Diamond Life

In this atmospheric follow-up to 2010’s Platinum, entertainment journalist King continues the saga of her hip-hop moguls (and the women who love them) that she started in Platinum. Journalist and celebrity ghostwriter Alex Maxwell, newly married to rapper-on-the-rise Birdie, steps into trouble when Cleo Wright, the subject of Alex’s tell-all book, returns to make more trouble. Meanwhile, Jake, the president of Birdie’s record label, has turned to alcohol to deal with the death of his wife, multiplatinum singer Kipenzi. Also on the label, rapper and recovering addict Z, whose numerous affairs have caused his wife, Beth, much pain, is trying to help their son, Zander, gain a foothold in the industry. And Jamaican singer Ras Bennett and his wife, Josephine, are enjoying their new adopted girl, Reina, when Cleo starts trouble. Major melodrama ensues, including a compellingly complicated romance between Jake and Lily, a woman with a serious secret she may not be able to keep. While the intertwining story lines can tangle, the author’s journalism experience with Vibe, Essence, and other publications lends an authentic air. Readers will enjoy guessing which real-life celebrity dramas might match their fictional counterparts. A solid page-turner. (Feb.)