Where to Start Reading Cheryl A. Head
If you are new to Cheryl A. Head's work, you have two excellent entry points depending on your favorite genre. For readers who love long-running, character-driven detective series, the best place to start is with Bury Me When I'm Dead, the first book in the Charlie Mack Motown Mystery series. This series offers a modern, gritty take on the classic private investigator formula, featuring a diverse cast and a deeply atmospheric portrayal of Detroit.
If you prefer standalone historical mysteries with emotional weight, start with her critically acclaimed 2023 novel, Time’s Undoing. This book is a poignant, dual-timeline mystery inspired by the author’s own family history, making it a perfect introduction to her evocative and socially conscious writing style.
The Charlie Mack Motown Mystery Series in Publication Order
The Charlie Mack Motown Mystery series is Cheryl A. Head's signature work. It centers on Charlene "Charlie" Mack, a Black, queer private investigator who runs Mack Investigations in Detroit. The series is best read in publication order to fully appreciate the evolving personal relationships, professional shakeups, and long-term character arcs. Here is the recommended order:
- Bury Me When I'm Dead (2016) – Charlie Mack and her team travel from Detroit to Birmingham, Alabama, to track down a missing person. A routine case quickly spirals into a dangerous investigation involving a double murder, a powerful southern patriarch with 40 years of secrets, and a physical attack on Charlie that forces her to confront her own trust issues.
- Wake Me When It's Over (2018) – Mack Investigations is hired by a consortium of auto dealers to protect the high-profile Detroit Auto Show from a potential terrorist threat. Charlie must navigate the complex layout of Cobo Hall to determine if the threat is external or coming from an insider.
- Catch Me When I'm Falling (2019) – A serial killer is targeting homeless individuals in Detroit's Cass Corridor by immolation. When a victim turns out to be a friend of Charlie's mother, the case becomes deeply personal. Charlie goes undercover on the streets, braving drug traffickers, street gangs, and corrupt law enforcement.
- Judge Me When I'm Wrong (2019) – Charlie is called for jury duty, forcing her to balance her civic duty and watch for jury tampering while her partner Gil Acosta helps manage the agency's other cases. The novel explores the delicate balance of the justice system when court proceedings take unexpected turns.
- Find Me When I'm Lost (2020) – Charlie receives a midnight call from Pamela, the wife of her ex-husband Franklin, who has been charged with murdering his brother-in-law. Believing Franklin was framed because of a secret he uncovered, Charlie commits her agency's full resources to the case, despite the strain it places on her relationship with her girlfriend, Mandy.
- Warn Me When It's Time (2021) – When a mosque in Dearborn is targeted by arson, resulting in the death of a respected imam, his children hire Mack Investigations. Charlie and FBI agent James Saleh team up to infiltrate a dangerous militia group in Oakland County that is attempting to incite a race war.
Why Reading Order Matters for the Charlie Mack Series
While the mystery in each Charlie Mack book is resolved by the final page, reading the series out of order is not recommended due to several overlapping, multi-book subplots:
- The Team Dynamics: The staff at Mack Investigations—including partners Don Rutkowski and Gil Acosta, and office manager Judy Novak—undergo major professional shifts. In Find Me When I'm Lost, Gil Acosta departs and Judy transitions into a hands-on investigative role. Reading these out of order will spoil these team evolutions.
- Charlie’s Personal Life: Charlie's relationship with her girlfriend Mandy develops steadily throughout the books, including their domestic life with their rescue dog, Hamm. Key tensions arise, such as Mandy's concerns over Charlie's lingering feelings for her ex-husband in Book 5.
- Ernestine's Illness: Charlie's mother, Ernestine Mack, battles progressive early-onset Alzheimer's. This ongoing family struggle is a prominent emotional thread that develops chronologically across the six novels, shaping Charlie's motivations and personal vulnerabilities.
Cheryl A. Head’s Standalone Novels
In addition to her detective series, Cheryl A. Head has written two powerful standalone novels that showcase her versatility in historical fiction:
- Long Way Home: A World War II Novel (2013/2014) – Head's debut novel is a historical drama set in 1943. It explores the experiences of Black soldiers, both men and women, serving on the U.S. home front during World War II. A mixture of coming-of-age romance and home-front mystery, this self-published book was a finalist for the Next Generation Indie Book Awards but is currently out of print.
- Time's Undoing (2023) – A powerful dual-timeline historical mystery. In 1929, Black master carpenter Robert Lee Harrington struggles to survive in Birmingham, Alabama, under the shadow of the Ku Klux Klan before his tragic murder. In 2019, his great-granddaughter, Meghan McKenzie—a young Detroit Free Press reporter—heads to Alabama to investigate the cold case, navigating modern racial dynamics and old city secrets to find justice.
What to Know Before You Start
Before diving into Cheryl A. Head's novels, keep these key elements in mind:
- Vivid Setting: Head writes Detroit with the authentic eye of a native. The city's geography, cultural landmarks, and social history are central characters in the Charlie Mack series, from the Detroit Auto Show at Cobo Hall to the streets of the Cass Corridor.
- Representation: As a queer Black woman, Head intentionally centers underrepresented voices. Charlie Mack is one of the few Black, lesbian private investigators in crime fiction, and her identity is explored naturally alongside the cases she solves.
- Socially Conscious Themes: Head's stories frequently tackle heavy, real-world issues, including racism, systemic corruption, homophobia, domestic terrorism, and the plight of the unhoused, offering thoughtful commentary alongside suspenseful plots.