Customer Reviews

The Street Life Series: IS IT RAGS OR RICHES?

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When it comes to a novel from Kevin M. Weeks you know there will be characters we can relate to and situations that seem all too familiar to us in some way. Why? Because he is able to take a piece of us and deliver it in a book that keeps our attention, causes us to choose sides and root for our pick and race from page to page to see what happens next. Three times a charm for this skilled author: great story, exciting dialogue and beautiful cover all come together for a must read.

Some people treat murder as a game, and they take their game seriously. "The Street Life Series: Is it Rags or Riches" is a mystery following Washington D.C. Detective Hanae Troop and Atlanta's Detective Paul Yeomans as they try to find the truth behind the man who is only known by the pseudonym the Paradox. The Paradox and his riddles challenge the detectives as they deal with street gangs, tabloids, and even the very people they work for in trying to find the elusive truth. For mystery lovers, "The Street Life Series" is well worth considering.

This is the third installment in the Street Life Series: Rags or Riches.

Detective Troop has to team up with a reluctant Detective Yeomans to track down serial killer, the Paradox. They have to put their heads together and try to figure out the next move the Paradox is going to make. The FBI becomes involved when they believe that the Paradox has stuck again.

"Rags or Riches" is a unique blend of mystery, drama and suspense. It moves with a quick pace. There are a lot of characters in the story, but that just adds to the drama. In all, a good book. Mr. Weeks is a talented writer and I look forward to seeing what he comes up with next.

Reviewed by: Anna

very compelling book that is a true who done it. the charcters and the pacing of the book will keep you hooked from start to finish. i enjoyed the way it went down and this book was very well written and captured my full attention. a must read and on time.

A very intense novel that will keep you interested for the duration of the tale.
There is a drug related murder in Washington DC and if you are a good mystery solver you might guess that the victim (Teco Jackson) was killed by a serial killer called The Paradox. It seems that some crimes in Atlanta, GA are very much like the Washington DC murder and the FBI wants this fact investigated. Detective Hanae Troop is sent to Atlanta to try and decide if The Paradox is the guilty party. Atlanta Detective Paul Yeomans must accept the help of the Washington DC Detective even though he is not all that happy about it.
Washington newspapers have concluded that Teco was killed by the Paradox and the FBI is anxious to prove that Teco is still among the living. Feeling cheated, the delusional Paradox raises the bar by wrecking the lives of anyone who has started a new life after leaving the Strictly Business drug crew and trying to succeed in a new business. Gail Indigo Que, known as GQ, a former Strictly Business drug crew member tries to start a legal clothing business and make legitimate riches from rags. The Paradox wants to spoil her new career and pull her back into the drug trade. The law inforcement team looking for The Paradox gets the assistance of a bodyguard (Teco) to watch over GQ even though she is> determined to start up her new business against all odds.
This book is very busy. There are many characters to keep up with and sometimes it's a little difficult to keep everyone straight. But, mystery/fiction readers will really like it. There is a lot of actionand edge-of-your chair dialogue. This is the third book in a series called The Street Life Series and I probably would have done better with it had I read the others. They are on my list now. I did enjoy the book and found myself pulling for the people who were trying to better their lives. I will be watching for the next one. I read a book some time ago called The Road to Perdition by Max Allen Collins. This reminds me of that one. However, that was set up as a Graphic Novel paperback and had illustrations much like a comic book. But, a movie was made from it so maybe the movie companies will take a look at Mr. Weeks' books. I hope so.
The author, Kevin M. Weeks, has received many awards including a 2009 African-American Pavilion at BookExpo America Urban Books Series award, 2008 London Book Festival award and 2007 New York Book Festival award. The book proceeds benefit the Stay Off The Streets Fund, a youth charity that aids teens who are no longer able to live in foster care.