Description: It’s been months since Kahllah El-Amin, aka the Black Lotus, hung up her pistols, retired from the murder-for-hire business, and finally found peace.

But when a police officer is murdered and a familiar flower is left at the crime scene, all signs point to it being the work of the Black Lotus. Someone is trying to frame her.

Things get more complicated when the case is handed to Detective James Wolf, a former adversary who has since become a friend.

Verdict: With the first release having been named as one of Library Journal's Best African American Fiction Books of 2014, it was only to hoped, and maybe a little expected, that the follow-up, The Vow' was going to continue with the heart-thumping thrills and spills of it predecessor - which admirably does.

With K'wan, once again performing a masterful job of keeping readers on their toes right up to the very last page, 'Black Lotus 2: The Vow' continues on with the origin storyline, expanded within the first book, but now with an extended story line and further character development.

One of hip-hop fiction's hottest authors, K'wan's 'Black Lotus 2' is an absolutely spot on, riveting read from start to finish, and much like its predecessor, is extremely well written, with a fast pace to match its ultra fine suspenseful moments.

To clear her name, Kahllah is forced out of retirement and once again must don the mask of the "Black Lotus." She races against time to catch the real killer while trying to outrun her most formidable rival.

Their deadly game leads to a shocking truth buried under a mountain of lies, as Kahllah attempts to find justice in a world devoid of light.

A business woman by day and an assassin by night, even though she belongs to a secret society, there is seemingly nothing that Kahllah aka "Black Lotus" can, or will not do in the name of justice.

A choice murder thriller with a strong, but likable female lead, it had me engrossed from the very first page. I mean, I enjoy a good mystery as much as the next person, and thus was very satisfied with the execution of this second story in the series.

Nothing dragged on, no loose ends were left, and a very satisfying ending was brought forth. In closing, 'Black Lotus 2' is an insanely excellent book for anyone who enjoys mysteries and/or urban fiction.

K'wan is the best-selling, award-winning author of more than thirty novels, including the wildly popular Animal series, Black Lotus, Gangsta, Road Dawgz, Street Dreams, Hoodlum, and Section 8.

He has been featured in Vibe, King, Entertainment Weekly, and Time magazine. K'wan was the recipient of the 2012 and 2013 Street Lit Book Award Medals (SLBAM) in adult fiction for Eviction Notice and Animal.

His credits also include featured commentary in the documentary Iceberg Slim: Portrait of a Pimp (produced by Ice-T) as well as a recurring role as an analyst on TV One's Celebrity Crime Files.

K'wan resides in New Jersey, where he spends his time writing, cooking, and binge-watching reruns of The Vampire Diaries with his teenage daughters.

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