a “surprise” dinner for Tanya’s boyfriend Tyler Chase. Not only was Dessa unable to sneak out and maintain the pretense that Tanya was the cook who prepared it, they all were surprised by Casey Osborne’s new young widow expecting her own night with Tyler. It’s not long before chocolate pudding and accusations are thrown all around, with Dessa left cleaning up the mess. Former police officer now turned chef Lennox Royal provides both helpful advice and supportive comfort, but as a widow herself Dessa is reluctant to open herself up to more. Instead, she will focus all of her visions of glimmers, inspirational quotes from her psychic Aunt Phoenix, and even gossip from the Aging Reading Club of retired librarians and teachers to help her solve a mystery involving vengeful spouses, greedy land thefts, and the collateral damage inflicted on the next generations.

This second in the series continues to develop Dessa into a very strong woman struggling to deal with loss and a life she never expected. Dessa is slowly recovering the dream and passion for baking she lost along with her husband, and she still feels betrayed by the glimmers that failed to warn her of his death. Dessa also has to contend with the memories stirred up when meeting old high school classmates, as it regresses her back to a state of insecurity and acknowledging the ever-present divisions of wealth. Descriptions of Dessa cooking in her kitchen as she finds peace will have readers drooling and maybe even attempting to try out the collards green quiche recipe included at the end. Clues flow together smoothly through to the end, with a resolution warming the heart Dessa and her loved ones mend those who have been wounded along the way. This is another welcome installment of a cozy mystery written by an outstanding literary award-winning literary author.

I read a lot of cozies and usually enjoy them all. This one just wasn't my cup of tea. The writing style is easy-to-read. It makes a nice escape, but it seemed a bit darker than other cozies I normally read. Several of the characters are not nice. Even those who appear to be recurring characters. I prefer most of the characters to be likeable, but this wasn't so in this book. There are several suspects and motives so they mystery was engaging. When I read, I tend to read for fun. This book had political elements to it, that I would rather not have in a book strictly for enjoyment. Others may love this book, as I said, it just didn't strike my fancy.

One thing I really appreciate about the heroine of the Odessa Jones mystery series is how different she is from so many other culinary cozy protagonists. While food is her passion, the process of actually catering it, especially as a second job, takes a lot out of her. This isn’t the only realistic thing about our heroine: I actually love how she’s untrusting and defensive, but is fully aware of when she’s being unfair, and takes steps to rectify matters when her need to protect herself oversteps and needlessly hurts others in the process. Dessa is a complex and relatable adult, not prone to recklessly haring off in order to advance the plot, and an absolute breath of fresh air on the contemporary cozy scene.

In this second book of her eponymous series, she’s still struggling to make a comfortable living while working at Risko Realty, when her boss Tanya Risko drops a lucrative opportunity right into her lap. Tanya has recently started dating Tyler Chase, the hotshot younger partner of local real estate developer Casey Osborne. Dessa doesn’t have the best memories of Casey from when they were in high school together, but she could definitely use the money that comes from catering a fancy brunch for the successful businessman. Given the almost familial bond between the Risko Realty staff members, it isn’t surprising when several of them offer to help her set up and serve at the somewhat last-minute do, including young Louella Jefferson, who shares Dessa’s dim opinion of Casey, though for different and far more recent reasons.

The brunch starts out well enough. Despite all of Dessa’s best efforts, however, the supposedly classy soiree soon degrades into a food-slinging disaster as strong personalities clash and almost come to blows. But the absolute worst happens when Casey suddenly collapses after the last in a series of volatile arguments. While his death looks like the result of a heart attack, the police that arrive on scene must perform their due diligence, which includes taking a sample of some of the food Dessa served in order to ascertain that he didn’t die of food poisoning from her wares.

Dessa’s anxiety over this blow to the reputation of her still nascent catering business quickly fades as she becomes involved in the lives of two young people inextricably tied to Casey’s death. One is Lacey, the troubled teenage son from his first marriage to Dessa’s old friend Aurelia. The other is Erica, Louella’s even younger daughter, whose world is turned upside down when one of her family members is accused of Casey’s murder. Dessa doesn’t have kids of her own, but her maternal instincts go into high gear when it comes to doing what’s best for the children who’ve suddenly been thrust into her orbit. And if doing what’s best means getting involved in solving another murder – and using her still developing psychic abilities in the process – then that’s just what she’ll have to do.

As someone who read Agatha Christie’s entire canon before I was out of middle school, I wasn’t surprised by either the how or whodunnit, but I certainly appreciated the painful and often unexpected interplay of personal relationships that led up to the murders. I only wish that greater clarity had been given regarding the circumstances of the second death, though Valerie Wilson Wesley’s framing of all these events as tragedies instead of puzzles to be solved was much appreciated by this voracious mystery reader.

