God Don’t Play by Mary Monroe

February 8, 2010

Dafina
Available 04/01/10 in Paperback

From Mary Monroe, beloved author of God Don’t Like Ugly and God Still Don’t Like Ugly, comes the entwined stories of two lifelong friends, their secrets and lies, and a new challenge that could destroy their relationship once and for all…

With a handsome husband, a beautiful daughter, and a lovely house to come home to every night, forty-five-year-old Annette Goode finally has it all. Heaven knows she paid her dues–from a childhood filled with abuse to a rocky start as an adult. Annette’s friend Rhoda knows too, for Rhoda has been both her savior and her greatest fear. Their erratic relationship has survived some serious bumps in the road. But now that things are good, someone apparently thinks they’re a little too good…

When Annette receives an anonymous–and menacing–birthday gift, it’s just the beginning of a slew of hostile letters, vicious phone calls, and vile packages from a female who is obviously disguising her voice. Gaining comfort from the support of Rhoda and Rhoda’s teenage daughter, Jade, Annette hopes that somehow the problem will go away. But when the threats extend to her little daughter, Annette realizes the situation is dire. And she’s right, for soon her tormentor reveals exactly what she wants–and how it could destroy everything Annette has built…

Author JavaNoir

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Cemetery Road by Gar Anthony Haywood

January 25, 2010

Severn House Publishers
Available 02/01/10 in Hardcover

The new novel from a critically acclaimed and award-winning author – When Errol “Handy” White returns to his native Los Angeles to attend the funeral of his old friend R.J. Burrow, who has been brutally murdered, a terrible secret threatens to reveal itself. Twenty-six years earlier, Handy, R.J. and O’Neal Holden pulled a heist that went horrible awry, and Handy’s been waiting for it to come back and haunt them ever since. Was the murder linked to the past? Handy knows he can’t leave until he finds out for sure.

Author JavaNoir

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Deep Deception by Tina Brooks McKinney

January 11, 2010

Deep Deception (Urban Renaissance)
by Tina Brooks McKinney

Urban Books
Available 11/01/09 in Paperback

Death has a way of exposing secrets better left untold, and no one knows this better than sisters Elena and Adora Perez. They are about to find out that things aren’t always as they seem.

Elena takes a bite of forbidden fruit when she becomes romantically involved with her boss. The one-night fling leaves her pregnant with another man’s child and headed straight to divorce court.

Adora can identify with her sister as she, too, harbors a secret love that goes against their strict upbringing. After the sudden death of their mother, Adora enlists the help of her lover to unravel a decade’s worth of deceit.

Armed with letters written by their father, the sisters soon find out that deception runs deep, and their time here in America has been based on a lie. The man they once respected has become a symbol of fear with a hidden agenda, and he has no intentions of releasing them from a contract they didn’t sign.

Deep Deception demonstrates how greed and the love of money can twist perception. As the mystery unfolds, readers will be shocked by the consequences of these vices.

Author JavaNoir

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Top-Selling Mysteries in 2009

January 10, 2010

The bestselling mysteries, featuring African American characters or written by African Americans, published in 2009 (as of 1/10/2010).

I, Alex Cross by James Patterson
(Little, Brown and Company, 11/16/09, Hardcover)

Detective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Alex vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington’s wildest scenes. And she was not this killer’s only victim. The hunt for her murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain–they will do anything to keep their secrets safe. Alex Cross is your only hope to stay aliveAs Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable–a revelation that could rock the entire world. With the unstoppable action, unforeseeable twists, and edge-of-your-seat suspense that only a James Patterson thriller delivers, I, Alex Cross is the master of suspense at his sharpest and best.

