Reviewed by Danelle Petersen for Readers' Favorite

Auburn Avenue: 1912 by D. L. Jordan is a moving mystery novel about the deadly consequences of discrimination, lust, and greed. Marion and Jack Franklin, two prestigious members of their close-knit community on Auburn Avenue, know that the New Year’s Eve ball they’ve been invited to by Reverend Ephram Johnson will be a night to remember, but what they don’t expect is the mysterious riddle hastily thrust into Jack’s hand. It seems murder is one of the distinguished members’ New Year’s resolutions. There’s been a lot of talk about a few of Reverend Johnson’s congregational members being upset that he’d let a woman, no less his wife, speak in the pulpit— a job they believe is reserved for men only. Could there be a connection between the strange note and Reverend Johnson’s wife? Determined to prevent an unspeakable tragedy, Marion and Jack race against time to solve the mystery.

Auburn Avenue: 1912 holds your attention from beginning to end with interesting characters whose charming personalities draw you in with a genial smile and a cordial tip of the hat. D. L. Jordan tackles racial and gender discrimination, highlighting the uncomfortable truths many in the 1900s wouldn’t have dared to mention. I loved the characters’ homely pride and self-assured demeanor; it was inspiring. The stigma of domestic abuse and gender discrimination are also discussed, as is the generational trauma Black people have suffered for years due to discrimination. I found the thoughtful tributes to iconic Black folk of yesteryear a beautiful touch. Auburn Avenue is an eloquently written novel that speaks to the heart.