Book picks similar to
In Too Deep by Dwayne S. Joseph


african-american
fiction
black-expressions
book-shelf

Daddy's House


Azárel - 2007
    When Candice finds out that no one is capable of saving her from the wrath of the ruthless family she is scheduled to testify against she finds herself on the run. With nowhere to hide, she ends up fleeing to New York City where she is introduced to Daddy who owns a house where little girls are doing big things. Candice soon realizes that the street life she left behind is nothing compared to what goes on at Daddy's House. Between doing what it takes to survive and hiding her identity, Candice conquers one pitfall after another. Soon, all things come to an end when she goes toe-to-toe with the vicious woman who has the ability to put her six feet under, or sell her to the highest bidder.

Spoiled Rotten


Brandi Johnson - 2008
    She thought she was better than everybody, or rather you thought it. But remember the day you found out that she lived in the projects/ghetto/hood just like everybody else? You were shocked, and now less envious of her, knowing she came from exactly where you did. Well, Trouble is that chick! Spoiled rotten by her brother, who has a complex occupation, and her boyfriend, the star B-ball player at their high school being sought after by colleges across the map who don't mind lacing him with SUVs and putting money in his pocket to sway him towards attending their university to play ball--Trouble seems to have it all. And what she doesn't have, she manages to get. But unlike some of the chicks in these other street lit tales; she doesn't have to use her body to get things. She uses the ghetto diva attitude that makes people believe she deserves the best and therefore they do back flips trying to provide. This urban novel has a completely different twist than any other written thus far. In Trouble's journey, she loses her brother, who she is closer to than bark on a tree, and feels as though it's the end of the world. But when she finds out that the person who murdered him had once tried to get with her, a huge scheme comes to mind in order for her to seek revenge. She pretends to like her brother's killer in order to get him right where she wants him, but her plan backfires when something happens that she never saw coming. She falls in love with her brother's killer.

Trap Commandments: Intention


K.C. Mills - 2020
    A thing intended; an aim or plan· A goal, purpose or plan is your intentionNever underestimate the power of the streets! There are those that live by the commandments that govern them and those who don’t. Keep your friends close and your enemies closer. The hustle never stops so be prepared to execute with the skill of a warrior, a STREET warrior!

Khiaere & Phy: A Charleston Love Story


Mel Dau - 2018
    He has the success portion mastered through hard work, education, street smarts and straight hustle. After hitting a massive roadblock with his girlfriend, Gina, he is forced to get off the highway to travel a different route. Will that route lead him to a love that's as sweet as Pie? Phy (Pronounced Pie) Washington who is of no relation to Khiaere has made the decision to move back home to be close to her mom. This is a move she didn't want to make, but it was necessary. A late-night run in with an old college friend may be just the motivation she needs to make the decision to actually enjoy her new life in Mount Pleasant, SC. Will this reconnection be the answer to her lonely heart, or the cause of a murder charge? Trell Smith is a man about his business. If it doesn't make dollars then it won’t make sense. Period. With no room for females because they can’t be trusted, there is an ice box where his heart used to be. Will someone be able to melt that ice and get the most vital organ pumping to the tunes of love? What does he do when love catches him off guard? Will he fight love like a G or surrender like a man? Tae Laing is the hottest interior designer on this side of the Mason Dixon Line. She steps out on faith and decides to move to Charleston, SC to start her on design firm and be close to her best friend. She’s not looking for love or commitment. With a traumatic past, love is all she ever wanted, but is she worthy? What do you do when love comes rudely knocking at your door and you didn’t send for it? Will an unacquainted love bring happiness in the lives of people who are unsure of what love is? Will the block that hinder win the battle, or will love flow victoriously? Will outside elements threaten what they may build, or will all threats be eliminated? Find out in this Charleston Love Story.

Crazy Summer


Cole Hart - 2012
    Growing up in a notorious South Augusta neighborhood called Barton Village, infested with goons and heavy weight drug dealers. Summer made it her business to get in where she fitted, using her well-shaped body and looks to get her where she wanted to be. Regardless if it was male or female, Summer was taking all invitations and wasn't turning nothing down but her collar.Highly motivated by the streets and the material life that came with it, Summer becomes a mother of twins at sixteen and a mother of four before she's twenty. Soon tragedy strikes for Summer and she looses her first real love along with her dear brother and furthermore she looses her mind. That's if you let the public tell it.As she picks up the ball where her brother and baby daddy fumble she begins to evolve into one of the most treacherous women that the city of Augusta would see. After being released from a women federal prison. Summer is back and she feels that the world owes her. With a new mind frame and ambition out the roof, Summer is heartless and ruthless towards any and everyone. The Pawns are set in place but when she make one wrong move all hell breaks loose.Crazy Summer is a captivating tale that's written from the imagination of Cole Hart with strong dialect and believable characters that'll keep you on your toes from the first page to the last one.

Swamp Man


Donald Goines - 1974
    George Jackson, "Swamp Man," was born and bred in Mississippi as a gentle young man who turned deadly after he saw what four hill boys did to his sister.

Contagious


Quentin Carter - 2007
    Tired of dealing with the same naïve women day after day, Maurice searches for the one female who can match his wit. Nekole Mitchell is a scheming hood wench who slithers her way into Maurice s life, spreading her sweet but deadly venom amongst Maurice s circle of friends. What begins as a game for Maurice turns into a Contagious cycle of lust, disgust ... and murder, when everyone becomes a victim of their own stratagem.

