P. G. County

This is Ms. Brisco's best book in my opinion.Ms. Brisco did an excellent job developing her characters. It was interesting that the things that happened to you in your childhood were some of the very same things that troubled you in your adult life.Barbara and Bradford Bentley were the envy of the neighborhood. They looked like everything was so together on the outside. But, what you see is not what you get.Candice and Jim were a genuinely happy couple until Candice decided to start searching for unknown trouble. Jolene and Patrick were your average couple. Jolene wanted the limelight Patrick didn't. Patrick was a devoted husband and father but Jolene wasn't satisfied she always wanted more. It's amazing how Jolene thought she deserved so much but did so little.This is one of the best books I have read in 2002.If you are interested in a fast read this is the book for you. I read this book in a day and a half.Get this book you won't be disappointed.

I originally bought this book for my wife. I was somewhat curious since I am from P.G. County. I flipped through the first few chapters and I was hooked. I finished it in 3 days. This is the funniest book I have read in a long time. I am originally from Seat Pleasant and lived as an adult near Woodmore/Lake Arbor(Silver Lake). Therefore, it was fun to see places in the book that I am familar with. I didn't appreciate how Seat Pleasant was depicted however. It's not that bad. My favorite character was "all of them as a whole". I esp. liked them because I see each one of the characters not only in P.G. County, but also in counties ajacent to Philadelphia, Atlanta, Houston, Dallas, and Chicago. Affluent afro-americans in these counties I find are very interesting. Just like the characters in the book. I would highly recommend this book!

Welcome to Silver Lake. As you turn into the entrance, you'll need to stop at the gate and speak to the guard. Traveling along the tree-lined main road, you'll pass large, Tudor and Colonial-style homes with flawlessly manicured lawns, tennis courts, and swimming pools.You should meet some of the neighbors. They are a very interesting bunch. On the northern side of Silver Lake, you'll find the Bentley's lavish estate. Barbara is the elegant wife of gorgeous multimillionaire Bradford Bentley. One of those women who seems to have it all, Barbara is struggling to keep from self-medicating the fury within her, caused by her husband's acute philandering.Also in the northern portion of Silver Lake, you will find the large contemporary house that Jolene Brown and her family are building. Jolene, her daughter Juliette, and her husband Patrick live on the southern side of Silver Lake, where the more modest family homes are. Jolene is obsessed with keeping up appearances, but only succeeds in looking cheap. Oh, and she has a slight problem keeping her skirt down when in the presence of rich and powerful men.Next door to the Browns resides Candice Jones and her family. Although they are one of the only families in Silver Lake that is not of color, they have never felt out of place. However, when her daughter, Ashley, tells her of a new romantic interest, Candice becomes concerned. But after a little venture into family history, Candice has a bit of an identity crisis of her own.On the southern edge of Silver Lake are the townhouses, which some residents feel are beneath the exclusive neighborhood. This is where hairstylist Pearl Jackson lives with her son Kenyatta. Pearl owns the local beauty parlor, with clients such as Barbara Bentley and Jolene Brown. She's worked harder than she'd care to mention to make sure her son had a chance when so many young, African-American males do not. That is why she is so disturbed when she meets her son's new love interest, Ashley Jones.And then there's Lee, the streetwise and street weary teen whose search for her father leads her to the gates of Silver Lake.P. G. COUNTY serves the reader a delectable buffet of the struggles and triumphs of Maryland's African-American elite. Connie Briscoe creates several strikingly different families, and shows how their stories intertwine. She breaks them down to the reader to reveal core beliefs and desires that lurk in all of us. But Briscoe doesn't present it in a preachy manner. She hands us a platter and heaps on piles of lust, greed, heartache, love, and money until your plate is heavy with dishy dialogue, lush settings, and scandalous characters.No review or synopsis of this book will prepare you for the wacky, heinous capers of the women of P. G. COUNTY. Just be sure to have on your highest pair of Manolo Blahniks and your sharpest Chanel suit before giving your car to the valet. These women mean business. --- Reviewed by Elisa Kai Smith

P. G. County certainly proved to be a story filled with moredrama. If you are like me and enjoy a drama filled story then this is one you will love. It is a pageturning, fast moving and never a dull moment read, that will make you want more at the end. Each of the women had a story to tell, Barbara, Jolene, Pearl, and Lee. With secrets to be revealed, infidelity at the highest level, and betrayals of the worst kind . This is a story not to be missed. We will be talking about this one for a long time. This would make a great read for a bookclub discussion .I would love to see a sequel,just to see what happens next with the lives on Silver Lake in PG. County. I'll give this one 4.5* Go Connie Briscoe

Excellent! Bravo! Well worth the wait for Connie Briscoe's return. With the introduction of the Bentley's(aptly titled) Jolene, Patrick, Candace(who really added nothing to the story), Lee, and Pearl, we are introduced to P. G. County, an affluent all Black suburb. The characters were lost in status and power measuring themselves against the stick of the Joneses...whose got the biggest Mercedes, the biggest house, and the best husband. It was a fast intriguing ride. This book comes with a guarantee that there is something for everyone in this story. ENJOY!