Amazon.com (ISBN 0451194071, Paperback)

After a brief detour to New York City for Milk in My Coffee, Eric Jerome Dickey returns to Southern California for his fourth multi-track African American love story. The main story is a "he said, she said" affair between Stephan Mitchell, a well-to-do young software designer who's determined not to let any one woman get in the way of his good time, and Chanté Marie Ellis, who's decided to start turning the tables on men who try to play her for a fool. From now on, she declares, "A dog gets what a dog gets... dogged." Dickey makes their road to romance extremely rocky; in addition to sorting out their own feelings for each other, both Stephan and Chanté have to contend with exes who have just gotten out of their lives. Meanwhile, Stephan's best friend, Darnell, is having problems with his marriage: he wants to be a writer, but his wife insists that he put aside the "hobby" to pay more attention to her. When he meets Chanté's friend Tammy, an up-and-coming actress-singer who not only understands Darnell's artistic passion but encourages him, his commitment to marital fidelity is pushed to the limit.

As always, Dickey shows that he's on top of the current scene, peppering his characters' lives with the latest in black fashion and culture (if you ever find yourself driving in the Los Angeles area, you'll know exactly what your radio presets should be). Although the ending might be a little too neatly wrapped up, you'll never know before you get there whether the next chapter's going to contain romance, comedy, heartache--or maybe a little of each. Dickey's at the top of his form in Cheaters, establishing yet another credential for his status at the top of the contemporary urban romance heap. --Ron Hogan