A popular soul food eatery on the South Side of Chicago is the scene of a possible homicide in Sandra Jackson-Opoku's action-packed mystery, Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes. The unforgettable narrator and cafe owner, Sapphire "Savvy" Summers, is a former English teacher with a knack for whipping up delectable dishes, including her famous sweet potato pie.
Jackson-Opoku (The River Where Blood Is Born), a Chicago native, is an award-winning poet and writer. She has created in Savvy a charismatic woman who has survived a myriad of losses and is determined to be the author of her own story. Savvy's lively narration often veers into a Black vernacular and she liberally quotes her beloved late great-aunt Essie's wise proverbs. Savvy's cafe is a cheerful gathering spot for an assortment of locals and is a flourishing enterprise until the unfortunate day that a customer, Grandy Jaspers, drops dead at his regular table. The cause of death is a heart attack precipitated by an overdose of Viagra, but all anyone remembers is that the deceased sampled Savvy's new vegan sweet potato pie before keeling over.
Convinced that the death is no accident and eager to redeem her new signature dessert, Savvy and her nosy sous-chef, Penny, set out to do some amateur detective work. Savvy's handsome ex-husband, Fanon Franklin, is a police officer who still carries a torch for her and his presence adds a charming dash of romance to the action.
Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes is an entertaining, suspense-fueled crime drama with a bonus chapter featuring recipes, including Savvy's infamous and subsequently prize-winning vegan sweet potato pie. --Shahina Piyarali