Alex Cross’s TRIAL by James Patterson
(Little, Brown and Company, 08/24/09, Hardcover)

Separated by timeFrom his grandmother, Alex Cross has heard the story of his great uncle Abraham and his struggles for survival in the era of the Ku Klux Klan. Now, Alex passes the family tale along to his own children in a novel he’s written–a novel called Trial.Connected by bloodAs a lawyer in turn-of-the-century Washington D.C., Ben Corbett represents the toughest cases. Fighting against oppression and racism, he risks his family and his life in the process. When President Roosevelt asks Ben to return to his home town to investigate rumors of the resurgence of the Ku Klux Klan there, he cannot refuse. United by braveryWhen he arrives in Eudora, Mississippi, Ben meets the wise Abraham Cross and his beautiful granddaughter, Moody. Ben enlists their help, and the two Crosses introduce him to the hidden side of the idyllic Southern town. Lynchings have become commonplace and residents of the town’s black quarter live in constant fear. Ben aims to break the reign of terror–but the truth of who is really behind it could break his heart. Written in the fearless voice of Detective Alex Cross, Alex Cross’s Trial is a gripping story of murder, love, and, above all, bravery.

Cross Country (Alex Cross) by James Patterson
(Vision, 10/01/09, Mass Market Paperback)

Detective Alex Cross pursues the most ruthless killer he’s ever encountered-to a land of sheer terror and back. It’s the worst crime scene Alex Cross has ever seen, and then more killings, each one more ruthless than the last, quickly follow. After one death comes terrifyingly close to home, Alex realizes he’s chasing a horrible new breed of killer. Digging deeper into the case, Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, uncover a shocking Washington, D.C., underworld: a gang of teenage thugs headed by a warlord known only as the Tiger. When the Tiger’s elusive trail turns up in Africa, Alex knows that he must follow. Unprotected and alone, can Alex manage to both survive and catch the killer?

Resurrecting Midnight by Eric Jerome Dickey
(Dutton Adult, 08/25/09, Hardcover)

International assassin Gideon spilled blood for the first time when he was seven years old, with a single shot to the head of a man who was attempting to kill the woman Gideon had known as his mother. The victim was none other than his own father, a man of unspeakable evil. This pivotal event shaped Gideon throughout his life, made him who he is, one of the fiercest, most feared hired guns in the world. And one of the most hunted. After nearly losing his life in Antigua during a mission that went terribly wrong, Gideon trusts no one. But when a former lover and grifter, Arizona, resurfaces in need of his skills, she reminds him he was indebted to a man who had once saved his life: the son of the legendary con-man Scamz. Gideon is forced to take on an assignment which will lead him to Argentina in pursuit of a briefcase containing one part of a larger puzzle. The “package” contains material that another group of assassins – the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse – will kill to obtain and protect. One of the leaders of the Four Horsemen has a connection to Gideon that neither man is aware of — a connection that will be exposed when they meet face-to-face and gun-to-gun. Each member of The Four Horsemen is a world-class killer, each with a dark and dangerous past, and nothing will stop that team of renegades from completing their mission. As Gideon struggles to keep promises and uncover information about his past, he finds himself at the center of the ultimate double-cross and he is forced to do what he must to protect himself and those closest to him. Set amidst the exotic and vibrant streets of Miami and Buenos Aires, Resurrecting Midnight is an action-filled, pulse- pounding thriller from bestselling author Eric Jerome Dickey.

The Spire: A Novel by Richard North Patterson
(Henry Holt and Co., 09/01/09, Hardcover)

Both a razor-sharp thriller and a poignant love story, this twisting tale of psychological suspense is Patterson’s most compelling novel in yearsMark Darrow grew up in a small Ohio town with no real advantages beyond his intelligence and athletic ability. But thanks to the intervention of Lionel Farr — a professor at Caldwell, the local college — Darrow became an excellent student and, later, a superb trial lawyer. Now Farr asks his still-youthful protege for a life-altering favor. An embezzlement scandal has threatened Caldwell’s very existence — would Darrow consider becoming its new president?
Darrow accepts, but returning to his alma mater opens old wounds. Sixteen years ago, on the night of his greatest triumph as Caldwell’s star quarterback, he discovered the body of a black female student named Angela Hall at the base of the Spire, the bell tower that dominates the leafy campus. His best friend, Steve Tillman, was charged with Angela’s murder and ultimately sent to prison for life. But now, even as Darrow begins the daunting task of leading Caldwell, he discovers that the case against his friend left crucial questions unanswered. Despite his new obligations — and his deepening attachment to Farr’s beautiful though troubled daughter — Darrow begins his own inquiry into the murder. Soon he becomes convinced that Angela’s killer is still at large, but only when another mysterious death occurs does he understand that his own life is at risk.

