666 Cyprus Avenue is Virtual Hell for Thirteen Tenants

The tenants of 666 Cypress Avenue are tired of their deteriorating building and tired of one another. Then Raven Thorn appears to teach them the definition of a good neighbor—only she may not be such a good neighbor herself. Good battles evil for the hearts of the tenants in Dwayne Murray’s “Like a Good Neighbor” (ISBN 9780976985525, Madbo Enterprises, 2009).

In a South Bronx neighborhood, thirteen tenants are frustrated with their building’s broken doors, malfunctioning elevator, rat infestation, and skyrocketing rent increases. When summer sends blazing heat, the residents’ hatred for 666 Cypress Avenue, and for one another, is about to reach a boiling point. None of them would have suspected a new tenant could change their attitudes, but when Raven Thorn moves into the building, she is a breath of fresh air, cooling hot tempers.

Raven Thorn has charisma she unleashes on the unsuspecting tenants, quickly winning their trust and admiration. Only Crystal Bright refuses to be cajoled by Raven. Crystal, a crack-addicted young woman, looks like the poster child for everything wrong with society, but beneath her addiction is a calculating mind that instantly senses a darker, more sinister side to Raven. As she watches Raven, she realizes if she does not act quickly, a fuse may be lit that could ignite a bloodbath between the hostile tenants.

Dwayne Murray offers the reader insight into both his irregular heroine and his bewitching villainess, providing us background into each character. Raven Thorn is unrelenting, unapologetic, determined as hell, unwavering in her beliefs, and remorseless. As a wife and mother, she had held God in high esteem, but now she wishes to cause God pain by bringing harm to others, thereby pleasing her “Dark Prince.” Despite a degree from MIT, Crystal Bright has fallen into drug addiction and hard times. But she has never forsaken her moral code; in her weakness, she must find the strength to stop a woman who gains strength by preying upon the weak.

“Like a Good Neighbor” depicts super-size personalities engaged in the battle of good versus evil. Murray’s characters are extremely well developed, their motivations strong and believable, even when they border on the edge of sanity. The plot moves quickly as the tenants of 666 Cypress Avenue are manipulated by Raven Thorn to act selfishly to achieve what they have always desired. Scenes of extreme violence are not merely gratuitous, but advance the plot and character portrayals. Murray writes with restraint that allows the characters’ actions to explode on the page without losing the reader’s suspension of disbelief. “Like a Good Neighbor” is one of those books that manipulates the reader from putting it down until the last dramatic scene.

About the Author
Dwayne Murray Sr. resides in New York City, where he was born and raised. An electrician by trade, the author walks a fine line on the job and gets a thrill bringing that same sense of heart-pounding danger to his action-packed novels. He is the author of “The Mouse That Roared,” “Whatever It Takes,” and his newest edge-of-your-seat thriller “Like a Good Neighbor.”

“Like a Good Neighbor” (ISBN 9780976985525, Madbo Enterprises, 2009) can be purchased through local and online bookstores. For more information, visit www.madboenterprises.com.