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The Cartel #2

The Cartel 2: Tale of the Murda Mamas

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Diamonds are forever . . . or are they? The Cartel runs Miami, and loyalty to their organization runs deep, but when someone breaks the rules, things may be beyond repair. A snitch in the crew has dismantled the notorious Cartel, and now disloyalty threatens to tear the family apart. Young Carter is in the fight for his life, as he faces drug kingpin charges due to the treachery of his best friend, Ace.
Kidnapping, murder, deception, and seduction fill this highly anticipated sequel. Will Zyir find out that Breeze is still alive? Will Mecca be exposed as his brother's killer? Is Miamor dead or alive? Ashley and JaQuavis are back with The Cartel 2. Their twisted tale of deceit will have you on the edge of your seat, trying to figure out what happens next.

236 pages, Paperback

First published October 27, 2009

535 people are currently reading
7602 people want to read

About the author

Ashley Antoinette

77 books7,614 followers
ASHLEY ANTOINETTE COLEMAN is one of the most successful female writers of her time. The feminine half of the popular married duo, Ashley and JaQuavis, she has co-written over 40 novels, including the bestselling Cartel series. Several of her titles have hit The New York Times bestsellers list, but she is most widely regarded for her continuing racy saga, The Prada Plan. Born in Flint, MI, she was bred with an innate street sense that she uses as motivation in her crime filled writings.

Picking up a deal with publishing powerhouse St. Martin's Press while simultaneously inking deals at Warner Brothers Studios and NBC/Universal, Ashley shows no signs of slowing down. She is currently hard at work on a new book series and two television pilots.

To keep up with everything Ashley Antoinette follow her...
twitter @novelista
Instagram @ashleyantoinette

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5 stars
5,279 (68%)
4 stars
1,513 (19%)
3 stars
594 (7%)
2 stars
188 (2%)
1 star
79 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 456 reviews
Profile Image for Monique.
1,031 reviews64 followers
June 22, 2015
Whoa whoa whoa..this book was a headbanger full of plot twists, betrayal, tragedy and page turning drama and I loved it, finished it in one day and had to immediately start on Book Three.. I honestly have gained alot of respect for this genre and these authors, they really crafted an intriguing story and family with characters you will never forget..This story takes off exactly where the last one left off and tries to answer some questions that you have but leaves you in just enough suspense that you fiend for the last chapter in the Diamond family saga...In this book you are reintroduced to Miamor and how and why she became a Murder Mama..this I suppose is the primary intention of the book to just introduce her gang and make you understand why she is so ruthless, coldhearted and why she fell so hard for Carter, the second one to touch her icy heart..You also meet Murder, the protective, confident and capable killer she named herself and her crew for and wonder what will happen with those two when they are reunited..There are also references to the most drawn out character, the insane Mecca but you never know how his twisted tale ends and if his terrible secret about his twin brother Monroe will ever be revealed..Breeze and Zyir and their young love story is also dealt with and you are heartbroken they will never have the opportunity to be together again in this book..., or will they? And finally you see a thug feel real love as Carter finds Miamor broken and bruised and mans up to take care of her, that is until she reveals who she really is..I loved the way I couldnt get enough of the story and had to know what was happening next, then couldnt believe it and had to reread it..The novel was truly addictive and real which is why the ending pages are such a shock..Literally I screamed aloud and was so infuriated at what happened but will not ruin it for anyone else just know you have to read this trilogy it is like that..highly recommened urban lit..
Profile Image for Alexis.
110 reviews14 followers
January 15, 2012
-______- ....... Smh. I was so excited to get my hands on this second book, and I'm reading through, and I'm like YES!!! but then I get to the end and I'm like WTFF?! Idk out of the two authors whose idea it was to do it that way, but it just did not work for me at all. When they did flashbacks of Miamor and her sister's past, the music and fashion were all wrong during the supposed time or era they were writing the setting in. I'm a early 90's baby, but I def knew for sure the songs, clothes, and other ideas mentioned did NOT come out during that time, it was hard trying to ignore the mistake. Nothing was answered, non of the events really happened, I felt like it was "fantasy filler" until they got they sh*t together and figure out how they really wanted to end the series. Good thing I did not start reading the series until now, because all I have to do is go to the library and get the third book now to find out what's really going to happen. To be honest, I feel like we were cheated. I hope its a lot better, and really the only couple I'm rooting for is Zyir and Breeze, because I just can't take it anymore !!!! lool
Profile Image for Danita Brown.
195 reviews85 followers
November 15, 2024
I am rereading this series to catch up before I read the last two of this series.
Profile Image for Erin Rae.
378 reviews26 followers
September 1, 2024
Didn’t see that ending coming. Sheeeeesh! 🤯🤯🤯
I was so confused for a minute lol on to Cartel 3!
Profile Image for Bookishrealm.
3,272 reviews6,445 followers
January 4, 2019
Wow oh my goodness....this book literally had my ass shook.

