Born and raised in Chicago, Delia graduated from Oberlin College with a Bachelor’s degree in history. After working as a journalist, she earned a Ph.D. in African history from the University of Chicago. She is a former university administrator and U.S. diplomat. Her contemporary noir mystery, Trouble in Queenstown, was published by Minotaur Books in 2024 and won the Shamus Award for best private investigator novel. The second book in this series featuring Black private investigator Vandy Myrick, is Death of a Ex. Published in 2025, Death of an Ex is a finalist for the Anthony award. The third book in the Vandy Myick mystery series, Revenge in a Small Town, will be published in December 2026. Delia is also the author of the Ross Agency Mysteries, a series set in Harlem. She has published several acclaimed short stories, including, “The Killer,” which was selected for inclusion in Best American Mystery and Suspense 2021. Delia is an active member of Sisters in Crime, Mystery Writers of America, and Crime Writers of Color.

Delia and her husband live in central New Jersey and have twin sons living in Texas and Philadelphia.