Liar's Game (Hardcover)

by Eric Jerome Dickey (Author)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
The women Vince Browne meets in Los Angeles all seem to want rich men, gorgeous brothers, men without pasts. After watching yet another romantic prospect walk away, he decides to be less than honest with the next beautiful woman he meets: "I played the role and hid from my memories, told Dana I was a black man working hard every day, as single as a dollar bill, no kids, no ex-wives, no problems. With every word I dug my hole deeper." Of course, Dana has a few secrets of her own, but her chemistry with Vince convinces her she that can just start over without sharing such details. When this new couple's self-protective lies begin to unravel, they have to decide whether they even like each other--let alone how to overcome their hurt. One night in Vince's apartment, after learning about his divorce, Dana jumps up to dial *69 after someone calls and hangs up.

That was the first time she'd done that to me. There was a difference in her. In us. A hardness that comes when trust has thinned. Both of us had flipped, become the other side of a dented coin. Some sort of smile was on her face, but traces of her history were in her eyes.

Eric Jerome Dickey's devoted readers won't be disappointed with Liar's Game. As in Cheaters and Milk in My Coffee, his easy, conversational style, his humor, his well-rounded characters, and his sexy plot twists will keep the pages turning. He is one of very few writers presenting diverse, realistic images of middle-class African Americans with everyday concerns about jobs and education, finding and keeping love, raising responsible children, and staying alive in the city. --Regina Marler

From Publishers Weekly
His standard themes of love, betrayal and commitment-phobia in the African-American community are again explored by Dickey in his fifth novel, but this time around a jigger of political consciousness spikes the author's seductive formula. Vincent Calvary Browne Jr., a thoughtful hunk with a baritone voice, is licking his wounds after an extremely painful divorce from a bitter ex-wife who will not let him see his daughter. He is left with little faith in women until he meets Dana Ann Smith, who has come to Los Angeles to escape harsh memories of a failed romance. Wary of intimacy, the two reluctantly forge a relationship, fearing the sudden intrusion of their pasts could destroy their fragile love connection. When Dana's old flame, Claudio, resurfaces, slick, successful and determined to win her back, her tentative affections for Vince are put to the test. Meanwhile, Vince's recollections of his wanton ex tempt him to act out as he plots to see his beloved child. Since this old chestnut of a plot cannot sustain an entire book, Dickey ups the ante by tossing in two subplots. One involves Dana's stripper friend, Gerri, and her philandering husband, Jefferson, who may have impregnated one of the female rap singers he manages, and another focuses on Vince's friend, Womack, who is fearful that his wife is having an affair. As in Dickey's previous popular romances, he creates heroes and heroines who overcome many trials without ever suffering any real defeats. On the plus side are the author's quips on political and cultural issues such as police brutality and justice, custody issues, and cultural conflicts between Africans and African-Americans. 15-city author tour. (July)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 336 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult; First Edition edition (June 26, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525944834
• ISBN-13: 978-0525944836
• Product Dimensions: 8.2 x 5.7 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars See all reviews (251 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #360,654 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

37 of 46 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars An entertaining beach read but not much else..., July 13, 2000

By	AriesPA (Philadelphia, PA USA) - See all my reviews

Eric Jerome Dickey is a gifted writer who is able to capture the reader through both his snappy dialogue and his vivid, memorable characters. His niche is exploring relations between African-American men and women, and it's something that started with "Sister, Sister" and has built up to "Liar's Game." In the acknowledgements of "Liar's Game" the author claims in that he has tried to create an entirely new set of characters. However readers of his previous books will recognize Dana as a thinly disguised version of Chante from "Cheaters", who herself was a thinly disguised version of Shelby from "Friends and Lovers." All three women are self-centered, extremely unlikable women whose behavior at best is bizarre, and at worst is psychotic. Seeing this type of character in one book was fine, two books was irritating, but now three books is outrageous. The only purpose this character seems to serve is to shore up the theory that a good black man can't catch a break no matter how hard he tries. Unfortunately, Vince, the male character in "Liar's Game" only comes across as weak and indecisive. His and Dana's relationship is full of drama, and even given an author's flair for exaggeration, their decision to stay together is not at all convincing, as they say and do some terrible things to each other.

However, this book is a fast read and is entertaining in parts. The reader does come to care about the outcome and is eager to see how things turn out. However, for his next book, the author might want to serious think about getting out of the good-black-man-witchy-black-woman rut he's created for himself.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not as good as the others, but okay, July 19, 2000

By A Customer

I was glued to this book and read in over the course of two days, but I think it was because I was waiting for it to get better. I wasn't satified with the Malaika/Kwanzaa storyline and didn't really understand the significance of the Juanita/ Naoimi characters. Don't get me wrong, I am a big EJD fan and have read each one of his books. However, this one pales in comparison to his other books. I like that EJD creates male characters that we sympathize with and end up caring about, but can we get a female lead that's not crazy for once? Overall, it was okay at best. Satifying read, but left me wanting for a whole lot more.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A FUNNY AND REALISTIC LOOK AT RELATIONSHIPS OF THE HEART., July 3, 2000

By	"dmc427" (Jamaica, NY USA) - See all my reviews

Eric Jerome Dickey's latest novel is set in Los Angeles and centers around Vince Brown and Dana Smith. The two meet in a bar and decide to keep parts of their pasts hidden. He hides the fact that he has an ex-wife and a child; she hides the fact that she left New York because of her ex who left her tapped out financially not to mention emotionally.

Vince and Dana embark on a relationship that seems destined for the altar. They are chugging along nicely until the truth derails their love train. The big question then becomes will love conquer all? Vince's struggle to see his daughter and Dana's struggle to be rid of her ex leads to a roller coaster ride of emotions.

The book's other characters, along with Mr. Dickey's wit and style produced a book that is a quick read, funny, and will certainly tug at the heart of any reader that has been in a relationship.