Sex, Suspense and Surprise, Reviewer: Deneen Jones (Bronx, New York) April 20, 2006
The neophyte David Rivera, Jr. has secured his longevity on the African-American literary scene with his debut book, Harlem's Dragon. Probably meant for a man, but made for a woman -- Harlem's Dragon contains all the elements of a great drama; a strong story line, well-developed, believable characters and, of course, a deliciously healthy dose of eroticism -- well written and beautifully packaged.
David gives his lead character, Chemah Rivers, emotional depth -- a long lost quality in modern-day brothas. But Chemah is far from perfect, in fact, it is his imperfections that make him a true Harlem superhero. He is smart, sexy and relatively uncomplicated -- which works against him at times.
A quick read and real page turner, Harlem's Dragon is a "must read" for the grown and sexy. I understand there's a sequel to follow in the fall, The Street Sweeper. Keep writing David, we'll definitely keep reading!
Harlem's Dragon was a pleasant surprise and departure from the litany of so-called erotica on display these days. A winning combination of real characters, in real life settings with a healthy dose of erotic fantasy. Detective Chemah Rivers is a daunting, intense man (would love to see his character fleshed out in a film!) with principles and the misfortune of experiencing unforeseen problems that don't make his life easy. Add to the mix the love and attention of two very different, very intense women and you got the makings of a "don't put this down till you've finished" novel.
The scene stealing character in the story, however, is Margarita. Smart, upwardly mobile, resourceful, and sexy. She knows what she wants and she goes after it: whether it’s a job - or a man! Sometimes having it all can prove to be a bit too much….
What I enjoyed most about the book, was Chemah's resilience and the fact that he was not a thug, drug dealer or basketball player. He's a grown man with relationship issues and the reader takes the ride with him as he tries to resolve them.
The writer does not beat you in the head with rhetoric or unnecessary details, but takes a background to the story allowing the reader to become absorbed in Chemah's life. This first time effort is worth picking up.