Wife of the Gods: A Novel by Kwei Quartey
(Random House, 07/14/09, Hardcover)

Lyrical and captivating, Kwei Quartey’s debut novel brings to life the majesty and charm of Ghana — from the capital city of Accra to a small community where long-buried secrets are about to rise to the surface.In a shady grove outside the small town of Ketanu, a young woman — a promising med student — has been found dead under suspicious circumstances. Eager to close the case, the local police have arrested a poor, enamored teenage boy and charged him with murder. Needless to say, they are less than thrilled when an outside force arrives from the big city to lead an inquiry into the baffling case.Detective Inspector Darko Dawson, fluent in Ketanu’s indigenous language, is the right man for the job, but he hates the idea of leaving his loving wife and young son, a plucky kid with a defective heart. Pressured by his cantankerous boss, Dawson agrees to travel to Ketanu, sort through the evidence, and tie up the loose ends as quickly and as efficiently as possible. But for Dawson, this sleepy corner of Ghana is rife with emotional land mines: an estranged relationship with the family he left behind twenty-five years earlier and the painful memory of his own mother’s sudden, inexplicable disappearance. Dawson is armed with remarkable insight and a healthy dose of skepticism, but these gifts, sometimes overshadowed by his mercurial temper, may not be enough to solve this haunting mystery. In Ketanu, he finds that his cosmopolitan sensibilities clash with age-old customs, including a disturbing practice in which teenage girls are offered by their families to fetish priests as trokosi, or Wives of the Gods.This is a compelling and unique mystery, enriched by an exotic setting and a vivid cast. And Inspector Darko Dawson — dedicated family man, rebel in the office, and ace in the field — is one of the most appealing sleuths to come along in years.From the Hardcover edition.

Life After Wifey by Kiki Swinson
(Dafina, 03/01/09, Paperback)

Nikki, is in possession of a lot of chilling information that could not only shed light on some unanswered questions, but could also put a lot of dangerous people behind bars for life — including her new boyfriend, Syncere, from New Jersey. Well aware that she is sleeping with the enemy, Nikki knows she must step up her game and take some precautionary measures to protect herself if she plans to seek out Kira shooter. What better place to start on her journey than with the man she shares her bed with? In Life After Wifey, Nikki is going to put herself in some very compromising situations but through it all, she knows that she must never implicate herself and Kira in the plans that ended Ricky and Russell lives. Nikki must suit up with everything Kira has ever taught her about the streets and then prepare for the worst.

Alibi by Teri Woods
(Grand Central Publishing, 08/06/09, Hardcover)

Two men think they’ve found the perfect opportunity–a chance to rob the stash house of Simon Shuller, one of Philadelphia’s biggest drug lords. But their plans are spoiled when one of Shuller’s men catches them as they break into the stash house. Temperatures flare as the men capture Shuller’s worker, Poncho, and force him to show them the goods. What they didn’t expect was for Poncho’s partner to be armed and very dangerous. An altercation breaks out and when the smoke clears, Nard, Poncho’s accomplice, is the only one left standing. Thinking quickly, Nard cleans shop and makes his escape, but not before being spotted by a few neighbors. Not wanting to kill anyone else, he makes a mad dash for the streets but wonders if the witnesses will give up his identity. What he needs now is a plausible alibi. If he doesn’t come up with one fast, it could mean life in prison, or death on the streets.

The Million Dollar Demise: A Novel by RM Johnson
(Simon & Schuster, 09/22/09, Hardcover)

