Liar's Game

The women Vince Browne meets in Los Angeles all seem to want rich men, gorgeous brothers, men without pasts. After watching yet another romantic prospect walk away, he decides to be less than honest with the next beautiful woman he meets: "I played the role and hid from my memories, told Dana I was a black man working hard every day, as single as a dollar bill, no kids, no ex-wives, no problems. With every word I dug my hole deeper." Of course, Dana has a few secrets of her own, but her chemistry with Vince convinces her she that can just start over without sharing such details. When this new couple's self-protective lies begin to unravel, they have to decide whether they even like each other--let alone how to overcome their hurt. One night in Vince's apartment, after learning about his divorce, Dana jumps up to dial *69 after someone calls and hangs up.

That was the first time she'd done that to me. There was a difference in her. In us. A hardness that comes when trust has thinned. Both of us had flipped, become the other side of a dented coin. Some sort of smile was on her face, but traces of her history were in her eyes.

Eric Jerome Dickey's devoted readers won't be disappointed with Liar's Game. As in Cheaters and Milk in My Coffee, his easy, conversational style, his humor, his well-rounded characters, and his sexy plot twists will keep the pages turning. He is one of very few writers presenting diverse, realistic images of middle-class African Americans with everyday concerns about jobs and education, finding and keeping love, raising responsible children, and staying alive in the city. --Regina Marler