Preface / Lerone Bennett Jr. -- Introduction: What a difference a decade makes / Eleanor Taylor Bland -- Since you went away / Frankie Y. Bailey -- Cookout / Jacqueline Turner Banks -- Double dealing / Chris Benson -- Murder on the southwest chief / Eleanor Taylor Bland and Anthony Bland -- Secret of the 369th infantry nurse / Patricia E. Canterbury -- Doggy style / Christopher Chambers -- For services rendered / Tracy P. Clark -- Pride of a woman / Evelyn Coleman -- Blind alley / Grace F. Edwards -- Matter of policy / Robert Greer -- Small colored world / Terris McMahan Grimes -- Better dead than wed / Gar Anthony Haywood -- Werewolf file / Hugh Holton -- Deja vu / Geri Spencer Hunter -- Survival / Dicey Scroggins Jackson -- When blood runs to water / Glenville Lovell -- Small matter / Lee E. Meadows -- More than one way / Penny Mickelbury -- Bombardier / Walter Mosley -- Favorable murder / Percy Spurlark Parker -- Beginner's luck / Gary Phillips -- God of the pond / Charles Shipps