The tension and suspense are ramped up to new highs in this eagerly anticipated final installment in Essence bestselling author RM Johnson’s Million Dollar trilogy.Picking up where The Million Dollar Deception left off, Freddy Ford knocks on Nate Kenny’s door, storms into the house, and shoots both Nate and his ex-wife Monica. But he doesn’t stop there — before driving off, Freddy manages to escape with little Nathaniel, Nate and Monica’s beloved adopted son, while little Layla sleeps upstairs.Nate is expected to survive the brutal attack, but Monica is left in a coma, and doctors are not certain that she will ever recover. When Lewis Waters — Freddy’s best friend and Layla’s actual father — visits the hospital to see Monica, Nate bargains with him: if Lewis can get Freddy arrested, Nate will give him back his little girl.Meanwhile, Daphanie Coleman, the woman Nate had planned to marry before he sought revenge on Monica, rushes to Nate’s side with plans to get him back by making herself available to him in his time of crisis. By chance, she meets Lewis while visiting Monica’s bedside, and the two devise a plan to both get what they want.When Monica finally awakens, she opens her eyes to a world in which Daphanie and Nate are hiding an affair, Lewis and Daphanie are harboring nasty secrets, and Nate has plotted to steal another man’s child in the name of revenge. Will Monica forgive Nate, whom she was about to remarry? Will she uncover the truth behind the love triangle of Daphanie, Lewis, and Nate? And, more important, can the tragic lovers escape a second attempt on their lives?

Black Water Rising: A Novel by Attica Locke
(Harper, 06/01/09, Hardcover)

Writing in the tradition of Dennis Lehane and Greg Iles, Attica Locke, a powerful new voice in American fiction, delivers a brilliant debut thriller that readers will not soon forget. Jay Porter is hardly the lawyer he set out to be. His most promising client is a low-rent call girl and he runs his fledgling law practice out of a dingy strip mall. But he’s long since made peace with not living the American Dream and carefully tucked away his darkest sins: the guns, the FBI file, the trial that nearly destroyed him. Houston, Texas, 1981. It is here that Jay believes he can make a fresh start. That is, until the night in a boat out on the bayou when he impulsively saves a woman from drowning — and opens a Pandora’s box. Her secrets put Jay in danger, ensnaring him in a murder investigation that could cost him his practice, his family, and even his life. But before he can get to the bottom of a tangled mystery that reaches into the upper echelons of Houston’s corporate power brokers, Jay must confront the demons of his past. With pacing that captures the reader from the first scene through an exhilarating climax, Black Water Rising marks the arrival of an electrifying new talent.

Like No One Else by Maureen Smith
(Dafina, 12/01/09, Paperback)

She Can RunBallet dancer Tommie Purnell has finally left her troubles behind her. After a devastating scandal derails her dancing career in New York, she flees to Houston for a fresh start. Once her new dance studio takes off, the rest of Tommie’s life follows suit. But when a local woman connected to Tommie turns up dead, Tommie is petrified. . .and doesn’t know where to turn. But She Can’t HideWhen veteran homicide detective Paulo Sanchez walks through her door, Tommie wonders if her troubles have just doubled. She and Paulo had a torrid attraction years ago. . .but she’s sworn off men because of too many broken dreams. Yet their sizzling attraction can’t be denied, and as their passion intensifies, the killer’s body count also rises. That’s when all clues point toward the one person Tommie thought she could finally believe in. . .

Vanilla Ride (Hap and Leonard) by Joe R. Lansdale
(Knopf, 06/30/09, Hardcover)

There’s no bullshit in a Joe Lansdale book. There’s everything a good story needs, and nothing it doesn’t. Joe pulls up the truck, says, ‘Get in the back, we’re going for a ride.’You know it might get a little scary and it might get a little crazy, but you get in, because you know in the end, it’s going to be a fun ride.–Christopher Moore, New York Times Bestselling Author of A Dirty Job and FoolIn this Texas-sized thriller, Hap Collins and Leonard Pine — best friends, freelance troublemakers, and tough guys with good intentions — find themselves in the crosshairs of the Dixie Mafia.Hap is an East Texas smart mouth with a weakness for southern women. Leonard is a gay, black veteran pining for a lost love. They’re not the makings of your typical dynamic duo, but never underestimate the power of a shared affinity for stirring up trouble and causing mayhem. When an old friend asks Leonard to rescue his daughter from an abusive, no-good drug dealer, he gladly agrees and, of course, invites Hap along for the fun. Even though the dealer may be lowly, he is on the bottom rung of the Dixie Mafia, and when Hap and Leonard come calling, the Mafia feels a little payback is in order. Cars crash, shotguns blast, and people die, but Hap and Leonard come out on top. Unfortunately for them, now they’re facing not only jail time but also the legendary — and lethal — Vanilla Ride, who is still out to claim the price on their heads. Full of twists and turns, gunfire and gaffes, this hilarious, rip-roaring novel will have readers turning the pages faster than a Texas tornado.

