5 comments about Street Boys.

1. this was a very entertaining and emotional book. some readers said it was devoid of emotion, but i totally disagree. carcaterra does not claim this book to be an accurate portrayal of WWII events, but it is based on the brave actions of street fighters. the characters were wonderful and NOT one-sided. the main characters had depth and each had their own unique qualities, fears, and emotion.



2. This nearly became one of the handful of books I've put down before finishing it. I stuck it out, but it really wasn't worth it. The idea is a fantastic one, and as a lover of WWII fiction I was really looking forward to something different. But the language and events are all over the place. The action is very hard to follow and in just about every battle I had a hard time telling what was going on. It also could have benefitted from a map of Naples--I've never been to Naples, and his descriptions of locations left me baffled. One moment some kids are chasing a tank down an alley, the next moment they're in a castle. Huh? Where did a castle come from? I was lost. He also builds up some major character only to have them fizzle out later, as if they were never really imporatant.
   
   On top of all that, the Germans are portrayed here like the bumbling idiots that chase down Indiana Jones. Everybody knows the German's were horrible and intelligent, and there's no way they would have gone out like they did in this book. True, a fight in the streets of Naples did take place, but many lost thier lives. I think only two kids die in the book, at least that you witness. That's just not realistic.
   
   Anyone who wants a good WWII story should read The Good German by Joseph Kannon. Skip this



3. Mr. Carcaterra, your mistakes were so evident in the text that I hardly feel a need to reveal them. However, for the sake of the public, here they are:
   
   1. Do you even know what you are doing with the history of this event? You have taken this battle of guts and courage from cowering, left behind children and made into into Helms Deep. The cleverness and cunning of your characters, while cute, was a complete insult to their legacy of ultimate destruction against an overwhelming force of perhaps the mightiest soldiers of their era. That said, I disagree with the reviewers who have only skimmed the text and say that only two kids die. In truth I could count maybe twenty deaths of children in your almost fantastical story.
   
   2. You made me want to cry. And cry and cry and cry. And after I got done crying, cry some more. Your battle scenes were HORRIBLE! In every one you have kids come out of buildings like Gorillas, pull grenades and Molotov cocktails from their butts, kill 100 Nazis and under fire run to the enemy lines to steal their guns before retreating back into the buildings and sewers with their newly acquired weaponry. You made the German army out to look like impotent fools touching their weapons for the first time, when in fact they were trained and able men who had fought for years, who had superior weaponry and an entire division of tanks. I remember in one battle scene you have your character Vincenzo lure unsuspecting Germans into a castle courtyard to be picked off and all but slaughtered by a few kids who had managed to lay Mines just before the soldiers bust into the courtyard. First off, the Germans would have either beaten the kid into submission for information when he approached them, or better yet, they would have shot him. And secondly, THIS IS NOT AN EPISODE OF "HOME ALONE!" The Germans would have spotted Mines roughly laid by the hands of Neapolitan children. Even with superior position on the Germans, the tank that the Germans had brought into the courtyard with them would have crumbled the structure from the inside out in a matter of minuets, taking the children with the rubble to the jagged floor below. Those who didn't die on impact would have found themselves alone, weaponless and outnumbered by battle-hardened German soldiers that would have taken their lives without uncommon consequence. Frankly, Mr. Carcaterra, these kids were fighting a lost cause that would consume all of their lives before liberation and it wouldn't have been a single American bomber that took out an entire panzer division.
   
   3. All impracticalities aside, your writing and plot structure was ill developed. You obviously didn't take that much time planning out the succession of events. About 100 pages before the "immoral" snipers got in a firefight with the children that finally took their lives, you introduced them in the middle of the conflicts moving into the central city. THEY SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN THERE. NEVER! Didn't you go to college, because your preliminary English teacher is shaking his head in sorrow. You need to spend more time thinking about your writing before sending it off to be published on a gimmick, simply because you're a best selling author!
   
   To conclude, you are an excellent writer and I am sure a great person, but you blew it with this one. Disappointing, yes, but still another addition to the library. Suggested only to those few brave who are willing to be a bit experimental with history.
   
   Mat Perrin, esq.



4. It's interesting how much of the plot of this novels seems to have been lifted from a 1970 Rock Hudson movie entitlled HORNET'S NEST.



5. I read Sleepers years ago and remember liking it so I thought I'd give this book a try. Street Boys never really took off. The story was predictable from beginning to end. I could have put the book down at any time and not regretted it, but I kept on going thinking that it would get better. It didn't. The characters were unbelievable, the writing was stilted. I gave this book two stars because a teen might like it, but I can't imagine recommending it to anyone else.

