Gloria Dean is a runaway. She tries to start a new life in Carnal, but she can't run away from herself. Donnell must never learn what she did in her boss's Volvo. Rafia Saad is an outsider. She wants to be more like her American friends. Her loved ones must never know what she did at the house party with the entire football team. Veronica Smith is reckless. Living in a cocoon of wealth and privilege, she screws up a lot but always manages to skate out of trouble. This time she's gone too far. One fateful, hot summer, the private lives of Gloria, Veronica, and Rafia change forevermore. Four connected stories about the secret lives of innocent, small-town girls. From the Back Cover JOE MURPHY thinks of himself as a standup guy, always willing to help a neighbor or a friend. He gives sweet GLORIA DEAN a job babysitting his kids, but it all goes wrong when she invites her bad-boy boyfriend Donnell into the house. What happens next makes the summer explode. Gloria has a secret now. The weight of carrying it puts her on the wrong side of the law, up against a police force that isn't interested in confession. Meanwhile, RAFIA SAAD is a young woman who wants to be popular. She's the special guest at a party hosted by Veronica, one of the town's most popular cheerleaders. It's a wild night until Mr. Smith arrives home early and throws all the revelers out. The next morning, he finds Rafia in one of the upstairs guest rooms. Did she want popularity? Now she's popular. But it's the choices she makes the morning after the party, in Mr. Smith's guest room, that will bring her to the center of the town's attention. Finally, Joe lands a business deal with Donnell that takes an unexpected turn when Veronica shows up, eager to do a little business of her own. Joe knows Veronica's folks and feels obligated to protect her, but it's not an easy task. Her behavior has triggered Donnell's ire, and he's nursing a grudge. Worse, Joe's behavior with Gloria has weakened his negotiating position. If Joe wants to save himself, he may find he has to make a little sacrifice, maybe even something dear. Will it be Veronica? Or maybe his own high opinion of himself? In the end, he may find that he has nowhere left to hide. The Neighbors Will Talk is a fast-paced romp through taboo situations (including interracial relationships, infidelity, public humiliation, and more). For discriminating readers only, this collection of stories has action, adventure, and heartbreak enough to steal your breath and leave you satisfied

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