B
eloved bestselling African-American romance author Tyree delivers the gritty story of a beloved African-American romance author who strays from his comfort zone in order to write a gritty street novel. Author and playboy Shareef Crawford returns to Harlem for a book signing to promote his latest romance and is seduced by quick-witted Cynthia Washington. As Shareef soon finds out, Cynthia is tight with Michael Springfield, a legendary drug dealer serving life without parole. He's ready to tell his life story, and he wants Shareef to write it. The proposition is infectious: Shareef quickly falls back in love with the hustle of Harlem, and he agrees to take on the writing project to tell the true story of the streets. But it's not long before word gets around that Springfield is about to open his mouth, and old school gangsters with an interest in keeping the past quiet set out to keep that story from being told. The pacing is fast and the dialogue snappy, but the street lit staples of violence, betrayal and sex are doled out in smaller doses than readers might expect. Regardless, Tyree's latest should fare well and add to his substantial readership. (July)
