Book Review "Queen Pin"

 Queen Pin by Jemeker Thompson-Hairston and David Ritz

Reviewed by A. Jarrell Hayes

In life, people are what they do. The way a person can change who they are is to change what they do. Not just career-wise, but in their actions and thoughts.

In Jemeker Thompson-Hairston’s memoir Queen Pin (written with David Ritz), the reader is taken through Jemeker’s change from drug dealer to Christian evangelist. The earliest scene is of Jemeker and her family being evicted when she’s eight, and how she moves from Los Angeles, California to the Deep South to live with her grandmother. In the Mississippi, Jemeker is shown the value of family loyalty, and that violence can solve problems with and instill obedience in other people. From one of her aunts, Jemeker is exposed to “the Game” – the one boys and girls play with one another – and how to “play” men while they think they are playing her.

Jemeker uses those lessons to get what she wants: men, money, clothes; anything. Throughout the book, she is shown as a fiercely determined and loyal person; emotional at times, which is at odds with her cold and calculating exterior.

Jemeker returns to L.A. as a teenager, where she falls in love with and marries Daff, a weed dealer. They have a child together, and work on building their drug empire. Under Jemeker’s suggestion, the two expand their territory and start selling cocaine.

Eventually Jemeker’s life is drastically changed for the worse. She falls deeper into her addiction for money, expensive clothes and jewelry, and the fast-paced life of a dealer. Even after establishing a successful and legitimate business – an excuse to get out the drug game – Jemeker didn’t let go. She becomes a hollow shell; the love for her child wasn’t enough to have her give up the men and money she enjoyed – she has her son stay with her mother while she spends time in other states building her empire.

She takes a chance to see her son during his sixth grade graduation ceremony, and is arrested by the FBI in front of him. Jemeker is sentenced to fifteen years in prison. She’s a woman used to being in control, and getting acclimated to the lock-down and dehumanizing routine of prison takes time for her to learn. She soon learns to do her time, and she grows closer to God, and comes closer to finding the peace and compassion she’s searched for in her life.

Queen Pin is written in a clear and concise manner, excellent in its non-flashy prose. And, honestly, it doesn’t need to be flashy; the story itself is compelling enough. For anybody who enjoys reading urban literature novels about drug dealers, this is the book for you: a real-life story of a woman finding redemption from her life of crime.

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Book Review: "Dutch II" by Teri Woods

 Dutch II: Angel's Revenge by Teri Woods

Reviewed by A. Jarrell Hayes

Throughout history, charismatic, powerful, and ruthless men have built empires only to have them crumble after being disposed. In-fighting between lieutenants and successors, and opportunistic rivals are the usual suspects for the downfall. It happened to empires built by Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. In Teri Woods’ novel Dutch II: Angel’s Revenge, it happens to Dutch’s street empire.

The book opens with the aftermath of a bloody courtroom shootout between Dutch and his team against the law. The body count starts out high, and the law wants the world to believe Dutch is a member of the fallen. This only escalates the turf war in Newark, NJ, as dealers – major and minor – want control of the streets that were once firmly held in Dutch’s grasp.

Angel and One-eyed Roc, two of Dutch’s generals, are released from prison after serving three years each on life-sentences. When they get out, the streets of Newark are in the power of Roll, a rival drug lord who had snatched control from Dutch’s successor Young World. Angel and One-eyed Roc both plan to rid the streets of Roll, but for different reasons.

Angel plans to wrestle back control of the streets for herself and for Dutch, whom she believes is still alive. As the book’s subtitle implies, Angel is pissed and starts knocking off anyone that had done Dutch wrong, including former friends and rivals.

In prison, One-eyed Roc grew closer to the Islamic faith and changed his mission: he now wants to rid the streets of drugs and depredation. He stopped being One-eyed Roc and became Rahman, militant Muslim using violence and intimidation to push hustlers and pimps off the streets. Eventually, Angel and Rahman find themselves on opposite ends of the battleground.

Unfortunately, the confrontation between Angel and Rahman doesn’t live up to the anticipation built from the constant foreshadowing. The bloody mayhem and body count leading up to the ending confrontation is what makes this book extremely entertaining. There are club massacres, C4 explosions; enough gangland violence to make any police commissioner or district attorney cringe at the murder rate. This is what happens when emperors fall: his subjects scramble to pick up the crumbs.

Dutch barely appears in the book, yet his presence permeates through the pages. His mother has conflicting emotions; she misses her son, not the monster he grew into. His ex-lover Nina struggles with his memory as hints of her past with Dutch begin to cloud her current relationship. The streets look to Dutch’s profile for guidance, and hands reach to grab his gaudy dragon piece, which symbolizes control of the streets.

Woods does an excellent job of keeping the action moving forward with riveting and creative descriptions. There are a couple of heartwarming scenes between Rahman and his family. Woods smoothly injects strong emotional sequences into this world where heartlessness is valued.

There are some passages and sentences where the syntax makes the reading confusing and unclear. Sometimes Woods’ transitions between scenes and points of view are clunky and don’t flow. The overall ending is a letdown featuring coincidences masquerading as surprise twists.


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Operation Shark Attack Nets More Arrests in North Carolina

By Lindell Kay

More than a dozen active-duty military members have been charged with selling drugs on and around Camp Lejeune since September, according to local and federal authorities.
Eight more arrests March 31 - the most recent wave of Operation Shark Attack - came after authorities raided three houses in Pender County, according to information released over the weekend.
Charges in the eight arrests ranged from trafficking cocaine to possession of marijuana, said Surf City Police Chief Mike Halstead.
So far, 182 felony charges have been made against 43 people - 28 civilians and 15 members of the active-duty military. Six arrests for military personnel are still pending. Authorities refused to release the names of the most recent arrestees, citing an ongoing investigation.
Operation Shark Attack was "created to disrupt narcotics distribution in the communities which have a direct affect on Camp Lejeune and Marine Corps Air Station New River," Halstead said.
Shark Attack began in September with the Surf City Police Department, the Holly Ridge Police Department and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service combining forces to conduct controlled drug buys and gather intelligence, said Kevin Marks, a NCIS supervisory special agent.
As the operation progressed, the assistance of several other agencies was required, Halstead said.
The operation grew to include participation from the Jacksonville Police Department, the Pender County Sheriff's Department, the National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, the North Topsail Beach Police Department, the Wilmington Police Department and the 15th Judicial Circuit Drug Enforcement Unit.
So far authorities have seized:
852.71 grams of marijuana,
265 dosage units of Ecstasy,
121 dosage units of prescription medications,
39 grams of crack cocaine,
and 461.7 grams of powdered cocaine.
Law enforcement estimates the combined street value of the drugs to be $81,516.20.
"This operation is a tremendous example of interagency cooperation," Halstead said. "I cannot brag enough on the teamwork displayed by every agency involved. From the military to federal and local law enforcement, every agency had one singular goal: rid our streets of illicit illegal narcotics that affect military, citizens and children alike. We accomplished much, and we plan to keep it that way."