Valerie Wilson Wesley

Valerie Wilson Wesley is an author of mysteries, she is the author of the Tamara Hayle mystery series, adult-themed novels, and children’s books. She has written under the pseudonym Savanna Welles. She is also a former executive editor of Essence magazine.

Valerie Wilson Wesley wrote her first mystery, When Death Comes Stealing, in 1994. The book introduced readers to Tamara Hayle, a wise and witty African American single mom and ex-cop, who makes her living as a private investigator in Newark, New Jersey. When Death Comes Stealing was nominated for the Shamus Award by the Private Eye Writers of America as Best First Private Eye Novel.

Valerie Wilson Wesley writings, both fiction and non-fiction, have appeared in numerous publications, including Essence, Family Circle, TV Guide, Ms., The New York Times, and the Swiss weekly magazine Die Weltwoche.

Valerie Wilson Wesley graduated from Howard University and earned master’s degrees from the Bank Street College of Education and the Columbia Graduate School of Journalism. She is married to playwright Richard Wesley