The Black Queen
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- € 6,49
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Nova Albright was going to be the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High—but now she's dead. Murdered on coronation night. Fans of One of Us Is Lying and The Other Black Girl will love this unputdownable thriller.
Nova Albright, the first Black homecoming queen at Lovett High, is dead. Murdered the night of her coronation, her body found the next morning in the old slave cemetery she spent her weekends rehabilitating.
Tinsley McArthur was supposed to be queen. Not only is she beautiful, wealthy, and white, it’s her legacy—her grandmother, her mother, and even her sister wore the crown before her. Everyone in Lovett knows Tinsley would do anything to carry on the McArthur tradition.
No one is more certain of that than Duchess Simmons, Nova’s best friend. Duchess’s father is the first Black police captain in Lovett. For Duchess, Nova’s crown was more than just a win for Nova. It was a win for all the Black kids. Now her best friend is dead, and her father won’t face the fact that the main suspect is right in front of him. Duchess is convinced that Tinsley killed Nova—and that Tinsley is privileged enough to think she can get away with it. But Duchess’s father seems to be doing what he always does: fall behind the blue line. Which means that the white girl is going to walk.
Duchess is determined to prove Tinsley’s guilt. And to do that, she’ll have to get close to her.
But Tinsley has an agenda, too.
Everyone loved Nova. And sometimes, love is exactly what gets you killed.
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Emill's intense, dual-POV mystery debut recounts the murder of a Mississippi high school's first Black homecoming queen. The family of haughty, privileged teen Tinsley McArthur has held the title of homecoming queen for the past three generations, causing her to feel entitled to the crown. But Nova Albright, who's kind and popular, is almost guaranteed to earn the coveted role instead. After Tinsley tries bribing Nova into dropping out of the running and Nova refuses, a drunken Tinsley is recorded claiming "I should have killed her." When newly crowned Nova's violently murdered corpse is found on the same night as the recording, everyone believes Tinsley is to blame. Desperate to clear her name, Tinsley endeavors to find out who the real killer is. Meanwhile, Nova's best friend and the police chief's daughter, Duchess Simmons, is conducting her own investigation. Emill unblinkingly explores themes of prejudice and privilege through the lens of Duchess, a queer Black girl navigating these issues; Tinsley, a white girl who benefits from structural racism; and Nova, a Black girl mired in generations of secrets. This chilling narrative adeptly portrays the struggle with balancing competing loyalties, personal safety, and pursuit of justice while operating within oppressive systems. Ages 12–up.