There was only one recipe included in this book, but it is absolutely spectacular:

QUOTE
Dessa’s Handy-Dandy Collard Greens Quiche

Basic piecrust for 9- or 10-inch pie pan (When I have time, I make my own crust, but store-bought is fine.)
4 large eggs
1 cup milk
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon ground black pepper or cayenne pepper
½ teaspoon oregano
½ teaspoon nutmeg
¼ cup grated onion (sweet or red adds a nice touch!)
½ cup chopped red pepper
1 ½ cups chopped cooked fresh or frozen collard greens (Be sure to drain and squeeze them dry or your quiche will be watery.)
½ to ¾ cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375 degrees F for metal pan or 350 degrees for a glass pan. Roll out and ease pie dough into bottom and up sides of pie pan. Tuck edges under and crimp. Using a fork, prick bottom and sides. Partially bake for about 12 minutes until crust is beginning to color.

In a large bowl, lightly beat eggs and milk. Add salt, pepper, oregano, nutmeg, onion, red pepper, and collard greens and set aside.

Sprinkle half of cheese on piecrust. Pour egg mixture on top of cheese. Sprinkle remaining cheese on top. Bake until a knife inserted halfway between center and outside edge comes out clean, which is usually from 45 to 60 minutes. Let rest 10 minutes before cutting into wedges to serve.
END QUOTE

First, I want to note the wonderful exactness of the measurements listed in this recipe. I have baked a lot of quiches, and often find myself with far too much filling for one pie crust. The proportions in this recipe, however, were absolutely perfect.

The concept of perfection also came to mind when I was tasting this. I love how collards and red bell peppers are used as more robust alternatives to the usual spinach and tomatoes. The grated onion adds another wonderful dimension to this dish, that tastes far more complex than your average meatless pie. I would definitely recommend keeping this recipe on hand for when you want to jazz up a brunch with a slightly different take on vegetarian quiche.

Next week, we travel south as I finally get back to baking up sweets while investigating a suspicious death in a contested building. Do join me!

part time real estate agent/caterer Odessa Jones is back. When catering an event goes deadly when the host of the party goes dead, Odessa ends up looking at clues and using her glimmer powers to solve the mystery of who did it.

Now this book did take me a little longer to get into it, but made up for it once I got going good. I enjoyed this cozy mystery and am anticipating the next book in the series.

I received a copy of the book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving an honest review of my own thoughts.

Odessa and her crew at Risko Reality are back for another installment with A Fatal Glow. Odessa is hired to cater an event at the home of her boss Tanya's friends, the extra income comes right on time since as usual her home sales are down, but her personal expenses are always up. All goes well until the the person who hired her to cater the event ends up dead. Can she find the killer before her reputation as a caterer is tarnished forever????

I do enjoy this series, the plot is a bit more serious than most cozies tackling issues, such as verbal child abuse and grief, but still includes many of the elements to satisfy the taste of cozy lovers such as humor, family, friendship and a dash of romance. The mystery was well crafted and Dessa was never just the nosy protagonist, she was always weary of getting involved, particularly as a Black woman. However, in the next installment I would like to see more town activities or community events that we normally see in cozies such as food festivals or open houses. Still A Fatal Glow is an enjoyable and quality cozy mystery. I rate it 3.75 stars.

This is the second instalment in an excellent paranormal cozy mystery and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
It's a gripping and compelling story featuring a great cast of characters.
Odessa is a clever and fleshed out characters and you cannot help feeling for her.
The paranormal part is well done and the solid mystery kept me guessing.
I can't wait for the next story.
Highly recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine

A Fatal Glow is the second in Valerie Wilson Wesley's Odessa Jones Mysteries and follows caterer-turned-estate agent Dessa Jones. Dessa has psychic gifts but unfortunately, they failed to warn her that she was to become a widow at forty-odd, as well as losing her home and the catering business she's worked so hard to build. She is trying to revive her catering and bakery company, D&D Delights, whilst working at Risko Realty in an office where it seems that some possess secrets, an unpleasant personality or both. When a wealthy businessman, Casey Osborne, who hires Odessa for an exclusive catering job is found dead having eaten some of D&D Delights preserves, Dessa and her catering colleagues who helped make them, are suspects...

