Wicked Ways [Paperback]

Donna Hill (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: December 9, 2008

Tess McDonald has a score to settle. It was she who set into motion a series of events that caused the murders of two adversaries. Tess even turned complete strangers, Kim Sheppard and Nikki Perez, into partners of a deadly crime. With life good now that their nemeses are out of the way, they celebrate. But not for long. On the night that the three women reunite, Tess receives a phone call that has the potential to ruin everything that she has put in place. Vincent, the one man that Tess would have changed her life for, has found her and her cohorts and he knows everything.  She agrees to meet him with the intention of silencing him for good. But Tess is shocked when Vincent asks her to leave with him and put her criminal past behind her. However, Kim and Nikki aren't about to let her go so easily.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Hill's tightly written, satisfying sequel to 2006's Getting Hers finds high-class madam Tess McDonald, chic businesswoman Kimberly Shepherd-Benning and East Harlem car thief Nicole Perez living the high life in Aruba, pleased by the results of their triple murder conspiracy. After Special Agent Vincent Royal tracks down Tess and gets shot for his trouble, Tess has something of a change of heart. Vincent reveals that he wants Tess to leave her Aruba house of sin and settle down with him. Meanwhile, Nicole schemes to replace Tess's possibly untrustworthy assistant, Charrie. Hill's smooth plotting and keen pacing keeps the pages turning as the consequences of opening Pandora's box of revenge are revealed.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

DONNA HILL has more than fifty published titles to her credit, three of which were adapted for television. She has been featured in Essence, The Daily News, USA Today, Today's Black Woman and Black Enterprise, among many others. She lives with her family in Brooklyn, New York, where she writes full-time. Visit her Web site at www.donnahill.com.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Griffin; 1st edition (December 9, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 031238808X
• ISBN-13: 978-0312388089
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #871,333 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

My official writing career began in 1987 when my first short story was published. My first novel, Rooms of the Heart was published in 1990. Since then there have been a slew of books and short stories that I've had published, from romance to women's fiction, chic-lit, erotica and mysteries. I enjoy them all. Three of my novels were adapted for television so that was exciting. I've had the honor of conceptualizing and editing several collections: After the Vows, Midnight Clear, Where There's a Will, Indecent Exposure, and The Hot Spot. I currently write full time and live in Brooklyn, NY with my family.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Your Secret Is Safe With Me (`Cause It's Mine Too!), December 30, 2007

By 

Lena M. Willis "luv2read" (San Francisco Bay Area, CA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wicked Ways (Hardcover)

Picking right up from the 2005 novel Getting Hers, author Donna Hill moves the lives of Tess, Nicole and Kim to the beautiful country of Aruba. Tess relocated her professional escort business and feels obligated to Nicole and Kim, especially since it was her brainchild that led to a tragic ending for one person in each of their lives. But with Kim's business savvy and Nicole's street sense contributing to the success of her business, it all ends up being a win-win for everyone involved.

The perfect end to this turn-of-events does seem to be a little too good to be true, not just to the reader, but to Kim and Nicole as well, especially when Tess disappears and does not return to the villa for days. Tess' protégé, Charrie, seems all too eager to step up to the plate until Tess returns and for her own reasons, places suspicion and doubt of why Tess brought them all to Aruba in the minds of Nicole and Kim. In the meantime, Tess' troubles from New York seem to have followed her to Aruba and while she is tending to them, her allegiance to Kim and Nicole stays intact.

While Wicked Ways is a sequel to Getting Hers, the author did a good job of reminding the reader what may have been missed from that book without taking away or adding unnecessary verbiage to the current novel. Doing so provided an excellent opportunity to get reacquainted with the characters and made it easy to quickly follow the storyline. The twists and turns and the way everything and everyone tied together in the end reminded me of a good soap opera. The characters, although wicked, were likeable. I wanted their lives to turn out well and wanted to see them as successful. The story was a well-told, page-turner that held me until the very end. I recommend Wicked Ways to readers that enjoy a sexy read filled with suspense and intrigue.

Lena Willis
APOOO BookClub

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Twice Is Nice, October 27, 2007

By 

Demetairs Bell "Lover of Literature" (Minneapolis, Mn) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wicked Ways (Hardcover)

It is argued that the sequel never tops the original, well Donna Hill conquers that notion with her latest novel " Wicked Ways ", the sequel to " Getting Hers ". The ladies settle in Aruba to live life to the fullest only to have their plans interrupted when Tess ( The Gangstress ) discovers that her nemesis is hot on her trail. Things get real tense when Kimberly and Nicole devise a plan to get rid of Tess and when someone from Tess' past re-emerges into her life. Hill does a masterful job of weaving suspense, passion, love, vengance and mystery throughout this novel. It has all the elements of a classic novel. Treat yourself to 2 wonderful books, " Getting Hers ", then " Wicked Ways ", a sheer delight!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Running On Empty, November 9, 2007

By 

Urban Reviews "Your Source for the Best in AA... (Online) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: Wicked Ways (Hardcover)

Tess, Kim, and Nikki are back with a whole new set of problems. They are now in Aruba and are about to embark on a whole new life now that their arch enemies are gone for good. But their world may be turned upside down when Tess gets a phone call from Vincent. The problem is that Vincent knows too much and wants Tess to meet him. Tess has come too far to let Vincent ruin a plan that she worked so hard to execute. She will do anything to protect her future...even if it means to get rid of Vincent for good. Meanwhile, Kim and Nikki are becoming increasingly concerned about Tess and where they fit into her plans. They fear a double cross coming on but they won't go down without a fight.

Wicked Ways is a satisfying sequel to Getting Hers by Donna Hill. Hill masterfully continues this unique story about revenge. Readers not only get to find out what happened to Kim and Nikki but you get to learn about a whole new side of Tess that wasn't present in the first book. Hill did a good job of giving us the complete past history of Tess. By giving us this back story, you really see how Tess' past shaped her into the woman that she became. There is also a shocking revelation in this story that will catch some readers off guard. Wicked Ways does well as a stand alone novel but you are encouraged to read Getting Hers to get the full history of these characters. With Wicked Ways, Donna Hill proves that she is still on top of her game.

Reviewed by Radiah Hubbert
for Urban Reviews