Product info

<p/><br></br><p><b> Book Synopsis </b></p></br></br><p><b>A new, gritty, powerful tale from Solomon Jones</b>--<b>the critically acclaimed and bestselling author of <i>Ride or Die</i> and <i>The Bridge</i></b>--<b>the first book in an unforgettable series.</b> <p/>Karima Cream Thomas is an ex-convict from an upper-crust family whose only crime was falling for a drug dealer and refusing to testify against him. Sexy, intelligent, street-smart, and determined to change after serving time in the municipal prison system, Karima returns to find that her ex, Duane Faison, wants her back. And for one passion-filled night, she considers it. But with dawn comes common sense and the realization that she must make a clean break from her past. To do that, she'll need something she's never had to ask for: help. And she knows only one person with the power to give it. <p/> Marilyn Johnson has fought to make it in the rough-and-tumble world of Philadelphia politics. After ten years on the City Council, she's finally made it to the president's seat, but she's had to forge some questionable alliances to make it there, including her long-running affair with the married mayor. When Karima asks for help in finding a job, Marilyn is caught off guard. Her niece's criminal record is one of the many secrets she has hidden from the public, but seeing an opportunity, crafty Marilyn hatches a plan to get rid of Karima once and for all. <p/>The mayor is murdered in cold blood and Marilyn is sworn into office, bringing Karima's criminal past to light. She is quickly the prime suspect in the murder investigation, and in order to save her own name and get to the bottom of the story, Karima must return to the streets.</p><p/><br></br><p><b> Review Quotes </b></p></br></br><br>Praise for Solomon Jones<BR>"Ride or Die"<BR>"Like Jones's previous novels, "Ride or Die" finds heart and soul in bleak surroundings."<BR>--"Philadelphia"" Weekly" <BR>"Solomon Jones is the real deal. With page-turning plots and lifelike characters, he takes you beyond the ink and deep into the story."<BR>--K'wan, bestselling author of "Street Dreams, Hoodlum, "and "Eve" <BR>"In "Pipe Dream" and "The Bridge," Solomon Jones proved himself a vivid storyteller and an adept craftsman. In his latest effort, the adrenaline-fueled "Ride or Die," he infuses the action with enough pathos and heart to set a new standard. This is a fast-paced, beautifully compelling love story rendered against the gritty, urban backdrop of the best noir."<BR>--Nichelle D. Tramble, author of" The Last King "and" The Dying Ground" <BR>""Ride or Die" is a scorching roller-coaster ride through the intestines of Philly. Solomon Jones masterfully constructs a world where no one is what they seem."<BR>--Y. Blak Moore, author of" The Apostles"<BR>" "<BR>"The Bridge"<BR>"Jones tells his tale with confidence and a staccato style that heightens the melodrama. And in Kenya, he creates a character who remains vivid when she's off the page. . . . "The Bridge" never fails to engage us."<BR>--"The ""Boston"" Globe" <BR>"Jones, whose first book, "Pipe Dream," was hailed as a promising debut, shows more of that promise in "The Bridge." . . . A powerful, painful look at and inside the world of heroin."<BR>--"Philadelphia"" Inquirer" <BR>"Passionately unsparing as before in its portrayal of a subculture in despair."<BR>--"Kirkus Reviews" <BR>"Pipe Dream"<BR>"In his first novel, Solomon Jones shows that for a black piper inPhiladelphia, not getting killed by the cops can be harder to pull off than not getting killed by crack."<BR>--"The New York Times Book Review" <BR>"Gripping tale of dope, murder and self-worth . . . a narrative style that's reminiscent of Donald Goines."<BR>--"The Source"<BR><br><p/><br></br><p><b> About the Author </b></p></br></br><p><b>Solomon Jones</b> is the<i> Essence</i> bestselling author of the critically acclaimed novels <i>The Bridge</i>, <i>Ride or Die, </i>and <i>Pipe Dream, </i> and the short story collection <i>Keeping Up With The Jones.</i> He is a spoken-word artist whose debut CD is titled <i>Wisdom, </i>and a veteran journalist whose work has been published in <i>Newsday</i>, <i>The Philadelphia Inquirer</i>, and the <i>Philadelphia Weekly</i>. Jones teaches creative writing at Temple University and serves on the board of the Philadelphia Committee to End Homelessness. He lives in Philadelphia with his family, and is currently at work on his next novel.

Price History