P.G. County
By Connie Briscoe

     Although the cast of characters in PG County seems never-ending at first, each gradually becomes unique and memorable. The many protagonists are centered in the illustrious community of Silver Lake in Prince George's County outside of Washington D.C. A community filled with the filthy rich, the upper crust, those with fine pedigree, the wannabees, and the filthy. This could easily be turned into a mini-series if not an out-and-out soap opera. The cover blurb calls the book a Peyton Place for the twenty-first Century. It is indeed a valid comparison.

     Jolene, the bad girl of the county, is captivating, tangling herself in the lives of everyone else and making you wonder how people like her manage to function in life. How they survive without hurt, harm or danger befalling them? Jolene's life could have taken so many paths, it was amazing to see which path she choose.Jolene simply was one of the ones referred to when it is said, "The Lord watches over babies and fools". When asked by the author which character was most memorable, the overwhelming response by my chat mates and myself was Jolene.

     Like a soap opera, everything is intertwined. The successful businessman who rises from the cotton fields to become too rich to be human, or satisfied just with his wife; the black sheep of a prominent family who marries well below her social status; the hairdresser, where does she really belong?; young love between races; the illegitimate child. There is a character to suit any taste. How all of these come together at the height of the book make it worth reading.

     There is nothing predictable about P.G. County. Everyone knows it, understands it and will have it any other way. There's a wedding, but very little marriage; an affair (or two, or three) all poorly orchestrated, a mystery very easily solved, and plenty of intrigue that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Like any soap opera, you know but you don't know what is going to happen next. Once you think the outcome is predictable, it veers in the opposite direction. Life in P.G. County is just enough to keep you coming back for more.