April 15, 2019
Ellis' Branch Avenue Boys series continues, following In These Streets (2018), with the story of Derrick, Ricky, and Jamal, who have each been marked by their connection to D.C. kingpin Dolla Dolla. After the raid on his restaurant and nightclub, Ricky decides to work as an informant for the police in their investigation of Dolla while surreptitiously tracking down the girl who stole his heart before she turned on him and fled the city. Meanwhile, Derrick, who runs the Branch Avenue Boys Institute, is desperately trying to save his relationship, while shoving aside his romantic feelings for a colleague; trouble escalates when one of his students is caught hiding money and drugs for Dolla's gang. Even Jamal, deputy mayor for the corrupt Mayor Johnson, finds himself tangled up with the deadly crime boss who has Johnson on his payroll. Each man faces a difficult choice: give Dolla what he wants or fight back and risk losing everything. High drama and well-crafted dialogue keep the pages turning in this unique series, which melds urban fiction with romantic suspense.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)