Ride or Die

August 23, 2004
Philadelphia Weekly
columnist Jones's lively second novel (after The Bridge
) is a classic tale of a doomed relationship between bad boy Jamal Nichols, the son of a North Philadelphia drug lord, and a beautiful, restless preacher's daughter who is achingly "attracted to the dark side." When Keisha Anderson is nearly raped by an unknown assailant, her father, Rev. John Anderson, takes it upon himself to confront drug kingpin Frank Nichols. John and Frank grew up together, but there's bad blood between them. Years ago, John's drug-dealing father was mysteriously murdered, and Frank took over his business, betraying John, who has his own sins to atone for. A rally outside Frank's bar, led by angry Reverend John, quickly becomes a riot, and a rooftop sniper kills the police commissioner. Jamal, after being tentatively identified by police as the shooter, flees with lovestruck Keisha in tow, but the real murderer, ex-convict Ishmael Carter, is still on the loose. The law closes in and Reverend John's misdeeds catch up to him just as love-struck Jamal and Keisha sneak off to Jamaica. Will love really conquer all? While Jones's soap opera prose wallows in the shallow end of the melodramatic pool, his timeless story and some strong action sequences make this a quick, satisfying entertainment. Author tour.