Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Murder on the Down Low by Pamela Samuels - Young



REVIEW:
This is not the kind of book I normally read. I'm more of a sci-fi and fantasy kind of girl. To be honest, when I picked up the book with reviewing in mind, I felt a bit of trepidation.

However, I discovered an author, Pamela Samuels Young, who writes a riveting mystery. You see, one reason I generally don't read mysteries is that I get tired of knowing who dunnit before the book ends. Ms. Young did an excellent job of dropping hints of who the criminal was and an even better job of misdirection. The criminal was in plain sight from the beginning and yet wild geese were everywhere.
I really enjoyed the mystery.
More importantly, I learned some imperative information. MURDER ON THE DOWN LOW is based on some horrifying facts of which every woman should be aware.
Imagine for a moment -- You are dating an amazing, gorgeous, wonderful man who by his actions or his inaction kills you. Now go one step further. You have the ability to stop being murdered by very simple steps but you refuse to take those simple steps.
MURDER ON THE DOWN LOW addresses this very real scenario. It's a must read for every modern woman.

EXCERPT:
D r. Quentin Banks was a man's man. The kind of guy other men liked being around. Handsome, but not a pretty boy. Wealthy, but not a showoff. Versatile enough to host a fundraiser one night and chill out with his buddies over a game of dominoes the next. Standing outside Exam Room 5, the doctor scanned the chart of the first patient he was scheduled to see after his lunch meeting. His office suite in the Horton Medical Plaza was tastefully decorated with muted walls and dark slate tile. Colorful prints of jazz musicians lined the long, bright hallway. The place was classy, but not over the top. Just like Dr. Banks. He checked his watch. It was almost eleven-thirty. Time to leave. The doctor closed the chart and dropped it into the plastic casing posted at eye level outside the exam room. He strode into his private office, locked the door, then retrieved a throwaway cell phone from his desk. "I'm about to leave," he said. "The President's Suite, right?" It was always that cut and dry. He was a happily married man who did not have the time or the need for emotional connections. His lunch meetings were all about the sex. The doctor slipped out of his white coat and hung it on a metal rack. Casually but impeccably dressed, he wore a khaki-colored shirt and black slacks made from an expensive linen fabric. The kind that didn't wrinkle much. He was forty-two years old, just shy of six feet, and a hearty 215 pounds. He had the build of an aging ex-football player. Not nearly as lean as in his prime, but thick and firm enough to advertise that he still hit the gym on a regular basis. After telling his office manager that he'd be back by one-thirty, Dr. Banks took an elevator to the parking structure. He eased his black Jag onto Hillcrest Street. At the light, he turned left on Manchester Boulevard and headed for the northbound ramp of the 405 Freeway. Without question, Dr. Banks was one of the best OB/GYNs in Southern California. From the day he had applied to Howard Medical School, he had vowed to return home to Inglewood to set up shop. And despite the sacrifices, he'd kept his word, turning down opportunities that were far more lucrative, in terms of both prestige and compensation. Having a predominantly black and Latino patient base meant keeping late office hours and working one, sometimes two, Saturdays a month. The people he served couldn't afford to take time off from work. Not even for medical care. When he wasn't working, the doctor cherished his family life. Though he now lived just a few miles from his childhood stomping grounds, in many respects it was a world away. View Park was a haven for L.A.'s black elite. Professionals with six and seven-figure salaries who actually liked the idea of having neighbors who looked like them. The doctor's residence spanned five thousand square feet and had a full-length basketball court, a circular swimming pool, and a guesthouse. The Mrs. was a stay-at-home mom who loved her job as wife and mother to their two sons as much as she loved her husband. All in all, life was good.

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