Diary of a Stalker (Urban Renaissance) by Electa Rome Parks
(Urban Trade Paper, 01/01/10, Paperback)

Never judge a book by its cover. . . Xavier Preston is tall, dark, and handsome, and the problem is that he knows it. He’s a bestselling author who is accustomed to adoring female fans, both young and old, flirting with him, throwing themselves shamelessly at him, and trying to get between more than the covers of his novels. He has always been more than willing to accommodate their needs and desires; however, his womanizing days have finally ended. He’s engaged to a beautiful woman, Kendall, and he’s decided to walk the straight and narrow. Or has he? From outside appearances, the very stunning Pilar has it all: a great career, a beautiful home, and a trust fund that keeps her financially secure; however, looks can be deceiving. All that glitters isn’t necessarily gold. Pilar is searching for her perfect soulmate, and she thinks she has found him in Xavier. She believes in going after what she wants with a vengeance . . . and she wants Xavier. That is not negotiable. She will have him, even if it kills him. When Xavier meets his fanatical fan, Pilar, he gets much more than he bargained for. What starts out as an erotic one-night stand quickly spirals out of control into a dangerous game of obsession and pain with both parties playing to win. Think you know what goes on behind the literary scene? Think again.

Sassy by Gloria Mallette
(Gemini Press, 05/22/09, Paperback)

A successful romance novelist, Sassy is a woman looking to fulfill her own fantasy. When the man of her dreams step right out of the pages of her latest novel, Butterfly, Sassy falls madly in love with him. But what evil lies behind Norris Yoshito’s beautiful eyes and sexy smile? And while Sassy has to take care of her favorite cousin, Bernard, who is dying of AIDS, is the man of Sassy’s dream a serial killer of women who made the mistake of trusting him just as Sassy did, or is Norris Yoshito himself in danger from someone who wants him dead? Is Sassy’s marriage a horrible mistake that will lead to her own death? You’ll find out and you will be stunned.

Dying Declaration by Randy Singer
(Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., 04/08/09, Paperback)

Thomas and Theresa Hammonds believe in tough love and old-fashioned discipline. They do not believe in doctors. When their controversial beliefs lead to personal tragedy, the Hammonds face heartbreaking loss, a crisis of faith — and a charge of negligent homicide by a relentless prosecutor. Defending Thomas and Theresa is freewheeling lawyer Charles Arnold. He believes in grace and mercy, but nothing in his colorful past has prepared him for the challenges of this shocking case, or for the dangerous conspiracy at its heart.

Dark Child: A Novel (Zane Presents) by Travis Hunter
(Strebor Books, 06/30/09, Hardcover)

When poor babies wind up missing, no one seems to care.Urban Brown is a white man who grew up in the dark recesses of the inner city where he was the victim of torment, abuse, abandonment, deception and murder. Urban overcame his horrid past to live a peaceful and prosperous existence in his upper-class community. He has everything a man could ask for: a career, which he loves; a sprawling estate and a drop-dead gorgeous fiance, Sierra. Then out of the blue, he receives a phone call that changes his life.Jamillah is Urban’s sister, and unlike her brother, she wasn’t able to overcome the horrors of her past and turned to drugs to ease the pain. Life on the streets is hard enough, but once a baby comes along, she tries to sell him on the black market. Urban won’t hear any of it, and he and Sierra resolve to raise the child as their own. But upon further investigation, Urban realizes that his sister is involved in a dark and sinister scheme to steal black babies from poor girls in small, rural towns and sell them to the highest bidders. As Urban digs deeper and deeper into the kidnapping network, he gets dangerously close to the heart of the matter and is disgusted and disheartened by what he discovers.Dark Child is a chilling story about the untold struggles of the disenfranchised that inspiringly illustrates how one man is not able to turn his back on the problems of his former community — even though he so desperately wants to leave that troubled place in his past forever.

Shades of Brown (Indigo Love Spectrum) by Denise Becker
(Genesis Press, 12/01/09, Paperback)

Meg is a schoolteacher whose husband, Bill, was intent on killing her… but in a violent fight for her won life, she ended his. The murder is a secret, and Meg has moved back to her hometown to reunited with her adopted family. Meg’s new life is wonderful; her family has welcomed her home, she is the favorite teacher at her old high school, and she has found love. However, because of her unorthodox teaching and interracial relationship, she has also made some enemies. When these foes discover Meg’s murderous secret and make their own assumptions, she will have to convince all the people she loves of the truth.