description

Please keep in mind that this is second book in the Cartel series so you will find spoilers in my review below

Plot
After finishing the first book in series, I was desperate to get my hands on the second book. I needed to know whether Miamor was able to successfully survive what happened to her after Mecca and Fabien got a hold of her. I was constantly surprised by what was occurring in this book especially in reference to poor Breeze. Her story broke my heart over and over again. What I loved the most about this story was the flashbacks where we get the opportunity to learn more about Miamor's origins. I knew that she had a rough upbringing; however, I did not realize the magnitude of how rough her childhood was. It explains why she became such a cold-hearted killer. Overall, the plot was fast paced and kept me turning the pages. As a result, I ABSOLUTELY cannot wait to pick up the next book in the series. The plot twist at the end had me blown. I've seen a few comments say that they did not like the way that the authors decided to end the book, but I thought it was unique and fantastic!

Characters
I really enjoyed the characters except for Mecca. Mecca is impulsive and has no sense of how to conduct himself and causes more problems than necessary for the family. He is incredibly arrogant and it's extremely difficult for me to actually read any parts that are related to him. He's actually the reason why I couldn't give this book 5 stars. He had this obsession with Miamor (which I can partially understand) that crossed several lines. After all, Mecca did kill his own brother. Miamor and Murder were the most interesting characters in this book and I definitely can't wait to see what they have in store for me in the next book.

Writing
The writing didn't really improve from the last book; however, I've grown accustomed to it. I could still do without all the "ma" references and the authors spelling out everything that Haitians say phonetically. There was even a point in the book where a character who had an accent wrote a letter to someone in jail and everything that she said was spelled out phonetically which would lead readers to believe that she couldn't spell or write in English which didn't make any sense. I know that the writing probably isn't going to improve, but the overall plot of the book does make up for it.

If you are interested in street lit then I would definitely recommend checking out this series.
2 reviews
December 4, 2013
Yo good book 1&2 but 2 pissed me off at the end. It was all a dream? R u serious. Carter the man tho. Once I got to knw miamor I began to like her moRe n more. But mecca is a beast wit it. Ruthless ass nigga. He a favorite just cuz he don't give a fuck. Can't wait to get 3 but it seems like i'll b reading 2 all over again. So I guess matee bitch ass still alive wit breeze captive huh. Oh and what ever happened to Polo? He play a major part n 1. Why isn't he n 2. Hope he's n 3. Anyway, overall its a good read especially when murda n carter cum face to face. But u only get four stars because its just a dream. Oh n my favorite part is when mecca finally get at miamor and went out blazing wit a smile on his face . That boy a beast wit his
Profile Image for Monique.
11 reviews26 followers
June 2, 2012
Well, my hope that the writing would get better was in vain, because the same adjectives got used over and over again in this book as well. Luxury, sophisticated, feminine, classy, -- someone please get these kids a thesaurus.

There is something to be said about researching the time period you are choosing to set your book in. This was supposed to be mid/late 90's/early 2000s, but Drake was not out then. It was jarring to read about labels, artists, fashion trends and cars that were not even out in the time the book is set to take place.

The ending really pissed me off. I felt ripped off. It's almost as if it was thrown in at the last minute because they decided to go in a different direction with the characters.

Still, I will read book 3 to see what happens next.
Profile Image for J-maa.
143 reviews
November 17, 2025
They played all in my face this book but as long as there’s still hope for my baby Breeze and Zy I am all good.

Side bar I hate that I like Mecca
Profile Image for Dawn.
45 reviews11 followers
April 23, 2013
Awesome story with twists and turns... My only gripe? Clearly this author has no concept of Carribean culture as the "dialect" she uses to depict them especially the Haitian characters are way off. Last I checked, No self-respecting Haitian has EVER muttered the word 'bloodclot' or spoke to 'he' or 'she'.

The Jamaican patois used for Haitian dialect stopped the story in its tracks each time and was quite annoying. Are we to believe that West Indians even write letters this way? Stick to you what you know. A great story and leave the translation alone.

We get it.

