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Set during an alternate Harlem Renaissance where new forms of magic created by Black joy strain against the white establishment, Bessie Knox is an investigator of magical mysteries. When her old colleagues at the Bronx Academy of Magic start turning up dead, Knox's weakened abilities are pushed to their limits, but if she can't solve the case, she'll be next.

Cover illustration by Dominick Rabrun. Cover design by dave ring.

PRAISE

“Magic? Detectives? Impossible romantic longing? A.Z. Louise writes a joy of a book, transporting you to an alternate Harlem Renaissance, where the unlikely and the extraordinary rub shoulders. A great mystery, but an even greater exploration of memorable characters sure to capture your heart.”
—E. Catherine Tobler, author of The Necessity of Stars

“A beautiful story of found family in the Harlem Renaissance, A.Z. Louise understands that magic is both mysterious and something worth fighting for. Off-Time Jive’s nuanced characters and twisting plot have as many layers as New York itself.”
—Jordan Kurella, Nebula Finalist for I Never Liked You Anyway

“A sweaty, fervent detective story with ample heart and a honeyed tongue. Unapologetically Black and unafraid to tug at the biases of both academia and policing in 1920s New York, Off-Time Jive is both an emphatic love letter to Black Harlem and a fresh take on the jaded noir hero.”
—Bendi Barrett, author of Empire of the Feast