What is the setting in the novel, A Toast Before Dying?

The streets of Harlem provide the atmosphere and setting for the novel and the author's obvious love of and knowledge about Harlem gives added depth to the plot. Descriptions of the places include not only historical information but also details that appeal to the senses, making the reader want to eat the food, meet the people, and walk the streets. For those who have always pictured Harlem as only a blighted inner city slum area, Edwards's descriptions defy this categorization and show it to be a vibrant, fascinating area despite its pockets of desolation.

Mali lives in the Harlem neighborhood called Strivers' Row because of all the Black professionals who have bought houses on the block. This block of houses was once the home of jazz greats W.C. Handy and Eubie Blake. Since she has always lived and worked in Harlem, Mali has great knowledge of all types of people, lifestyles, and businesses. This insight into present-day Harlem enables her to help people that the police seem uninterested in helping.