5 comments about Paradise City.

1. You know Lorenzo Carcaterra's work. I mean, you know his work. Does the television show "Law & Order" mean anything to you? Carcaterra is a writer and producer for the program, which has been on for how many decades now? In addition to that, three of his novels --- APACHES, GANGSTER and STREET BOYS --- are in active development for feature film adaptation. He has co-scripted Beyond the Sea, which should be released soon. He's also...well you get the idea. He's everywhere. My favorite "everywhere" for the moment, however, is PARADISE CITY, Carcaterra's latest novel.
   
   Carcaterra is a master at combining several different elements that are lethal enough individually into an explosive mix. PARADISE CITY is an example of Carcaterra at his best. His protagonist here is Giancarlo Lo Manto. Lo Manto, born in New York City, moved to Naples, Italy as a teenager. Now a policeman, Lo Manto wages a one-man war against the Italian Mafia. His vendetta is the result of a blood-oath he swore over the body of his late father, an honest-working man who paid for his integrity with a violent, senseless death on the streets of New York City.
   
   Lo Manto is lured back to New York City due to the kidnapping of his beloved niece by the crime family of Mafia boss Pete Rossi. Lo Manto's police work in Naples has cut dramatically into Rossi's overseas operations, and Rossi accordingly wants --- and needs --- Lo Manto out of the way. Rossi sees some rough justice in bringing Lo Manto back to his birthplace to die. Lo Manto, however, has some very different plans. Fueled by the desire to rescue his niece and avenge his murdered father, Lo Manto begins a systematic rampage through the back streets and neighborhoods of New York City, leading to a violent, apocalyptic climax between good and evil.
   
   PARADISE CITY is a violent, gritty tale of revenge and rough justice. Fans of the crime/police genre will see the relationship forming between Lo Manto and his NYPD babysitter, Detective Jennifer Fabini, before the two even meet. But Carcaterra handles the chemistry between the two so well that readers would be disappointed if they didn't hook up! PARADISE CITY also contains a subtle but very visible plug for "Law & Order." Hopefully, that august program will at some point return the favor. On the other hand, maybe that won't be necessary. Recommended.
   
   --- Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub



2. Lorenzo Carcaterra remains the don of crime-writing that's scraped directly from America's grittiest streets, and with "Paradise City," he extends his reach to Naples -- a city he last visited in "Street Boys." Now he pulls off the labyrinthine plot -- worthy of a scheming godfather or, at least, a producer of TV's "Law & Order" -- with his signature style: Plenty of action, plenty of love and plenty of paisan.
   
   From "Apaches" to "Sleepers" to "Gangster," Carcaterra has laid claim to the urban-crime landscape like no writer since Mario Puzo. Carcaterra's storytelling is real and, occasionally, disturbing. But it isn't oversimplified law and disorder with a side of blood and guts ... his characters are authentic and tangible. He doesn't write like a lawyer who's trying to be gritty, or an ink-stained Hollywood wretch trying to maximize body count-per-frame. He writes like the guy he is: Somebody who's been immersed in the downside of a rough city and survived.
   
   You want your crime-fiction straight from the hip and genuine? Carcaterra is your guy.



3. Fans of NBC's Law and Order may be tempted to pick up Paradise City, the newest novel by writer/producer, Lorenzo Carcaterra. Don't waste your money. Paradise City lacks even the mild entertainment value of those addicting cop shows and, instead, is a drain on time and intellect. Filled with clunky dialogue and forced allusions to modern pop culture, Paradise City is set in the New York City of 2003 and follows the exploits of a tough-but-honest detective from Naples and his trying-to-prove-she's-not-just-a-pretty-face partner as they try to bring down the Neopolitan mob. To the few of you who may think that plot is interesting enough to consider buying this book: rent Rush Hour and Lethal Weapon and save yourself twenty bucks.
   
   The twists and turns in this novel are not only unpredictable but unbelievable as well. The love story (gasp!) between the two detectives is an obvious dog-bone for the middle-aged housewives devouring the novel between episodes of Matlock. The characters are all stock heroes and villains, nothing more than archetypal collages of hundreds of characters you've seen or read before. The only thing offered as character development is a series of ridiculous back-stories which are revealed halfway through the novel and for some reason change everything. And, in the end, Carcaterra doesn't leave us with an even remotely entertaining shoot-out. Carcaterra may have helped to create one of the most popular TV crime shows on the air, but his talents are more suited for NBC, where a bad episode only wastes an hour of a person's time and may be brightened by a preview of the newest episode of Scrubs. Or even Joey.