Mucho Mojo (Vintage Crime/Black Lizard) by Joe R. Lansdale
(Vintage, 01/06/09, Paperback)

Hap and Leonard return in this incredible, mad-dash thriller, loaded with crack addicts, a serial killer, and a body count.Leonard is still nursing the injuries he sustained in the duo’s last wild undertaking when he learns that his Uncle Chester has passed. Hap is of course going to be there for his best friend, and when the two are cleaning up Uncle Chester’s dilapidated house, they uncover a dark little secret beneath the house’s rotting floor boards — a small skeleton buried in a trunk. Hap wants to call the police. Leonard, being a black man in east Texas, persuades him this is not a good idea, and together they set out to clear Chester’s name on their own. The only things standing in their way is a houseful of felons, a vicious killer, and possibly themselves.

Black Noir: Mystery, Crime, and Suspense Stories by African-American Writers by Otto Penzler (Editor)
(Pegasus, 03/03/09, Hardcover)

Some of the best-known and most influential pieces of crime fiction have been from African American writers. Be it Walter Mosley’s great detective Easy Rawlins, or the mean streets of Harlem at the hands of Chester Himes, the stories and characters in this anthology have shaped the mystery genre with their own unique viewpoints and styles. Contributors to the collection include Robert Greer, Chester Himes, Walter Mosley, Cary Phillips, Frankie Bailey, and Richard Wright.Â

1-900-A-N-Y-T-I-M-E: A Novel by Tracy Price-Thompson
(Atria, 09/22/09, Paperback)

From award-winning, national bestselling author Tracy Price-Thompson comes a sexy, thrilling new novel featuring a working woman whose obsessive clients are determined to get her all to themselves. Bertha Sampson is a sensuous but severely disfigured woman who turns to selling phone sex in order to satisfy some of her most erotic fantasies. Blessed with a silky voice, a kinky wit, and the ability to construct erotic portraits through words, she lulls men into her fantasies and builds a colorful clientele base as a phone sex worker. Bertha’s distinctive voice allows her to escape the bonds of her physical limitations. But intimate attachments can be formed in many ways, even through a phone line, and to her horror anonymous sex is not always anonymous. Her sumptuous voice and phone skills are so captivating that two of her clients become obsessed with meeting her in the flesh. They both relentlessly track her down — one seeking her love, the other seeking her life.

Author JavaNoir

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The Morning Show Murders by Al Roker

December 30, 2009

The Morning Show Murders: A Novel
by Al Roker

Delacorte Press
Available 11/24/09 in Hardcover

Nobody can dish morning TV like Al Roker, who’s seen every side of a business that looks good on camera — even when sharks are circling inside the gleaming glass Manhattan media headquarters. Treachery abounds in Roker’s riotously thrilling debut novel — at once an ingenious murder mystery and a delicious behind-the-scenes look at network TV. As fact and fiction collide and the backbiting ignites, The Morning Show Murders will make you wonder: How much of this stuff is real?

Network TV can be murder. Just ask Billy Blessing, famous for his smile, charm, and ability to survive the shark tank that is high-stakes morning TV. But though Billy has outlived his fair share of prima-donnas, his cooking segment on Wake Up America! is a staple of the American diet, and his Manhattan bistro is a mega-success, his career has just taken a very dangerous turn: His show’s perky cohost, Gin McCauley, has launched into some brass-knuckles contract negotiations. A visiting Mossad agent is about to tell all on the air. And then the network’s head honcho is murdered in his luxury apartment, and an ambitious D.A. decides that Billy is to blame.

Forensics show that Gerry Gallagher was poisoned and that the fatal coq au vin came from Billy’s restaurant. Gerry had an impressive list of women in his black book — and a news assignment in Afghanistan had plunged the TV exec into the heart of a violent international secret. Now unsavory characters are coming out of the woodwork, and another murder strikes the show’s inner circle. Billy knows that someone’s trying to frame him. He also knows that a ruthless international assassin has just arrived in New York City. And suddenly, for the most trusted guy on TV the ultimate career move is not about ratings. It’s about staying alive — and stopping the next murder from becoming tomorrow’s breaking news.

