Landlord Amos Brown hasn’t been nicknamed Harlem Don for nothing. Ever since he inherited two brownstones from his estranged father, he ended his life of crime and began to take on the weight of his neighbor's problems, a wrenching habit that makes for sleepless – not to mention solitary – nights. However, now he can make a difference instead of being part of the problem. Yet just when he starts settling into his life as a landlord, his friend and mentor Deacon Steadwell is accused of murder. Amos is determined to release the ailing 83-year-old from jail. He doesn’t have the money to put up, but he’s got his brownstones.

No sooner has he secured Deacon’s release than the old man suddenly recovers and disappears – leaving Amos and his property in serious jeopardy. To find the answers he needs, he has to delve back into the streets. When someone else is murdered, Amos discovers that he is only a small part of a bigger picture. A surprising foe is threatening his beloved Harlem – can he save it? Down and Dirty was published in March 2006 by Kensington.

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Hard Luck and Trouble: A Landlord's Tale
by Gammy Singer

Amos Brown, a smooth-talking man with a rough past, a good heart, and an opportunity to go legit, becomes the unexpected landlord of two Harlem brownstones. This New York neighborhood is brimming with vitality, tarnished glory, and an ever readiness for a fresh start. Just when Amos thinks he’s turned his life around and away from crime, he finds himself running from a drug lord he owes gambling debts to and looking for a bride who has disappeared with everything he owns. But the biggest shock comes when he finds a skeleton in the basement of one of his beloved buildings. He soon finds out it belongs to someone closer to his heart – and farther from his memory – than he ever could have guessed. As he tries to put the pieces of the mysterious discovery together, he learns that he is also putting together the puzzle of his past – and working out his future.