4. this is an enjoyable read. Not great but good enough to have me search out his other novels. The ending is a bit much and the romance is gratuitious. Not all that orginal in plot or character but well written withal and some page turning invloved. Must go now and gnaw on my bone



5. While born in New York City, Giancarlo Lo Manto now is a cop in Naples, Italy. He ended up in Italy as a teenager after his father was killed by a don of the Camorra -- a known criminal organization. He made a promise to himself to get revenge for his father's death. He was working to stop illegal drug trafficking of drugs and other similar crimes with the intention to try and save families from the grief he himself had experienced.
   
   Pete Rossi, who is the son of the man who had ordered his father's death, decides he wants to lure Lo Manto back to the city to die. He does it by having Lo Manto's niece Paula (an exchange student) turn up missing. Jennifer Fabini, a New York detective, is then assigned to help Lo Manto and realizes it puts her in the middle of something bigger than she expected. Lo Manto is a guy who always seems to know exactly what to do and has the right connections to get what he wants done.
   
   A romance does end up developing between Jennifer and Lo Manto, but it's done in a way that I wondered why Carcaterra added it to the plot. Lorenzo Carcaterra is a producer and writer for the TV series Law & Order which makes sense of why some of the narrative reads like a TV script. It ends with an obvious showdown between Lo Manto and Rossi, but even though I saw it coming, was expecting it, was waiting for it I enjoyed it very much, probably because I like a good story about Revenge.
   
   Reviewed by Vesta Irene, Number One fan of Ken Douglas, writer of Dead Ringer, Desperation Moon & Running Scared. One of the advantages of being married to a writer is that there are plenty of good books around the house. It's turned me into quite a reader of mysteries and thrillers. In addition to Ken's books you might also want to check out Chasers & Sleepers, two other fine thrillers by Lorenzo Carcaterra.

5 comments about Chasers.

1. John Frontieri aka Boomer is an ex-cop with part of a lung missing but he is financially stable because he lives on three quarters of a pension with full health benefits. In 1982, he and other ex-cops who were injured and forced to retire formed the Apaches, a rogue police unit that went after and took down a drug queen and her entire posse. Three years later the Apaches with three new members are on the streets again to take down a South American drug lord, Angel who was a former priest before he turned to the dark side.
   
   The reason Boomer and company, including Buttercup, a drug sniffing dog who can hold her own with the Apaches, wants Angel dead is because he ordered a hit on a couple of the G-men (Ceerzule brothers) in a restaurant and Boomer's niece was collateral damage. The new members are Ash a former arson investigator scared by a fire and Quincy who is in the early stages of AIDs. They manipulate the various crime lords having them at each others throats, accept help from the mob who wants a piece of Angel's turf and they take heavy chances that cost Angel big time. In the end, it is not their street smarts that determine the outcome but a little help from those on the wrong side of the law.
   
   Many readers will wonder what the difference is between the Apaches and the criminals they battle and the answer is not much. Both cross the line into questionable activities as the Apaches act as judge, jury and executioners not paying attention to civil rights. Surprisingly, for such a dark shoot-em-up crime thriller Lorenzo Carcaterra has a way with characterization that brings an anchor of reality to the mix. Dark humor, characters that are shades of grey and the belief that any means to an end is good are the hallmark elements of CHASERS.
   
   Harriet Klausner



2. 
   
   The Apaches are back in 1985 Manhattan, Carcaterra's coterie of disaffected, disabled former cops, all forced by numerous injuries to retire on disability, the cold fire of vengeance temporarily banked. Both street-smart and street-weary, these ex-cops have seen it all and survived their wounds, at least the visible ones, their coping skills somewhat frayed. When the innocent niece of Giovanni "Boomer" Frontieri is caught in gang crossfire, he decides to cut to the heart of the matter and take out those responsible, even if it means open warfare with the strongest contenders on the street, the Columbians, the G-Men, or Father Angel, a cold-hearted ex-priest. Soon the others gather around their partner, stylized heroes all: Dead-Eye, Rev. Jim, Quincy, Ash, even a disabled drug-sniffing dog. Laying the groundwork for their vigilante assault on the vermin who prey on the streets of Manhattan, they all know the risks and arrange for a little backup from the Russian mob.
   
