I found all of these tales a great read, though I think it was Mosley' that was formulaic. I think too many people give him a pass based on who he is. I found the stories by the two Christopher, Benson and Chambers, orginal and quite entertaining.

Shades of Black: Crimes and Mysteries Stories by African-American Writers
Eleanor Taylor Bland (editor)
Berkley, Feb 2004, $23.95, 368 pp.
ISBN: 0425194027

This delightful twenty-two short story collection is written by African-Americans though some of the writers are not household names yet. The stories are all solid with no losers, but only a handful attain the great label such as Walter Mosley's thought provoking take on the use of the race card. In fact the better known authors like Mr. Mosley, the late Hugh Holton, Frankie Y Bailey, and Gar Anthony Haywood provide the best tales. Much of the remaining stories are well written, but seems a bit formulaic yet fans will enjoy the contributions while getting a glimpse of the future. Look forward to see how far African-Americans have come (especially this group of authors) in a decade when one compares editor Eleanor Taylor Bland today to what she was writing ten years ago. It is interesting to see who was writing then and how many more have joined the rapidly growing community. SHADES OF BLACK: CRIMES AND MYSTERIES STORIES BY AFRICAN-AMERICAN WRITERS contains reliable tales that entertain the audience.

Harriet Klausner