C.R.E.A.M.
Solomon Jones
St. Martin's, Jul 2006, $19.95
ISBN: 0312348371

After spending six months in jail because she could not turn on her boyfriend drug dealer Duane Faison, Karima Thomas is freed only to find her lover waiting for her. They return to his place where they make love and she pleads with him to give up the streets. He refuses so she walks out on him. She goes to the head of the City Council, her Aunt Marilyn to ask her to help her obtain a job. Her aunt sends Karima to the mayor asking he assist her niece.

Karima AKA C.R.E.A.M. does not know that her aunt hates her and is setting her up to take a fall. When Karima is alone with the mayor in his office, he comes on to her, but someone shoots him before anything happens. Karima escapes out the window, assuming that people will conclude she killed the mayor. She goes to Duane for help. Duane, who is connected with several murders, agrees to help her starting with determining who wanted the mayor dead before the cops prove Karima did it.

Solomon Jones provides a vivid disturbing picture of Philadelphia politics filled with leaders who make Faust look like an angel as they would sell themselves in a heartbeat or sell someone out like Karima even faster. Karima's crime is falling in love with the wrong man and though she knows she must she finds it difficult to breakaway from her beloved, a killer and drug dealer who shows passion when it comes to Karima. Readers will appreciate this combo street-politico crime caper that rises towards the C.R.E.A.M. of the crop.

Harriet Klausner