   The author takes his time building the story, the characters introduced one by one in their natural surroundings, drug dealers, hit men, the Apaches. But for all the death and violence on the streets of New York, the almost oblivious continuation of inter-gang warfare, a blueprint for a convulsive collision of drug lords and Apaches, the characters are emotionally disengaged. So carefully has the author built this house of cards that none of the protagonists (Boomer, Dead-Eye, Rev. Jim, Ash, or Quincy) are accessible as living, breathing actors on a particularly brutal stage. The full-court press of predictable bad guys, assassins, the Boiler Man, Angel, the G-Men and a Russian mob queen, are the usual stereotypes, conscienceless killers. That spark of passion that allows a reader to root for the good guys is strangely absent, but for a final twist at the end. Perhaps that is Carcaterra's point; when we become as violent as our opponents, even in pursuit of justice, there is no difference. Luan Gaines/2007.



3. An exciting and well-written book that I highly recommend.
   I could not put it down and the ending is climactic. If you like the gritty world of cops and criminals you want to read this one.



4. I NEVER throw away a book, especially before I've finished, until "Chasers." The dialogue in this book is probably the worst I've ever read; every character sounds the same, they all take two paragraphs to speak a simple thought and the dialogue is so stilted it sounds like Shakespearean actors doing a SNL skit. Laughably bad. Try reading the dialogue aloud...
   
   Overall, I found "Chasers" to be frustrating to read, found myself grinding my teeth in parts. Wouldn't recommend this to anyone.
   For good crime fiction, try T. Jefferson Parker, Robt. Crais, the gteat Lee Child or any of a dozen more. This guy Carcaterra is a wanna be.



5. I've read some very well written books by Lorenzo Carcaterra but "Chasers" is not one of them. The story was impossible to follow, the dialogue all sounded the same...all of it too hip for the room... and every character's introduction was hampered by a backstory that detracted from the pace and continuity of the book. And this is some of the 'better' apsects of the novel.
   
   After making it through about 70 pages I put the book down, regretting the $25 plus dollars I shelled out to be bored and disappointed.

5 comments about Dangerous Women: Original Stories from Today's Greatest Suspense Writers.

1. Having learned to trust editor Penzler's tastes over the years through reading installments of The Best American Mystery Stories and The Best American Crime Writing, and such memorable anthologies as Murder For Revenge and Murder and Obsession, I eagerly anticipated reading his latest offering, Dangerous Women. After reading the first few tales, I knew the master hadn't lost his touch. Of course, when you're dealing with the work of writers of the stature of Ed McBain ("Improvisation"), Joyce Carol Oates ("Give Me Your Heart"), Elmore Leonard ("Loudly and Pretty Boy"), and Nelson DeMille ("Rendezvous"), it's hard to go wrong.
   
   Although the "old dependables" above deliver some truly memorable tales (DeMille's entry, about a female Vietcong sniper, is especially gripping), they by no means outshine any of the other thirteen stories, including Michael Connelly's "Cielo Azul," featuring his popular characters Harry Bosch and Terry McCaleb, Jeffrey Deaver's surprising "Born Bad," Anne Perry's oddly touching "Sneaker Wave," and John Connelly's macabre "Mr. Gray's Folly." Penzler delivers plenty of variety, enough to satisfy almost any taste.
   
   In his introduction, reflecting on Sherlock Holmes' and Nero Wolfe's views on women, the editor notes:
   
   "...neither Holmes nor Wolfe ever met the dangerous women on these pages. They would have been shocked and appalled. But, as I predict you, too, will be, they would have been fascinated."
   
   Penzler's prediction is entirely accurate. Acknowledging that it's still very early in the year, I'd have to say that he's compiled a certain contender for Best Anthology of 2005.



2. Dangerous Women is an audiobook anthology of original short stories featuring femme fatales and deadly anti-heroines. Some written in the spirit of ancient legends, others very much owing their heritage to modern popular culture, these women range from seductive to murderous to superbly manipulative. Featuring stories by Ed McBain, Joyce Carol Oates, Michael Connelly, and many more, these suspenseful tails are sure to keep the listener guessing about what's in store - whether for the predatory female or the males who come too close. 10 CDs, approximately 11.5 hours, unabridged.



3. With a few exceptions, I am disappointed in this collection of shorts. Great concept but what a bunch of lousy submissions apart from Jeffery Deaver's 'Born Bad'. The book is worth it just for this story.
   
