by Elizabeth Wilkerson

I recently watched The Daily Show’s Jordan Klepper interviewing members of the lawless mob of white people storming the US Capitol. One Angry White Man — sporting American flag attire and a MAGA hat — said he wouldn’t accept the presidential election results because he’d “educated himself” about such matters. Klepper asked the guy if he’d read the US Constitution. The guy admitted that no, he hadn’t read it. Not the whole thing anyway…

4,543 words. The US Constitution is 4,543 words long, including the signatures. That’s the length of a shorter short story. The average reader can read 4,500 words in fifteen minutes.

Many people can’t read or don’t like to read. But reading can put you in the shoes of another human, allow you to experience someone else’s worldview, expose you to someone else’s culture. If the Angry White Man were to read works by diverse writers, I wonder if he’d be more compassionate, more analytical, more tolerant. I don’t know. But I wish he’d spend fifteen minutes and finish reading the Constitution.

Have you read the Constitution? It doesn’t take long.

And check out these upcoming releases by Crime Writers of Color.

A Tourist’s Guide to Murder by V. M. Burns (released January 2021)
Sam, Nana Jo, and ‘the girls’ take a trip to England. The chance to see the sights and walk the streets that inspired Agatha Christie is a dream come true for Sam—and a perfect way to celebrate her new publishing contract. However, when the tour owner is found dead, it’s up to Sam and the Shady Acres ladies to mix and mingle among their fellow mystery lovers and turn up a murderer.

Murder By Page One: A Peach Coast Library Mystery by Olivia Matthews (released March 2021)
Marvey, a librarian, has moved from Brooklyn to a small town in Georgia. After one of her new friends becomes a suspect in a murder, Marvey sets out to solve the mystery. She even convinces Spence, the wealthy and charming newspaper owner, to help. With his ties to the community, her talents for research, and her fellow librarians’ knowledge, Marvey pursues the truth. But as she gets closer to it, could she be facing a deadly plot twist?

Our Wicked Lies by Glede Browne Kabongo (released March 2021)
She thought her marriage was perfect…until she read an email that sent her reeling. Wealthy suburbanite Alicia Gray gets more than she bargained for when she borrows her husband’s computer and uncovers a series of emails between him and another woman. However, his betrayal is only the beginning. An anonymous warning, a shocking death, and dark secrets conspire to unravel the perfect marriage. But it’s the final, stunning revelation that will shatter the Grays for good.

Murder My Past by Delia C. Pitts (released February 2021)
Harlem private eye SJ Rook wants to forget his past. Ex-soldier, ex-drunk, ex-tramp are titles he’s eager to bury. But without warning, his past returns with a vengeance in the enticing form of his ex-wife. When she’s murdered shortly after their reunion, her death sends Rook on a relentless search for her killers.

Bad Blood in Cherry Hills by Paige Sleuth (released January 2021)
It’s Thanksgiving, and Kat Harper’s glamorous mother Maybelle is back in Cherry Hills, Washington. But her return isn’t the joyous holiday reunion Kat had hoped for, not when Maybelle ends up becoming the prime suspect in a brutal murder. Now it’s up to Kat to figure out “whodunit.”

The Three Mrs. Greys by Shelly Ellis (released March 2021)
Noelle. Diamond. Vanessa. Each woman believes she is Cyrus Grey’s only wife–until he’s nearly shot to death. Now, as he lies in a coma, the deceptions keep coming, unraveling everything they thought they knew. With danger closing in, Cyrus’ life hanging in the balance, and collateral damage threatening to take them all down, how far will each woman go to be the real Mrs. Grey?

Check out other mystery articles, reviews, book giveaways & mystery short stories in our mystery section. And join our mystery Facebook group to keep up with everything mystery we post, and have a chance at some extra giveaways. Be sure to check out our new mystery podcast too with mystery short stories, and first chapters read by local actors. A new episode went up this week.

Click on this link to take you to Mysterious Galaxy’s website where you can purchase many of these books & a portion will go to help support KRL:

Elizabeth Wilkerson was one of Silicon Valley’s first cyberlawyers and now writes thrillers with a tech edge. A native of Cleveland, her debut novel is Tokyo Firewall. You can learn more on her website.

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