5 stars - minus one for bad research and spelling errors. Shame on the editor.
Profile Image for Diamond.
102 reviews4 followers
May 10, 2023
Ashley & Jaquavis got me all worked up for it to be A DREAM , I don't care how much a hot head Mecca is he is still baeeee . On to book 3 .😂☺️
1 review
October 21, 2009
The beginning of the book tells us about Miamor and her sister's early years. The scene takes place in 1995 and 1996. The authors should have done their due diligence on fashion and music that was rocking back then. Drake was just coming out of diapers in "95" (slight exaggeration, of course). The 300M wasn't out yet in 1995. I don't think Jeezy was out then, either. But I am not sure. And skinny jeans just came back in style. Females were rocking GUESS back then. Side note: Do your homework before you start writing. Know your history.
Profile Image for Dave B..
434 reviews22 followers
May 6, 2014
OMG!! I can't believe I read this book. It was a weaker plot line when compared to part 1. I won't ruin the ending of the book but the plot twist will make you wish you skipped this book and just started with part 3. As a matter of fact I recommend just skipping it and reading part 3. Trust me you WON'T MISS A THING.
Profile Image for Jamila.
20 reviews
August 18, 2011
Very disappointed in this book. I really don't feel as if there was a need for part 2. In my opinion, this book was just published as "something to put out until we can figure out how to end it". Not impressed.
Profile Image for Eriel Lawson (YT: eriellawson).
102 reviews3 followers
July 31, 2023
chilllleee , what was the point??? For one I don’t understand why half the book was about murder mamas when they have their own book….. Two , Mecca gotta go. A book of dreams……. so annoying like fr lol
Profile Image for Jerricka.
1,218 reviews23 followers
July 31, 2024
Was gripped from the beginning. Love the continuation of book 1
Profile Image for Shea.
42 reviews2 followers
September 20, 2024
Everything. This book was everything!!
Profile Image for Kristin.
121 reviews14 followers
November 4, 2024
Still punching the air over that ending. 😩
Profile Image for JazzReads .
1,089 reviews33 followers
March 26, 2025
This book had me on edge from the start to finish. I am going to read more books in this series.
Profile Image for Tamara.
273 reviews6 followers
February 4, 2019
This book had me so mad at the end!!! Really? Overall, I really liked this book. It was so intense but some things really didn't add up. Now to think about it, should I really be mad then?
Profile Image for Athena.
126 reviews43 followers
August 16, 2012
This book went a deeper into the lives of MiAmor and the murder mamas. I enjoyed reading about her background and everything that occurred to make her a stone cold killer. If you're looking for a fairy-tale this book definitely isn't it because no one was safe and the game showed that it had absolutely no loyalty. I kind of liked the fact that the Cartel was not untouchable it made it just a little more realistic. Young Carter continued to be "the MAN" and I was even feeling Zyir but I still have no love for Mecca's crazy behind. Overall I liked the flow of the story but I absolutely hated the ending. My mouth is still wide open.......4.5 stars. BTW I hated the accents and found myself skipping over the dialogue.
Profile Image for Beca.
32 reviews35 followers
March 6, 2015
I still have this love/hate feeling about The Cartel. Although the storyline is very good, I find the book could have been better if it were written with less slang, gun blazing, sex scenes and gory details.
Profile Image for Destiny “ Dee” .
209 reviews101 followers
November 19, 2014
Wow! This book was good. I listened to the audiobook. Drama, betrayal, suspense, it's all there. Gotta listen to book three to find out what REALLY happens next.
Profile Image for Nene.
1,787 reviews26 followers
June 2, 2015
Man this book was confusing, it had you all hype up in emotions and then Bam. Great Read
Profile Image for Alex.
123 reviews9 followers
May 24, 2016
That is the most bullshit thing I have ever read in my whole entire life
Profile Image for Esther.
42 reviews
November 3, 2017
This was a good second book in the series. There was a lot of back and forth between the past and the present but it was done in a good way. Its sucks that there was so much loss and those that I were rooting for did not get their happily ever ever or happy moment. I look forward to seeing what is in store in the third book.....But wait!!! Did everything in the book really happened or not?...I'll find out soon enough!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Porsha.
357 reviews20 followers
June 23, 2021
Just like the first time I read this book, I was shocked like wow so this is how it ends for all parties involved but the ending will infuriate you. I refuse to spoil it for anyone no matter how old the book is now IYKYK! That’s why I gave it 4 stars. Other than that it’s still a good read.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 456 reviews

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