Set in Los Angels the book opens with Ken Swift an enforcer meeting his adult daughter who was taken to Africa when she was young after her mother remarried. Dealing with past divorce and looking at the current relationships. The author takes you on a ride through Los Angeles. The history of Los Angeles from the different riots to other social trends that have been set aside or moved aside by whomever.
With Jake being blackmailed by his daughter for 50,000 dollars. He and his partner Jake Ellis still have a job to do and enforcing that part will keep them busy for a few days. With constant dialogue, action the story moves along at a good pace. The authors other sub-topics about L.A. for me were good living in the area and either having friends or family go through some of those times, the author does touch on some of the real reason’s tensions were high and also how people have forgotten. Overall a good book from start to finish, there were a few times it dragged for me, a good book.

I've been a fan of EJD for years- Cheaters remains one of my all-time favorite books. I've enjoyed the Gideon series, and have enjoyed his transition from romance type books to international, multicultural type of novels.
Bad Men and Wicked Women was interesting. There were rants- relevant rants, nonetheless, but I just couldn't stay interested in this one. Will I continue to read his books? Most likely. Because I know how good of a writer he is, and how he captures the female voice. But, I gotta admit that this one took me a long while to read.

My official rating is 2.5. This was a history lesson, a rant, and political commentary wrapped around a subpar plot. I enjoyed the lessons and commentary to a degree. It drudged on for the entire book and tired me as I was trying to find the plot. Much of the language was redundant. I was over it all by 30% in.

Many of my fellow book friends raved about 'The Blackbird' and 'Gideon'. Also, I'd heard much praise, over the years, about his books that when I saw he had a new release, I didn't want to miss the opportunity to read it. To my dismay, this book just wasn't for me. I couldn't mesh with the dialogue, but could appreciate the message.

I’ve been an Eric Jerome Dickey fan since the very beginning. He’s written some of my all-time favorite books (“Milk in my Coffee”, “The Other Woman”). Known for his multicultural dramas, in these latest years Dickey has branched out in to crime fiction with, most notably, the Gideon series. Bad Men and Wicked Women marries his earliest relationship dramas with crime in a satisfying stew. This is the story of Ken Swift, a dangerous man who does dangerous things, and his sudden and unwanted relationship with a daughter desperate enough to blackmail him for $50,000. On top of this drama, Swift’s latest “contract” careens out of control, placing him in the crosshairs twice. Dickey is a terrific writer and this is a thrill ride.

Ken Swift is a low level enforcer, is dealing with a plethora of issues, from his daughter, to his ex-wife, to a new woman who has him intrigued, and a few twists in between that give new meaning to the cliche "Murphy's Law".

Despite the slow start, the book ends with the flair that EJD is known for, although some of the violence that ensues may be difficult for those who have sensitivities to that in their fiction. Recommended for those who enjoy an intricate story line.

Thank you to Netgalley for the chance to read this book for a honest review.

Well, this is a rough review for me. I usually enjoy Eric Jerome Dickey books, but this one not so much. I think the story was a little over done. It was a long slow read that probably could have been accomplished with less 100 pages.

This was a story about a hitman, his partner and his past.

At the very beginning of the story I knew the daughter was going to be a mess! She wanted money and a lot of it. She was willing and ready to blackmail her father to get it. For me she was the best part of the book.

Half way through I was ready to give up but I pressed through because it was EJD.

I'm sad to say I gave this book 2.5🌟

Ken Swift is a complicated man: tangled in romance by day, dangerous enforcer by night. Divorced from one woman, in love with another, in lust with a neighbor, and a strong desire to know a fourth woman. He is haunted by old memories that are suddenly in his face. His daughter Margaux appears out of nowhere demanding a large sum of money. Meanwhile, Ken Swift is actively working a major job that puts his life at risk.

The father-daughter reunion is bittersweet. Ken Swift wants nothing more than to rebuild a relationship and catch up on all he's missed in Margaux's life. But she is concerned with one thing only: getting $50,000 to solve a problem and help secure a future for her unborn child. If she has to blackmail her own father, then so be it.

Looking back on EJD's earlier works, it is evident that he has grown as an author and has a new writing style...a whole different genre actually (sensual thriller). His books were great then and classics now. Reading Bad Women and Wicked Women made me miss the older books: Genevieve, Milk in my Coffee, and Cheaters just to name a few. The lust is still there. The intense passion is magnified. But I miss the relatable characters. The characters in this new novel have little in common with the every day person. But kudos to the book cover that is an eye-catching representation of black art today.

