What a Woman's Gotta Do [Mass Market Paperback]

Evelyn Coleman (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 13, 1999

Trying to find out why her man did her wrong and who did him in, this woman isn't waiting to exhale--she's ready to fight back.

Patricia Conley considers herself to be a brother's worst nightmare. A lifetime of hurt has made her fierce. A lifetime of victories has made her proud. And a whole lot of hope keeps her going. Now Patricia's most daring stab at happiness has come up bad: The man she was supposed to marry has stood her up. Last seen holding hands with another woman, Kenneth Lawson has vanished.

Still reeling from Kenneth's disappearance, Patricia is stunned by a series of macabre discoveries. Her car is found bathed in blood. A woman is found dead. And another too-good-to-be-true brother is offering his services. Suddenly the tough-talking Atlanta journalist doesn't know who to trust. Because in a collision of murder, religion, love, and race, Patricia has learned some extraordinary secrets--some about Kenneth Lawson, a few about herself, and one that the whole world needs to know....

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

A journalist risks life and limb?and heartbreak?as she investigates the disappearance of her fiance in this assured thriller from first-time novelist Coleman. After Kenneth Lawson deserts African American Atlanta journalist Patricia Conley on their wedding day, she finds clues that suggest he may not have had a choice. Lawson had claimed to be a professor between positions, but the note and rare diamond ring he leaves for her indicate that his life was far more complex. So do the bloodstains in the car that took him out of her life. A fiercely self-reliant, recovering alcoholic who protects herself with a rough and ready wit, Conley gradually unearths a transcontinental genetic engineering conspiracy behind Lawson's disappearance, learns to trust again and, along the way, meditates on what it means to be a successful black woman today. Although Coleman occasionally bogs down in scientific detail, her inventive, funny debut makes it clear that she knows how to keep the pages turning. Author tour.
Copyright 1998 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Eugenics and race relationships in the U.S. are the centerpieces of Coleman's novel. Her heroine is a smart, sassy black newspaper reporter, an orphan who doesn't trust anybody--including the man she's about to marry. When Patricia Conley thinks she sees him holding hands with another woman, after having apparently stood her up at the altar, she launches an investigation that eventually leads her to discover the spirituality and genetic foresight of an ancient African people. Along the way, Patricia meets a fascinating cast of characters, including scientists, spiritualists, computer hackers, misogynists, and racist villains. She also meets a handsome investigator whose help she shuns. Her natural distrust has her suspecting he is not what he seems to be, all the while she's falling in love. Through her investigation, Patricia discovers that she is not as alone and unloved as she had always thought. Using her skills as a journalist, Coleman provides vivid detail and suspense in her thriller, a first adult novel by this award-winning author of six children's books. Vanessa Bush --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Dell (July 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440235006
• ISBN-13: 978-0440235002
• Product Dimensions: 4 x 0.8 x 7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (65 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,182,826 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A roller coaster of suspense, love, and history, April 2, 2001

By 

Candace "ccottrel" (Valey Stream, NY United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: What a Woman's Gotta Do (Mass Market Paperback)

I have to give hats off to Evelyn Coleman. I honstly can't say I've ever read a book quite like this one. She gives the readers all the elements they could ask for: a classic Whodunnit, a history lesson, and a love lesson so deep it brought tears to my eyes. Give this one a try.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars "FAST FOOD" READING, December 21, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: What a Woman's Gotta Do (Mass Market Paperback)

I would not recommend this book to any serious reader of thrillers/mysteries, or fiction. First, the subplot is much more interesting than the main plot. Further, the main character, Patricia Conley, is the least interesting and most unsympathetic (and pathetic) character in the story. In fact, this character is annoying. Throughout the book, she refers to her fiancee by both his first and last name. Who does that? In addition, the character makes sweeping statements that are unfounded and untrue. For example, Patricia Conley analogizes what she states to be black folks' universal disavowal of slavery with the guilt felt by rape victims! Ugh! Needless to say, the book was painful to read; but I stuck with it, only to be further disappointed with the book's final plot twist. The book would have been much better if the final plot twist had been left out. It was only until I read the final pages that I thought reading the book may have been a total waste of time.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars ZZZzzzzz, December 27, 2002

By 

"scmack" (Bridgeport, CT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: What a Woman's Gotta Do (Mass Market Paperback)

Since I have a rule of finishing every book that I start, I could not wait to finish reading this book because it was BORING and I desperately wanted to start reading something else. Besides the book being completely unrealistic, the main character Patricia Conley was unlikeable because she did one idiotic thing after another. I would only suggest this book to an insomniac; maybe it would help them get some sleep.