On Us


Nina. - 2020
    Her sister Ivy, who she loved more than anyone in the world and Vant who had taken care of her like she was his own blood, told her for years Ky was no good. Their relationship didn’t start ideally, but the love she had for him began long before they became public to the world. What was once a fairytale turned into a nightmare, and Avery felt like it was karma. She didn’t have any business being with Ky then, and the torment she had been put through showed they weren’t meant to be together presently.Lake Porter, a man who dedicated his life to taking care of his brothers and living by his father’s word, finally catches up to the feelings he tried so hard to fight. Love wasn’t in the cards for him, and he had come to terms with that until a prissy, sometimes crazy, vibrant woman, shows him that he isn’t so cold and his heart did pump. She isn’t fazed by his mean persona and deadly dark eyes. Lake out of his comfort zone, and in the presence of a woman so alluring with energy so contagious, finds himself at the end of a bullet from the love gun. He quickly finds out that being with the woman of his choosing comes with baggage that he doesn’t mind carrying. But will Lake be able to break her from the curse that is his sworn enemy?

Phresh & Nykee: Loving You Past The Pain


Bianca - 2018
    Being a librarian and a self-made entrepreneur is what she lives for. Her parents and boyfriend Roland of four years however, aren’t as supportive of her dreams. When Roland does the unthinkable, Nykee is left with just the clothes on her back and is forced into a dilemma that her feisty mouth and alluring looks can’t save her from. Handsome and business-savvy Cuban native, Thiago ‘Phresh’ Avila, 30, is focused on one thing only: making money. In a bind with one of the biggest Cartels, he and his brother Santino are grinding hand over fist to clear their family's name. When Nykee runs into Phresh, he willingly offers help in exchange for her to keep quiet about a secret she that she becomes privy of. Though Phresh and Nykee cross paths by accident, their attraction to one another is undeniable, and their chemistry is off the Richter scale. What was meant to be strictly business turns into much more and they find themselves almost completely open for one another. They’ll both soon learn that being too nice comes with sacrifices neither of them are willing or ready to hand over.

Teflon Mafia


Drusilla Mars - 2013
    Money. Murder- and not in that order. Tiffany and Messiah are the owners of Teflon Mafia, a company that specializes in capital murder. What's the outcome when the two owners mix business with pleasure-ALL the time? Check out the growth of the company when the Mafia has to deal with trained killers, past lovers, and heartwrenching secrets. Buckle your seat belts for this emotional roller coaster. It's a murderous tale you don't want to miss out on! A heart gripping page turner that is sure to have you on the edge of your seat.

The Sisters of Theta Phi Kappa


Kayla Perrin - 2001
    Now, ten years later, they seem to have it all. Jessica is in the limelight, a TV personality whose star is on the rise. Ellie is an optimist, happily engaged in the quest for love. Shereen is a stunning and powerful executive, and Yolanda, the strong-willed leader of the group, has defied her roots to capture her vision of the American dream. But years before, these four women banded together to keep a devastating secret-and now, ten years later, someone will do anything to see the secret brought to light. None of them anticipated the consequences of keeping the secret-and now, someone is trying to shatter all their lives. Intense, powerful, page-turning, and emotional, The Sisters of Theta Phi Kappa will keep you guessing and will make you think about the depths of friendship, the price of loyalty, and the bonds of sisterhood.

Married but Still Looking


Travis Hunter - 2002
    He’s a good-looking, smooth-talking former pro-basketball player, but he has a problem: He has never been satisfied with just one woman. Then he meets Terri and everything changes. Sort of.Genesis knows that Terri is perfect for him, and they become engaged. But Genesis just can’t seem to stop cheating on Terri nearly every chance he gets. Genesis’s best friend, Prodigy, constantly warns him that he’s going to mess up the best thing ever to happen to him, but Genesis is not ready to listen.After dealing with a family crisis, Genesis realizes the importance of his relationship with Terri, and he begins to change his cheating ways. He knows that once he says, “I do,” everything will fall into place. But it may be too late, because one of his past indiscretions comes back to haunt him, and Terri has a few surprises of her own for Genesis.

A Dollar and a Dream


Carl Weber - 2003
    Reprint.

Harlem Heat


50 Cent - 2007
    She was also a mom at fourteen years old, and did what she had to do to raise her daughter, Chyna. Now Chyna's all grown up, a stunningly beautiful exotic dancer with a baby girl of her own, while super-sexy Roxy is at the height of her power running Harlem Heat, a gun-trafficking ring. It's a lucrative life- style some would do anything to have. And when former drug kingpin Panama Pete returns to the hood after serving fifteen years in prison, a spiral of violence traps Roxy and Chyna and has them running from the law - and running for their lives.

Ride or Die


Solomon Jones - 2004
    Handsome, ambitious Jamal-a street-savvy crack dealer-is the son of North Philly's most notorious drug kingpin. A history of violence and betrayal lies between their fathers, who are now bitter enemies. After one of his church members is gunned down-with a bullet he is sure is meant for him-Pastor Anderson goes after Frank Nichols, determined to drive him from the neighborhood for good. There's just one problem: Keisha and Jamal are in love.When the families face off on opposite sides of an anti-drug demonstration, a high-ranking police official is killed in the crossfire, and Jamal becomes the prime suspect in the murder. Keisha is left with a choice. Will she stay with her father, in the confines of the sheltered world she's known, or will she venture into the unknown in order to help Jamal clear his name? She chooses Jamal, and in a whirlwind flight across the seamy underside of Philadelphia, Keisha will risk everything for love. Even her life.