THE LAST HITMAN

5 stars out of 5

I follow the “Youngstown Mob” on Facebook (yes, it’s a real thing). I’ve been to every single town mentioned in this book, most of them many times (in fact, I lived in one of them for 50 years). Many of my friends claim to have a grandma who makes the best spaghetti sauce in Ohio, Pennsylvania and West Virginia put together. To say I enjoyed the heck out of this book, then, would be an understatement – the goings-on ring true even though some of the names have been changed to protect the not-so-innocent.

This is the self-told story of Angelo Cipriani, a high-school dropout from the Ohio Valley who ended up finding a job in the powerful Fortuna Crime Family. Although his non-full-blooded Italian heritage prohibited him from becoming a “made” man within the mafia (well, at least for many years), he was always loyal to the core. The family boss, “Big Tommy,” loved him like a brother, and Big Tommy’s son (Little Tommy, of course) called him Uncle Ange. One fine day, Angelo was told that his loyalty had overcome DNA and he would be accepted in the inner circle as a made man. And then he got instructions on what, exactly, he needed to do to make that happen.

But time has a way of changing things, and that includes the mob landscape (I’m not sure what the most recent suspected mob-related murder was in Youngstown, Ohio – a few stones’ throws from my home – but I do recall one in 1991 in particular that remains unsolved to this day). Angelo’s “nephew” Little Tommy is in charge now, and he’s taken his troops into areas of crime his late father once railed against. And now, Angelo has become about as worthless as a screen door on a submarine. Amid his feelings of stress, anxiety and betrayal, who should appear but a friendly neighborhood FBI agent – one who wants Angelo to rat on his compadres in exchange for Witness Protection.

So what’s an aging, maybe even not long for this world but still loyal to the core mob guy to do? That’s the issue Angelo faces, and he takes readers on an up-close-and-personal (and often chuckle-evoking) journey through time as he struggles with his final decision. For me, it was a highly entertaining journey, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to ride the bus by way of a pre-release copy. Eccellente!

The Last Hitman by Robin Yocum (Crooked Lane Books, December 2006); 331 pp.

A MATTER OF WILL

4 stars out of 5

A fun book for sure: Sort of a "Godfather" meets "Wall Street" that pits wet-behind-the-ears stockbroker Will Matthews with a filthy rich rich stranger who met him at a hockey game and made him an offer he couldn't But as Will Matthews soon learns, if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

At first, Will - who is struggling to make his quarterly quota of new clients - is puzzled by the out-of-the-blue attention he gets from Samuel Abaddon (and by proxy, Sam's drop-dead gorgeous girlfriend, Eve). After turning over ludicrous amounts of money to Will to supervise, Sam showers the young man with expensive dinners and other high-priced treats - all with no apparent strings attached. Despite a few "why me" moments, Will can't help but think he's died and gone to heaven.

As all this is going on, lawyer Gwen Lipton is trying to make a name for herself in the huge firm for which she works, but she can't escape the reality that she's just treading water. Needless to say, neither Will nor Gwen have much time for a personal life, but they both turn to dating apps once in a while for quickie meetups that both hope might turn into something more meaningful. And surprise (well, not really) - the two meet up and hit it off. Any real romance, though, is destined for the back burner as Sam's demands on Will's time grow by the minute and Gwen suddenly gets assigned to one of the firm's highest profile cases: defending a movie mogul who's charged with murdering his wife. 

As more and more money comes Will's way, he starts to worry about what he's gotten himself into; but the lure of success, his eternally optimistic outlook and the clearance of each deal by his employer's oversight officers convince him that everything is on the up and up. That is, until it's not; seeing a murder happen opens his eyes to some very unpleasant and unsettling truths. But can he do anything about it? And even if he can, will he?

Most of the story focuses on Will's situation, but I really enjoyed the progress and conclusion of Gwen's murder trial (which plays into the book's ending). My own conclusion is that while I wasn't exactly blown away with excitement, this is an easy-to-read, thoroughly enjoyable book that's a perfect accompaniment for a lounge chair on the beach or in front of a cozy fireplace. My thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review an advance copy.

