Product Description

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #44953 in Books
• Published on: 2009-03-17
• Released on: 2009-03-17
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 352 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9780312368852
• Condition: NEW
• Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
• Click here to view our Condition Guide and Shipping Prices

From Booklist
Despite the assumptions associated with his first name, Bishop Fontaine is not an official of the church. He is, however, a successful and influential undertaker, and his death causes a ripple effect. His best friend and partner, Lamar Brown, has always desired Bishop’s daughter, Kristine. With Bishop gone, so is the only roadblock keeping Lamar from pursuing his obsession. Tragically, Lamar’s wife, Rhonda, knows her husband’s intentions. Bishop mentored Cole, who’s up for his second middleweight-boxing championship fight. He warned Cole against his wife, Nora, a sadomasochistic supermodel, and his predictions have come true. Singer Fitzgerald knew Bishop as her sugar daddy, but she is also the object of unrequited love. Mason (This Fire Down in My Soul, 2007; You Gotta Sin to Get Saved, 2008) has become a major name in African American fiction. Her stark portrayals of her characters and their innermost thoughts bring the readers right into the emotional center of the story. Those who enjoy Carl Weber and Eric Jerome Dickey will add Mason to their list of favorites. --Shelley Mosley

Review

About the Author

Customer Reviews

What Lies Beneath
Review by Tavares S. Carney

Author, J.D. Mason, brings readers into the lives of characters Kristine Fontaine, Lamar and Rhonda, Cole and Nora, Rayne, T. Diggs, and Cash. That Devil's No Friend of Mine is a story of a trail of secrets, lies and family ties left behind by a strong-willed man, Bishop Fontaine, with convictions that influenced his family and those he cared for to still be concerned with what he'd think of them and their actions, even after his death.

Upon Bishop's passing, the author weaves a tale with characters whose lives are, unknowingly, intertwined by Bishop Fontaine. Kristine, Bishop's only child, is the heiress to a million-dollar business owned by her father and family-friend, Lamar. Kristine's vulnerability and innocence is tucked away when she finds new life in being able to make her own decisions, as well as come to terms with secrets of the past. Finding new love in Tauris Diggs helps Kristine to process her emotions, deal with her past and face the future. Supporting characters, Cole and Nora, Cash and Rayne add a twist to the story by offering subplots of volatile marriage and drug addiction.

The novel is a relatively fast-read. I did want to know what would happen next. I did close the novel, however, with a sense of not knowing if I was happy with the ending, only because I'd like to know how things turn out for Kristine and T. Diggs, and even moreso, Cole. I would have also liked to have known more about Bishop's character.

Overall, I liked this story. It read well for me.

Review by Tavares S. Carney

The Devil is a Lie
In JD Mason's That Devil's No Friend Of Mine, Bishop Fountain was known to others as a loving father and a great friend. The many people that were connected to him, became linked to each other through his death. Bishop's deeper issues of control and manipulation did not surface until after his demise. Was Bishop really the man that kept them afloat?

His daughter, Kristine, was the only person who felt free after her father's death. This freedom turned Bishop's best friend and partner, Lamar's, life upside down. Lamar thought that he would step into Kristine's life and be the man she needed. As truth of their relationship is exposed, Lamar's wife, Rhonda, realizes how much she ignored over the years. Kristine has different plans and wants absolutely nothing to do with Lamar. She has her eyes set on her sexy contractor, Tauris, who has an itch that just cannot be scratched hard enough for Rayne, a former heroin addict and blues singer. Bishop was the one that helped her to leave drugs alone. Now that he is gone and her old heroin supplier is in town, she needs nothing short of a miracle to keep her away from that "stuff." Bishop's cousin, Cole, looked at him as a mentor. Cole is a World Boxing Champion that channels his anger in the ring. When his wife, Nora, a super model reveals a fetish that pushes him to bring that anger into their marriage, all goes down hill for their life as they knew it.

All of Mason's characters in That Devil's No Friend Of Mine are fascinating. As their connections come together, you begin to see that the common thread for each of them is love. They are each looking for that bond that will validate their existence. They appear to have it all together on the outside, but on the inside they are each falling apart. Their addictions, selfishness, and wanting more drives the plot. Mason did a great job connecting the dots and having all of the characters interact with each other. It was a fun read and I recommend for those that love Mason's work.

Donnica Copeland
APOOO BookClub
Sista Talk Book Club

The Devil Is Busy...
J.D. Mason's latest novel, That Devil's No Friend of Mine, opens at the funeral of Bishop Fountain, a man who was a loving husband, doting father, an idolized mentor, and a good friend to a cast of characters who must deal with his unexpected absence in their lives. Set in modern day suburban Washington, DC, the plot has a "six degrees of separation" undertow in that Bishop's death links and affects the key characters differently with both positive and negative results. Each have their issues, burdens to bear, and more than one harbors secrets and runs from demons.

Bishop's sheltered daughter, Kristine, a 29 year-old "good girl" and victim of an overbearing father, exhales at his funeral, dons a new wardrobe, embraces her sexuality, and finally claims her life as her own. She gets hands-on with her handyman, Tauris; but he has a "love jones" that just will not die for the beautiful songstress Rayne, a recovering heroin addict, who treats him like a boy toy. Rayne's world is turned upside down by the sudden reappearance of her supplier. Her resolve is challenged without Bishop's stern presence to bolster her. Bishop's distant cousin, Cole, a handsome world-renowned prize-fighter, is up against the ropes with his wife, Nora, a super model with a fetish that threatens their marriage and careers. Lamar, Bishop's business partner, also faces marital challenges when his suppressed desires surface with disastrous results.

This is a contemporary fiction novel with a touch of daytime soap opera flair; meaning that although the cast is outwardly beautiful, in perfect physical shape, and unbelievably desirable, they are far from perfect. The flawed characters grapple with their vacillating feelings, selfish needs, and teetering emotions generating the much needed drama to propel the plot. Surprisingly, the story actually conveys clear, concise messages and lessons on honesty, love, and devotion despite the characters' differing views on "love" -- from genuine to psychotic. Sadly, I thought the outcome of each sub-plot scenario yielded predictable and uneventful conclusions. I was left with a few minor questions -- but for this genre, I reminded myself to just take the story for what it is and not think too hard about the minor disconnects. Recommended for fans of the author and those who want a light, quick read -- a perfect novel for Spring Break or Summer Vacation.

Reviewed by Phyllis
APOOO BookClub
March 20, 2009