Author JavaNoir

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BlackPlanet Universe Recognizes The Cure

December 19, 2009

The Cure
by Antoine Maurice Devine

BluQuill Publishing, LLC
Available 09/30/09

Carol Anderson and Thomas Christian, clinical trial examiners performing a routine follow-up investigation, quickly find themselves embroiled in a series of murders linked to the cover-up of one of man’s greatest discoveries – a cure for breast cancer. The former lovers race across North America in pursuit of the records that contain the formula, chased by mercenaries employed by the ruthless CEO of a leading pharmaceutical company. They learn there is more going on behind the “Quest for a Cure” campaigns than they could ever imagine, while struggling to stay one step ahead of the killers who will stop at nothing to keep the formula from the public. Based upon an actual event in the field of breast cancer research, The Cure weaves the history of the industry into an international action thriller.

Antoine Maurice Devine:
I would like to share the honor of being featured at Elev8 by BlackPlanet Universe.

Author Antoine Maurice Devine

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Like No One Else by Maureen Smith

December 5, 2009

Dafina
Available 12/01/09

She Can Run

Ballet dancer Tommie Purnell has finally left her troubles behind her. After a devastating scandal derails her dancing career in New York, she flees to Houston for a fresh start. Once her new dance studio takes off, the rest of Tommie’s life follows suit. But when a local woman connected to Tommie turns up dead, Tommie is petrified. . .and doesn’t know where to turn.

But She Can’t Hide

When veteran homicide detective Paulo Sanchez walks through her door, Tommie wonders if her troubles have just doubled. She and Paulo had a torrid attraction years ago. . .but she’s sworn off men because of too many broken dreams. Yet their sizzling attraction can’t be denied, and as their passion intensifies, the killer’s body count also rises. That’s when all clues point toward the one person Tommie thought she could finally believe in. . .

Author JavaNoir

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1-900-A-N-Y-T-I-M-E: A Novel by Tracy Price-Thompson

December 5, 2009

Atria
Available 9/22/09

From award-winning, national bestselling author Tracy Price-Thompson comes a sexy, thrilling new novel featuring a working woman whose obsessive clients are determined to get her all to themselves.

Bertha Sampson is a sensuous but severely disfigured woman who turns to selling phone sex in order to satisfy some of her most erotic fantasies. Blessed with a silky voice, a kinky wit, and the ability to construct erotic portraits through words, she lulls men into her fantasies and builds a colorful clientele base as a phone sex worker. Bertha’s distinctive voice allows her to escape the bonds of her physical limitations. But intimate attachments can be formed in many ways, even through a phone line, and to her horror anonymous sex is not always anonymous. Her sumptuous voice and phone skills are so captivating that two of her clients become obsessed with meeting her in the flesh. They both relentlessly track her down — one seeking her love, the other seeking her life.

Author JavaNoir

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Top-Selling Mysteries in 2009

November 1, 2009

The bestselling mysteries featuring African American characters or by African Americans for 2009 (as of 11/1/2009).

I, Alex Cross by James Patterson
(Little, Brown and Company, 11/16/09, Hardcover)

You can’t runDetective Alex Cross is pulled out of a family celebration and given the awful news that a beloved relative has been found brutally murdered. Alex vows to hunt down the killer, and soon learns that she was mixed up in one of Washington’s wildest scenes. And she was not this killer’s only victim.You can’t hideThe hunt for her murderer leads Alex and his girlfriend, Detective Brianna Stone, to a place where every fantasy is possible, if you have the credentials to get in. Alex and Bree are soon facing down some very important, very protected, very dangerous people in levels of society where only one thing is certain–they will do anything to keep their secrets safe. Alex Cross is your only hope to stay aliveAs Alex closes in on the killer, he discovers evidence that points to the unimaginable–a revelation that could rock the entire world. With the unstoppable action, unforeseeable twists, and edge-of-your-seat suspense that only a James Patterson thriller delivers, I, Alex Cross is the master of suspense at his sharpest and best.