A Matter of Will by Adam Mitzner (Thomas & Mercer, June 2019); 304 pp.

ROBERT B. PARKER'S BLOOD FEUD

5 stars out of 5


Of all the main characters in the late Robert B. Parker's books - among them Spenser, Jesse Stone and Susan Silverman - I'd have to say Sunny Randall has been my least favorite (although I suspect that's mostly because I wasn't happy back when she had a fling with Jesse). After reading this one, though, I've moved her up several notches.

I'll chalk that up to the writing skill of the author, who was chosen by the Parker estate to bring this character back to life in this, the seventh book in the series. In many ways, I was reminded of the original as written by Parker; the above-mentioned characters and a few other old familiars appear here, either by reference to past interactions (e.g., Jesse) or in person (Susan is Sunny's therapist). And the action and dialog are, for the most part, reminiscent of Parker as well.

It is in the ways that aren't quite the same, I think, that make me like this Sunny better. I really can't explain it, but while the author has done a good job with keeping Parker's style alive and well, the subtle differences make Sunny his own. That may be a plus or minus depending on who's doing the reading, but count me among those who are very happy with the result.

As this one begins, Susan and her ex-husband Richie Burke - the son of longtime mobster Dominick Burke - have reconciled of sorts; they're getting together now and again (if you get my drift), but Sunny isn't convinced she wants to renew a more permanent relationship. In fact, she  commented that she'd "rather run my hand through Trump's hair" than get married again (that line alone won me over on the spot).

One night, Sunny is called with the devastating news that Richie has been shot; he's alive, but it appears that was by the shooter's intent - perhaps to send a message to his mob family. Not long thereafter, Richie's uncle - the youngest of the three Burke brothers - is shot, this time fatally. Someone, it appears, may be nursing a big-time grudge against the Burke dynasty. But mobsters don't share their secrets, not even with their own children (and certainly not with their children's ex-wives). To get to the bottom of things, then, Sunny has to do some serious investigation into family history - a process virtually guaranteed to threaten already tenuous relationships and maybe even get somebody else killed.

Of course, I can't reveal the ending. But I do have a verdict: Five thumbs up. And I have one other thing - a wish that the next one won't be long coming.

Robert B. Parker's Blood Feud by Mike Lupica (G.P. Putnam's Sons, November 2018); 335 pp.

BLOOD STANDARD

4 stars out of 5

Whatever else I think about this book - the first in the crime-thriller category by this author - I cannot deny his way with words. Even when the going takes gruesome turns, the main character, Isaiah Coleridge, has the chutzpah of a Raymond Chandler private eye combined with the philosophical musings of the late Robert B. Parker's Spenser. 

And that's a good thing; otherwise, Coleridge - once a mob enforcer - wouldn't be a particularly appealing guy. Big, brawny and half Maori, he manages to get on the wrong side of his father and his Chicago mob bosses, who send him north to Alaska. There, his cantankerous genes kick in once again, and he is "retired" to remote Hawk Mountain Farm in upstate New York, where he performs mundane tasks like mucking horse stalls.  

Needless to say, the work isn't very challenging, and he misses the hard action of his former life (even he isn't sure whether he prefers getting punched or punching someone else's lights out). Still, he vows not to return to his old ways; but then the Michael Corleone effect kicks in: "Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in."

In truth, "they" really aren't the problem; Isaiah simply doesn't have it in him to stay on the right side of trouble. He runs amok of some nasty characters - basically turning their body parts to mincemeat - and saves a wayward young girl from the clutches of some particularly dastardly dudes. Then, in the midst of his having to deal with enemies old and new, the girl he saved goes missing. That hits Isaiah right in the heart (it's stashed right behind his shoulder holster), and nothing  - not broken bones, not bloody knife slashes and certainly not threats of a slow and painful death - will stop him from saving her once again.

This is, I believe, the first of a new series - and yes, it's enjoyable enough that I look forward to the next. Thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review an advance copy. Well done!

Blood Standard by Laird Barron (G.P. Putnam's Sons, May 2018); 336 pp.