Book #2 in The Priscilla Trilogy begins as the bride pauses for an instant before walking down the aisle to marry a man she likes but does not love, and in that hesitant moment, a shot rings out, and then another. The groom falls. Blood stains the sanctuary.
Priscilla J. "PJ" Austin--a magnetic, up-and-coming baby boomer--catches a glimpse of the shooter before everything blacks out for the bride.
Set in the mid1980s, "Mystery in Harare" is a stylish, fast-paced, character-driven thriller that unravels the secrets behind this carnage at a Midwestern American black church.
Priscilla's fortitude is sorely tried as she awakens, sometime later--sedated and confused, on the outskirts of Harare, Zimbabwe--to face the adventure of her life. She is "stashed" away, more than once, down deep into the savannas and the wilds of southern Africa--Zimbabwe and apartheid-ruled South Africa--where she falls prey to the vicious South African Nationalist Movement's Patrol Guard.
Along the way, there is mayhem, murder, mistaken identities, and a barbed reunion with Carlton Elliott Bernhardt, a swarthy, intrepid special operative who may be her one true love.
Recipient of the 2019 Chanticleer International Book Award for Mystery & Mayhem. "The beautifully evoked African setting and accompanying descriptions make this a real stand-out in cerebral mysteries. Simms-Maddox brings the reader along, making us feel a part of the story, careening down the path with Priscilla in all her experiences. Indeed, the author creates in Priscilla an individual with a formidable spirit and charisma that will appeal to many readers. Mystery in Harare is undoubtedly a successful terrorism thriller novel and a good place to start understanding the underbelly of the period of Apartheid in South Africa and its implications on all of its citizenry." Chanticleer Book Awards Review.
"M. J. Simms-Maddox is an excellent writer. There is a Maqoma in (her)." THEMBA NGABA, Amava Heritage Publishing, Ltd.
"After having had the privilege and opportunity to read the manuscript before it was published, I have no doubt that this book—which is part of a trilogy—has broken new ground reflecting Priscilla's leading role in what could be described as mission impossible since the issue of Apartheid South Africa has always been sensitive." VIRGINIA PHIRI of Zimbabwe Women Writers.
"Mystery in Harare" and her first book, Priscilla Engaging in the Game of Politics, both indicate that it is time to come forth with stories that have not yet been told and that it is time to introduce new heroines, too." MICHAEL D. CONNOR, actor, director, writer, and professor of theater, Livingstone College.
"Politics and faith are prevalent throughout the novel, diversity, lots of symbolism … and all of the senses are used. I was particularly impressed with the relationships between the different people in Priscilla's life. Very descriptive, such as in the scene at the governor's mansion when Priscilla wears an outfit that is not typical of what the other women wear. That shows her sense of self-worth and her humility." KAREN K. ALEXANDER, KKA Architects and Mayor, City of Salisbury.
"The novel reflects how the political decisions we make here in America impact the lives of people in other places in the world, such as the enactment of the South African divestiture bill." OBAFEMI BALOGUN, Professor of Business Administration, Livingstone College.
"Simms-Maddox writes so well. I'm right there. She brings the animals and the people alive and makes the reader feel a strong presence in each scene. I particularly like her use of the Book of Judges." HELEN TURNER, Director of the Reading Center, Livingstone College.
