Rating: 
Summary: A thrilling yet intelligent page turner!
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed A DARKER SHADE OF CRIMSON from beginning to end. As an avid mystery reader, I was thoroughly engrossed from the first page, containing the contrasting expressions about Harvard in the fight song and in the quote from W.E.B. Dubois ( "I was in Harvard, but not of it"), to the last page revealing the surprising solution to the question of whodunit! Not only was I enraptured by the plot development and the attention to details that are many times overlooked by some mystery novelists, but I also enjoyed Ms. Thomas-Graham's intelligent writing style and references to familiar names and places. I particularly enjoyed the way she wove together various characters and sub-plots, dealing with issues ranging from race to romance, without distracting too much from the main mystery at hand. Additionally, as an African American Harvard alumna, I appreciated the way that the novel expertly expressed the unique perspective of African Americans at Harvard (both as students and faculty); one that even other groups of alumni many times do not understand or appreciate. As a long time mystery fan, I have long complained about how few quality modern mysteries there are with Black women as the detectives and I appreciate her for filling this under-served gap in the market for us mystery fans. Veronica (Nikki) Chase, though a bit naïve at times, is intelligent, passionate, honest, and sincere. Regardless of what some of her critics may say, Nikki is on the front line of the struggle for the acceptance and celebration of diversity rather than just the mere tolerance of it. Instead of backing down in the face of her opposition, which always seem to outnumber her in her academic circles, she is able to maintain self-confidence enough not to allow other people to cause her to doubt her own perceptions about what she knows to be true, both about her self and about the mystery that she is intent on solving. I am recommending Pamela Thomas-Graham's first novel to everyone I know (mystery buff or not!), and I can't wait for her next one.....I hope she doesn't keep us waiting too long!
Rating: 
Summary: Fresh breath of air
Review: I wanted to hate this book. My petty cattiness wanted to pick this book apart due to the fact that the author is a glamorous, educated woman with the world at her feet. The green eyed monster aside, I found the book to be readable but not up to the hype that it has been given. Veronica "Nikki" Chase stumbles over the body of a colleague after a blackout. She then becomes interested in finding out who did it, and why. Along the way there are ex husbands, implied affairs, scandals, and ex boyfriends. Did Pamela Thomas Griffin write this book with Writer's Digest 'Beginnings, Middles & Ends' open on her desk? This book was way too formalistic and predictable. This section is a spoiler, so read only if you don't mind knowing how the book ends. My complaints: A) The best friend Jess. She was so corny, with her 'slang' laced talk. B) The ex-boyfriend, Dante. What was up with him? Was he the equivalent of a black man's blonde eyed trophy? Was he there so she could have a secondary plot? And since Nikki was so irresistible to every man she met, why would she let this guy push her buttons so? He was callous about her feelings, but it seemed that she spent the eight years he was away thinking only of him. C) The fact that Nikki decided to investigate. What was this - a bad episode of Charlie's Angels? There seemed to be no reason for Nikki to stick her nose into the business of Ella's death. I couldn't get find any motivation behind her search. The two had only just become friends at the time of her death, so there wasn't even any reason to suspect foul play. And less we not forget the tragic mulatto. For crying out loud, this is 2001! This passing issue could play about fifty years ago. Some people seem to have an issue with the fact that Nikki had no close friends of color except Maggie. Since she was in Boston I found this to be credible. I did enjoy reading about Harvard and the elite. Since I'll probably never be one of them, it was nice to get a peek at how the other half lives. Borrow this book from a friend or the library. It is not one to own.
Rating: 
Summary: How do you say too much hype?
Review: I wanted to hate this book. My petty cattiness wanted to pick this book apart due to the fact that the author is a glamorous, educated woman with the world at her feet. The green eyed monster aside, I found the book to be readable but not up to the hype that it has been given. Veronica "Nikki" Chase stumbles over the body of a colleague after a blackout. She then becomes interested in finding out who did it, and why. Along the way there are ex husbands, implied affairs, scandals, and ex boyfriends. Did Pamela Thomas Griffin write this book with Writer's Digest 'Beginnings, Middles & Ends' open on her desk? This book was way too formalistic and predictable. This section is a spoiler, so read only if you don't mind knowing how the book ends. My complaints: A) The best friend Jess. She was so corny, with her 'slang' laced talk. B) The ex-boyfriend, Dante. What was up with him? Was he the equivalent of a black man's blonde eyed trophy? Was he there so she could have a secondary plot? And since Nikki was so irresistible to every man she met, why would she let this guy push her buttons so? He was callous about her feelings, but it seemed that she spent the eight years he was away thinking only of him. C) The fact that Nikki decided to investigate. What was this - a bad episode of Charlie's Angels? There seemed to be no reason for Nikki to stick her nose into the business of Ella's death. I couldn't get find any motivation behind her search. The two had only just become friends at the time of her death, so there wasn't even any reason to suspect foul play. And less we not forget the tragic mulatto. For crying out loud, this is 2001! This passing issue could play about fifty years ago. Some people seem to have an issue with the fact that Nikki had no close friends of color except Maggie. Since she was in Boston I found this to be credible. I did enjoy reading about Harvard and the elite. Since I'll probably never be one of them, it was nice to get a peek at how the other half lives. Borrow this book from a friend or the library. It is not one to own.
