Any way the wind blows : a novel /

The "down low," or some black men's reluctance to admit homosexuality, is the subject of Harris' latest novel, as he takes up the life and times of John Basil Henderson from Not a Day Goes By [BKL Je 1 & 15 00]. Basil is a handsome former athlete, a successful agent for athletes, and a man with a secret he doesn't like to admit even to himself. Seven years ago, he left Broadway star Yancey Braxton, at the altar, confessing to her that he wasn't sure of his sexual orientation. The profitable firm Basil has built with his partners is courting up-and-coming macho athletes, even as the firm is courted in possible buyout deals by larger companies. And Basil maintains a stream of beautiful women--and occasional men on the side--even as he considers starting a family. Then Yancey is back on the scene, this time as Yancey B, a rising recording star with a hit record that takes aim at bisexual male lovers. Yancey's fans and the press want to know if she's singing about a real-life experience. But Yancey has her own secrets to protect as she and Basil engage in a vengeful struggle, each protecting a lucrative career. Bartholomew "Bart" Dunbar, a scheming, homosexual model, is caught in the middle of the ongoing war between Basil and Yancey when a series of coincidences weaves him into their wicked and tortured lives. But there are few innocents in a novel filled with fiendishly devious characters. --Vanessa Bush

John Basil Henderson, retired NFL tight end and self-styled "playa," is one of Harris's favorite characters, having brought his dastardly charm to several of the author's novels. In last year's Not a Day Goes By, Basil finally found a lover as voracious as he, and as lacking in scruples: Broadway diva supreme Yancey Harrington Braxton. Their turbulent affair ended, spectacularly, when Basil left Yancey at the altar. This conflicted, not entirely lovable pair returns in Harris's latest urban romance. After Basil's very public jilting, Yancey set out for Los Angeles to pursue her dream of pop stardom. She returns to New York as Motown chanteuse Yancey B, ready to shoot the video for her first single. Still in Manhattan, Basil has turned football fame into a successful career as a sports agent. Far more principled in business than in love, Basil has little respect for the women he beds and even less for the men he sees "on the down low." As Yancey's provocative, autobiographical ballad climbs the charts, she and Basil are reluctantly reunited in a tangle of sex, suspense and scandalous secrets. The obsessive scheming of waiter/model/actor Bart Dunbar adds another layer of intrigue to this already outsized tale. By building his novel around three protagonists who are mostly lacking in moral sense, Harris takes the chance that readers will not be able to sympathize with them or appreciate their outrageous exploits. But the author gives each of his characters an externalized conscience in the form of a generous, loving, honorable best friend. By adding this human dimension to his main characters, Harris makes it a little easier for readers to enjoy his sassy contemporary melodrama. (On-sale: July 10) Forecast: Not a Day Goes By was a vigorous bestseller, and this more-of-the-same sequel should match its performance. (c) Copyright PWxyz, LLC. All rights reserved

Harris brings back a mix of characters from his previous best sellers, focusing on John Basil Henderson, who's glad to break the hearts of both women and men. When Basil finds his life swinging out of control, he wonders whether former fianc‚e Yancey and her bombshell mom, Ava, are after him again. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.