This is a great continuation to a promising cozy mystery series which I hope will be just as good going forward. From the very beginning and I jumped into A Fatal Glow with abandon. This thrilling series has a wonderful, engaging main character. Valerie Wilson Wesley's sleuth Dessa is complex, smart and I enjoyed her mothering of Lacey (Osborne’s son). Odessa sees 'glimmers' and has other interesting methods of analysing people and situations. Her character has depth and I felt that I was right there alongside her as she deciphered clues. Dessa's eccentric aunts are strong characters, too and I adore her demanding and spoiled black cat. The author's writing style is clear and direct and I'm already looking forward to the next instalment! This can be enjoyed as a stand-alone, but I expect you'll want to backtrack and read book #1 if you missed it. With a compelling plot, drama aplenty, a great bunch of characters, and oodles of mayhem added to the mix this fantastic read kept me on my toes. Very highly recommended.

I received a complimentary copy of this novel at my request from Kensington Books via NetGalley. This review is my own unbiased opinion.

A Fatal Glow is the second installment of the Odessa Jones Mystery series by Valerie Wilson Wesley. It is a fun, cozy mystery involving a recently widowed real estate agent who is also a part-time caterer with her D&D Delights. Dessa is a fun character who sees glimmers and auras around people. If she smells nutmeg, it usually means there will be a death, so watch out. At the end of a catering event, the host drops dead and her homemade preserves are suspect. Dessa gets involved with the investigation to clear her name and her colleagues who assisted her, people she considers family. The development of the characters is fun as the book progresses. I did not read the first book and may have benefitted with more understanding if I had. There was a bit of a twist in the end that I did not expect. All in all, a good read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Dessa's character in the first book, and this book was even better. Dessa's one character who'd be the most awesome friend a person could have. She's taken the coworkers from a job she doesn't like and turned them into her family which is probably why she feels like she can't leave that job even though she's not doing that great selling properties and enjoys catering much more.

What a crazy dysfunctional bunch of people Dessa got mixed up with when she agreed to take on a catering job as a favor to boss Tanya. But as always, she made the most of it, and with Harley and Louella's help was able to pull it off...until the host died. I was never sure who to trust except for Dessa and her friends. I hadn't guessed the killer but it made total sense once the reveal happened.

I really like it when Dessa can spend time with Lennox at the restaurant and can totally see those two being happy together someday. Until she's ready though, I'm just glad she's got someone like him to hang out with. Don't miss this book when it releases next Tuesday, February 22.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an ARC of this book provided by #KensingtonCozies via NetGalley, and my opinions are my own.

Odessa Jones has a gift, one that sets her far apart from others. She sees auras which she sees as glimmers. She's still getting used to them and this time she really shouldn't have ignored the signs. Her catering business is her dream and working as a real estate agent is what pays the bills. When she gets the chance to cater a big affair, one that will, hopefully, make her name in the catering circles, she decides to ignore the glimmer radiating off of her new client. Well, she does get attention but not what she would ever want. The client, Casey Osborne, samples some of her yummy homemade preserves and drops dead. The police focus on Odessa and others connected to her catering but she won't stand around waiting for them to clear her name. Gathering her friends and family she sets out to catch the killer herself. With plenty of suspects, each with a solid motive for murder, she needs all of her wits about her. If she doesn't she might just be next on the killers list.
With a wonderful cast of well developed characters and a first rate mystery to untangle, this is one series that should be on your to be read shelf.
My thanks to the publisher, Kensington and to NetGalley for giving me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I hadn’t read the first book in this series, but this book seemed like something I’d like so I picked this up anyway. I had no trouble at all in following along, and it didn’t take long for me to get up to speed. The author did a great job at keeping the reader from knowing too much about the first book’s events so you can decide to pick it up without being spoiled. This book was fun and interesting, and while I wasn’t really fond of the end, I really enjoyed the rest of the book. Why didn’t I like the end? It just seemed like we didn’t exactly get an answer to a couple of questions, but it wasn’t awful. I really enjoyed this book, and I’m a new fan of this author waiting for more! Highly recommend. I was provided a complimentary copy which I voluntarily reviewed.

A Fatal Glow by Valerie Wilson Wesley is a fantastic second book in the Odessa Jones Mysteries. I enjoyed the first one, A Glimmer of Death, but with Odessa starting to come more into her mystical powers more, I enjoyed A Fatal Glow even more!

Wesley continues to give us well developed characters and we are introduced to a few more in book two. Love Aunt Phoenix and really feel a kinship with her! Even when Wesley writes a mean character she keeps me interested and it doesn’t feel fake, which I’ve found to be the case with some other cozy mystery writers. Wesley also isn’t afraid to write about some hard topics that other cozy mystery writers steer clear of, which is very refreshing.

As far as the mystery went, we do get a bunch of suspects, but I was able to figure out the killer pretty easy, but it didn’t take away from the story because of how engrossed I became in the characters. I also enjoyed that while Dessa investigates she never does so in a way that really puts her in danger.

Looking forward to book three in the Odessa Jones Mysteries.