Rating:
Summary: Excellent book
Review: I was an economics major in college and I loved reading about a beautiful and smart african-american econ major! The Harvard setting was a bonus. I couldn't put the book down. I highly recommend it.
Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing Mystery
Review: I was extremely excited to read a Harvard-set mystery featuring an academic sleuth who is both African-American and female. Unfortunately, the mystery (plot, surprises, credibility) is the most flawed aspect of this book, which reads more like a romance novel. I have no doubt that the author knows the territory (she is a graduate of Harvard-Radcliffe), but she has a lot to learn about writing and literature. Too many stereotypes, self-conscious "reversals" of stereotypes... BUT despite what I consider fatal flaws (I'd really rate it at 2 1/2 stars), it's an enjoyable read if you don't mind the Race Relations 101 sociology and the Intro to Feminism yadda-yadda. And isn't it a little odd that every single male at Harvard finds the heroine irresistible? Not nearly dark or well-crafted enough for my taste. However, since I went to graduate school at Yale, I'm going to try BLUE BLOOD, the second in her Ivy League series.
Rating:
Summary: A nice shift into a gifted mind with multiple interests
Review: I was surprised at the negative reviews; this is a good book with an authoritative voice. With an entertainment industry throwing us the flimmsiest of plots, this one does fine. I look forward to the next book and appreciate the characterization and the faculty interplay.
Rating:
Summary: Fresh breath of air
Review: In her debut novel, Graham introduces us to a feisty female professor. Nikki attended Harvard, majored in
business and went off to Wall Street to leave on her mark on the world. At 30 she is back on campus as a black professor teaching economics to starry eyed college kids with dreams she used hold close to her heart. When a colleague of hers, Rozella keeps a tumble down a flight of stairs during a power outage and
dies. The police write it off as a terrible accident. Nikki must finish writing a draft showing the financial needs for various departments for the next 10 yrs. As she goes to retrieve Rozella notes and files, she finds them missing. When she does have enough information to compare the data she finds serious discrepancy between totals for different departments. Nikki begins to investigate the accident and becomes an amateur
sleuth along the way. On the personal side she is trying to have a love life when her first love arrives back in her life. This part of the story was forced and not necessary. Graham wrote a strong mystery with a believable character and her next novel should show growth as a writer.
Rating: 
Summary: Nah-Nah Nah-Nah-Nah, I Went to Harvard and You Didn't
Review: In this blatant example of reverse snobbery not only the Black author but also the Black characters are telling the reader " Nah-Nah Nah-Nah-Nah, I Went to Harvard and You Didn't." The book's heroine Veronica Chase thankfully has no connection to the Kirstie Alley character of the same name in the TV sitcom "Veronica's Closet," but the character might as well be as White as Kirstie Alley. From the full-body color picture on the backcover, the only things Black about Ms. Thomas-Graham seem to be her clothes - she looks about as White as Kirstie Alley, (in fact, she looks just like her). There are some clever lines, and the accented speech sometimes sounds brilliant, but all of that soon gets old and gimmicky as the cleverness turns into redundancy. You have to have a Harvard degree to follow the convoluted plot alone. There is a certain arrogance about the whole book that's hard to describe; an undertone that shows in everything from the Harvard setting to the pompous writing style. As with all books that have a failed dramatic structure, "Crimson" needed a concluding summary chapter that resolves its numerous plot problems. I am Black myself, and maybe if I had had the fortune to have gone to Harvard, I might better relate to this book. But until more Black people get privileges like Ms. Thomas-Graham, this book remains reserved for that tiny Exclusive Club of the African American Elite of Ivy League graduates. Non-members, Black and White alike, will find this book about as compelling as a bad gothic romance. If you want a powerful, luminous book on race relations in Boston (that includes Harvard) set your browser to Danzi Senna's "Caucasia" which leaves pretentious trash like "Crimson" in the literary dust.
Rating:
Summary: A Quick, Fun Read
Review: In this gripping mystery, Pamela Thomas Graham introduced the world to a new sister sleuth. Graham's characterizations are phenomenal, the writing is flawless, and the storyline is enthralling. I'd encourage anyone looking for a chilling mystery with a thick plot, set in an innovative location to check out A DARKER SHADE OF CRIMSON. Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers Complete review can be found on our website...
Rating:
Summary: When the lights go out
Review: In this gripping mystery, Pamela Thomas Graham introduced the world to a new sister sleuth. Graham's characterizations are phenomenal, the writing is flawless, and the storyline is enthralling. I'd encourage anyone looking for a chilling mystery with a thick plot, set in an innovative location to check out A DARKER SHADE OF CRIMSON. Reviewed by CandaceK
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers Complete review can be found on our website...
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