   Did these, for the most part well known and highly regarded writers, do a quickie favor for the editor? It would appear so. The average reader will be able to guess at the ending about a paragraph into the story. Second, the "dangerous women" seem to be stuck on sadism against men originating in lack of or too much of - you got it, sex. And finally, apart from one or two selections, the shorts derive their plot line from mainly noirish elements...cops, tough guys...bleak urban landscapes, and yes...dangerous femmes fatales...give me a break.
   
   You want dangerous women? See Barbara Stanwyck in Double Indemnity or read the novel by James Cain.



4. Otto Penzler has knows how to build to a climax, that's for sure, and of all the hot noir anthologies he's put together, this could be the best. Kudos for stating the obvious (aren't all women dangerous?).
   
   Two of the stories in this anthology (BORN BAD & HIS LORD AND MASTER) are up for Edgar Awards in 2006, and that's just the tip of the...iceberg, so to speak. Laura Lippman's story might be my personal fave, but then again I AM a girl and many men would not be up to this one - be forewarned, boys. Nelson DeMille's story is fabulous. So is Elmore Leonard's. Come to think of it, I didn't meet a story in this book that I did not like.
   
   The writing is fabulous and groundbreaking from start to finish. The entire book is brimming with great writing and sometimes disturbingly surprising sensual undertones.
   
   Incredible here-and-now entertainment of the though-provoking kind. Highly recommended.



5. A sensational collection of short stories with great female characters by leading authors including Connelly, Deaver, McBain, Lippmann, Leonard, Perry. Like all compilation collections by different authors you have superb masterpieces along with stories which aren't that great. There are enough masterpieces within though to make Dangerous Women a must read!
   
   The first story Improvisation by Ed McBain starts of with the response by a beautiful blonde (Jessica) to a guy's (Will) bar pickup line of "What do we do for a little excitement tonight?" "Why don't we kill somebody?" Will thinks she's flirting and as she pints out an unattractive loner woman to be the victim he suggests ways how they do this then still thinking its all a game asks the victim to join them.
   
   Improvisation is not the only masterpiece within. Laura Lippman's Dear Penthouse Forum (A First Draft) has a stranded passenger who needs to sleep overnight in the terminal being offered money for a hotel by an older good samaritan lady which his conscience just won't let him take. She then offers him to stay in her guestroom at her nearby house he decides he can do this since he'll give the lonely woman certain favours in return.
   
   Rendevous by Nelson De Mille has a Vietnam veteran recounts the tale of a beautiful sniper who targets the squad he led on patrol as lieutenant and they feared more than any male counterpart.
   
   Ian Rainkin's Soft Spot has a pathetic prison censor named Denis who reads all incoming and outgoing mail. Like all the guards he would like a piece of the beautiful Selina who is the wife or jailed mobster Blaine. Becoming obsessed with her he learns she is having an affair and is selling Blaine's house obviously about to do a runner. He may well be able to blackmail her for his pleasure to keep certain things from her husband.
   
   Born Bad by Jeffry Deaver has a daughter who never got along with her parents who chose never to raise a hand to discipline her. As she got older they became more and more disappointed in her rebellious lifestyle. Now she is grown up, the mother is a widow and has tracked down her daughter. The daughter has accepted to see her but the mother does not know if she has accepted because she has turned her life around or if the rage has developed further and she will want to kill her.
   
   If you enjoyed this collection and are looking for more sensational books with great female characters also check out either the Jessica Jones or Anna Fehrbach series by Christopher Nicole. Gerald Hammond has also written his fair share of great female leads. Kate White's Bailey Wiggins character is another series worth checking out as well.

5 comments about Gangster.

1. Wow! I just finished this book today and it was the best fiction mafia book ive ever read. Ive read all the Mario Puzo books and many non-fiction OC books and this was in my top 10! When i read i could feel what Angelo and Gabe were feeling throughout the book. Everything is accounted for so vividly you feel like you are there watching everything like a movie. I recommend this to anyone no matter what your interests are-its amazing!



2. Credibility? The author acknowledges the assistance of more than a dozen people in the writing of the book...and not a single one of them explained to him that the end of the barrel of a gun is called the "muzzle," NOT the "nozzle." Whenever someone looked down the "nozzle" of a handgun, I expected them to get extinguished with water.
   
   Sorry, folks, but something like this ruins the whole book. It's not a typo and it's not a minor error. It's evidence that the author doesn't really know what he's talking about and doesn't really care. All of the pontificating about the life of a "gangster" is basically crap.
   