My main dislike of Bad Men and Wicked Women is the social activism rants disguised as lengthy dialogue. There are whole pages of one character rambling about bits of culture and politics. Yes, there are very good points addressed and topics mentioned that make you think. But it's just too heavy! In fact, it gives the impression that this is EJD spewing his own opinions through the pages of fiction. Perhaps this is the author's way of using his platform to bring awareness. I have come to expect a new EJD novel every April. Sadly, this one has let me down.

Happy Pub Day, Eric Jerome Dickey! Bad Men and Wicked Women is now available.

LiteraryMarie

Romance and Job Trouble for a Small Time Enforcer

Ken Swift, a low level enforced in Los Angeles, is meeting with his estranged daughter, Margaux. She’s all grown up and in need of money, fifty thousand dollars to be exact, and she’s not above blackmail to get it.

Margaux isn’t Ken’s only problem with the women in his life. His ex-wife, Margaux’s mother, resurfaces. He can’t deny he still has feeling for her, and there’s a new lady in his life who he wants to stay with.

In addition to the women, Ken’s new job is not going well and threatens the lives of people he cares about. All in all, Ken has a plethora of problems.

I found this book very hard to get into. The first chapters are Ken and Margaux having a difficult father-daughter conversation. Ken is a likable character. In spite of his job, he has good feelings. I found Margaux extremely hard to like. She acts like a spoiled brat in the opening of the book.

The action heats up after the first chapters with lots of violence as Ken’s latest contract threatens to go south. I did feel the ending drew the threads together and was satisfying. If you like violent action stories, you may enjoy this book, but be prepared for a slow start.

I received this book from Dutton for this review.

Thank you @netgalley and @penguinrandomhouse for generously providing me with #BadMenAndWickedWomen by @ericjeromedickey.

I LOVED @ericjeromedickey when I was in high school. Prior to reading this book I hadn’t read any of his works in over 10 years so I was excited to jump into this book.

Ken Swift hasn’t seen his daughter since she was 5 years old so he is more than surprised when she calls him 18 years later and demands that he gives her $50,000 or she will tell one of his secrets. Ken is a tough guy and he has a tough guy job that wouldn’t be called legal employment by any stretch of the imagination. He’s trying to wrap his mind around seeing his daughter again. Why does she need $50k? What the heck is up with he drastic change in her physical appearance? While dealing with this inner turmoil ( I love that word lol), Ken still has to work. One of his jobs take an unexpected turn that his life and the lives of people he cares about in jeopardy.

In the beginning I felt like the story line got that was given to us in the synopsis got lost in the other topics being discussed in the book. The disparities between whites and blacks in America. Gentrification of neighborhoods. Political and racial issues happening in America today. I didn’t mind at all because I think these are important topics that should be discussed but I think the actual plot was left behind. I feel like the book did not focus on the story line given in the synopsis until like the last 90% of the book. It was more of a background story. The book started off slow but once the momentum picked up it was smooth reading and I ended up pulling an all nighter because I really wanted to finish and see what happened.

All in all it was a good read that made me want to revisit some of my favorites by Mr. Dickey.

Rating 📚📚📚 1/2 of 5

When Margaux meets up with her father Ken Swift to demand he give her fifty thousand dollars, because we know how Eric Jerome Dickey writes, we KNOW there is more to this than meets the eye. Ken Swift and his partner Jake Ellis have an assignment from the boss San Bernardino to talk with Pasadena and if it doesn’t go well the consequences could be deadly.

From the master of intrigue, we have another page turner that I wish I could say I loved because I really do enjoy most of EJD’s work. But I must say, these last two offerings from him have left me trying to figure out what direction he is trying to go in because, in place of books like he wrote at the beginning of his career, we are getting a lot of useless dialogue that I am not enjoying when I read his books. I want the strong character-driven books he wrote when he started out. These books for me concentrate on current events and are written more like a blog in place of the page-turners I really enjoyed.

With that said, I REALLY liked the San Bernardino character and I hope to see more about that character in the future. Those who enjoy EJD will still enjoy this work by him but I prefer the EJD who I know can write the page-turners I love. I do recommend you buy and read this work but hopefully, I can see the old EJD in future books.

No one illustrates the complexities in the male/female experience better than Dickey. His dialogue is arresting and authentic. His characters are so accessible and relatable. that there is no shiny veneer on his stories, only the stark realism of the human experience. This has never been more true than in Bad Men, Wicked Women.

Though it gets a little too heavy handed with some of the referenced historical content and some of the plot felt weak in areas, the novel is purely a piece of art. Not all the pieces are perfect but step back and take it in and it takes your breath away.