SHADES OF JADE

Marissa is a woman firmly in command of her life in this uneven African-American romance: smart, ambitious and beautiful, she's a successful businesswoman. Why subject herself to the daily maintenance of a long-term relationship when married men wine and dine her, provide physical pleasure and give her the attention she needs with no strings attached? She's dating four of them concurrently, in fact—and her friends have always told her that sooner or later she would run into trouble with someone's wife. When she starts receiving threatening phone calls, it seems that someone is indeed out to make her pay. Meanwhile, Marissa quarrels with her soon-to-be-wed best friend, Charmaine, who meddles by trying to set her up with a handsome but unsophisticated contractor named Levi; he finds himself attracted to Marissa despite her headstrong and dismissive manner. Marissa's gay friend Brandon (a cartoonish "hey girl" stereotype who first appears in a "colorful, lavishly embroidered caftan") provides some solace, but is unable to protect her as the threats escalate to violence. Who wants Marissa dead? She begins to examine the choices she has made, but is it too late? The writing is woefully amateurish—as demonstrated by nonstop, inane dialogue and embarrassing armchair psychology ("Interestingly, [Brandon] said he never wanted to be a woman... "). The will-they/won't-they dynamic between Marissa and Levi is obvious from the start, but brisk pacing at least helps to keep this thriller on track to its creepy surprise ending. Agent, Claudia Menza.(June 26)

Forecast:Mallette ( When We Practice to Deceive) built a grassroots following by previously self-publishing this title. Villard's new African-American imprint, Strivers Row, will bring it to a somewhat wider audience with a seven-city author tour.