Description /Buy link takes you to Amazon. As an Amazon Associate I earn money from qualifying purchases.
The Black Stiletto is categorized as women’s adventure fiction. It is the name of a series and the first novel in that series.
Get notified when Raymond Benson releases a new book at BookNotification.com.
Order of Black Stiletto Series
| # | Read | Title | Published | Details |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Black Stiletto: The First Diary | 2011 | Description / Buy | |
| 2 | Black & White | 2012 | Description / Buy | |
| 3 | Stars & Stripes | 2013 | Description / Buy | |
| 4 | Secrets & Lies | 2014 | Description / Buy | |
| 5 | Endings & Beginnings | 2014 | Description / Buy |
Before publishing The Black Stiletto, Raymond Benson attracted a lot of interest for the James Bond novels he wrote in the late 1990s and early 2000s. The Drama Production student received an Edgar Award nomination for The James Bond Bedside Companion.
The Black Stiletto books were not necessarily out of his wheelhouse but they definitely surprised his readers with the direction they took. The series follows the escapades of Judy Cooper, a seemingly ordinary woman who also fights crime as a vigilante known as the Black Stiletto.
When readers first meet Judy, she is just another older woman struggling to overcome the weight of Alzheimer’s. Her son, Martin, is doing what he can to cope with the situation.
As a much younger woman, Judy kept a series of diaries that she hoped would find their way into her son’s hands if she was ever incapacitated. When her lawyer delivers the volumes to Martin, what he discovers blows his mind.
The diaries detail the adventures of a woman that Martin realizes he hardly knew. As a little girl, Judy was abused by her step-father. So she fled to New York and did what she could to survive until she found a mentor who could teach her to fight.
Judy mastered a variety of martial arts, and when she finally completed her training, she became the Black Stiletto, a crime-fighting vigilante who made it her mission in life to clear the streets of criminals and thugs.
For years, The Black Stiletto fought diligently to right wrongs. But then she suddenly disappeared. Her exploits became legend, with some wondering if she was ever real and where she had gone.
When the diaries fall into his lap, Martin realizes that he can finally find the answers to all the questions that have plagued fans of the Black Stiletto.
The Black Stiletto series tells both Martin and Judy’s story. Judy’s story takes place in the past and it is told in diary format as Martin reads her words. It is from Judy’s diaries that readers learn who she was, how she became the Black Stiletto and the various adventures she encountered along the way.
Readers are also allowed to follow Martin in the present. As engrossing as Judy’s diaries are, Martin can’t read them all the time. He has plenty of other concerns on his plate which also require his attention.
Raymond Benson, the author, tries to balance both Martin and Judy’s stories, allowing the lessons Judy learned in the past to impact the decisions Martin makes in the present.
Black Stiletto Books into Movies
There was talk in 2015 of plans to produce a television series based on this series. Mila Kunis was attached to the project.
Best Black Stiletto Books
These novels have been praised for creating such a kickass heroine despite being set in an era where women had no real power, with some of the best books in the series including:
The Black Stiletto: A vigilante known as the Black Stiletto once roamed the streets of New York, fighting mobsters and drug dealers. She won the hearts of the common people. But then she disappeared, never to be heard from again.
Martin thought, like most people, that the Black Stiletto was just another story. But then his mother, Judy, was incapacitated by illness and the family lawyer gave him her diaries.
From her words, Martin quickly surmised that Judy hadn’t been quite as ordinary as everyone had assumed.
Black and White: Judy’s martial arts instructor gave her the skills she needed to don the mask of the Black Stiletto. He gave her the strength to stand up for others. So when his daughter is taken prisoner, Judy does not hesitate to lend a helping hand.
Other Book Series You May Like
You may also like the Body Farm Series by Jefferson Bass. Doctor Brockton works at the Body Farm, a place where corpses are allowed to decay for forensic purposes. Every so often, Brockton will venture out of his comfort zone to solve the mysteries and murders that come his way.
Another great series is the “Cassidy and Spenser” Series by Carey Baldwin. Doctor Caitlin Cassidy and Agent Spenser are the best in their respective fields. They do not necessarily get along. But whenever murders and mysteries call, they will put their petty differences aside to pursue justice.
What Is The Next Book in The Black Stiletto Series?
There doesn't seem to be an upcoming book in The Black Stiletto Series. The newest book is Endings & Beginnings and was released on November, 4th 2014.