   Of course, there are numerous other errors and problems with the book, but this is typical of the whole. The style is good...too bad about the rest.



3. I do not understand how this book has garnered the reviews and acclaim that it has. It is anything but a classic. It cannot be mentioned in the same breath as The Godfather or The Sicilian. Agreed, it is about organised crime, but there the similarities end. This book is essentially pulp fiction, worthy of an airport newsstand. Completely disposable. It is a microwave meal of a gangster book. OK if you are hungry but imparting little nutrition and leaving you wishing you had consumed something better.
   
   The characters, from main players Angelo Vestieri, Pudge, and Gabe right through to lesser characters like Richie Scarafino all suffer from a common ailment; They are paper thin, unconvincing, shallow and intrusively so throughout reading the book. One never ever forgets that this is a book whilst reading it. Carcaterra is present at all times, his hamfist hacking away at the rockface of this effort. You are never immersed in its world. If you are ever close to being so, it is not through the book itself, but rather through one's familiarity with the genre as a result of superior works by other authors. Plot devices are conspicuous. Moments intended to be emotionally powerful, are signposted far, far in advance, clumsily executed and go off like dud fireworks when you finally get there. The book feels like a budget TV movie, a pseudo-epic.
   
   It is an OK story, but so poor in its final form. One wonders whether this may have been a draft, which was never polished. It feels uneven in its consistency. The story itself is filled with parts which are just not credible. The death of Vestieri's father is truly weak and incredible. Pudge's death is mildly sad but hardly operatic. Contrast this with Sonny's assassination. Contrast ANY character from The Sicilian with ANY character from Gangster. Its three dimensions versus one dimension. Its living, breathing originality versus derivative, dead, sketchy and immature imitation.
   
   The whole book feels like it is written by a teenager. There is no attention to detail, and seemingly no knowledge of the world in which the book is set - a great surprise considering Carcaterra's reputation for being born and bred within such an environment. The scenes of violence in the book are childishly written and gory without having any impact. Paper characters killing even thinner ones. Small details can be irritating, for example; `The man ...picked up a black homing device with a green button in the center. He pressed down on the button and turned his head away from the dock. The explosion rocked the alley...'. Since when do homing devices have detonators built into them? Early sections when pipsqueaks Angelo and Pudge run a crime empire as teenagers are embarrassingly unconvincing. Teenagers as killers - yes. Teenagers as `Bosses' - no way.
   
   Carcaterra ends many a section of the book with yet more corny Gangster fantasy trailer-voiceover speak. `He was a stone-hearted killer quick to eliminate any enemy who presented the slightest threat to his empire. He was Angelo Vestieri. A gangster'. The much feted `twist' at the end is just so utterly corny and not remotely worth waiting for. By the time you get there, it really doesn't matter anyway. Worthy of a daytime soap perhaps.
   
   Don't believe the hype. This book is childish and very disappointing. One cliché after another. It's a moneyspinner, cynically marketed at an audience created by the works of much better authors. This would be perfect for a TV miniseries, replete with half-baked gangsters, hammy accents, cheesy epic orchestral scores (in the Italian stylee - to take you there), cliff hanger moments cutting to commercials, B-movie melodramatics. Mark my words. The only hope for this may be if the cast provide the depth necessary to breath some life into this complete dud. Gangster? Best advice? Fuggedaboudit! Go and read The Sicilian.
   
   It was a disappointment. It was a big bag of clichés. It was weak and thin. It was GANGSTER.



4. 
   Other than The Godfather........this is the Mafia book to own. This book grabbed me from the first page and kept me to the last. I love how this book chronicles the life of Angelo, from when he was a kid to the end; how he got started onto the path of being a gangster all the way up to being the boss of bosses. & how gabe's life was followed from youth to adult as well. Everything tied together well. The characters made you feel for them.
   
   If you loved The Godfather & have been searching for another MAFIA book that will leave you with a similar impact, then search no further.
   
   GANGSTER IS A MAFIA BOOK TO OWN.



5. Wow...i just finished this book and am so amped up right now. This was phenominal to say the least.. i wish i could give it 6 stars. I love gangster movies like The departed, Scarface, American Gangster. i decided to try out this book called Gangster since the title alone had me hooked and curious. This books takes off like a rocket but kind of piddles in the middle at a certain point and i wondered if it was worth finishing but I am SOOO glad i did. This is one of my favorite books of all time and i may go reread it again since i rechecked it out at the library. I also liked the little tidbits of information about the life of Gangsters, such as their habits and what they lie and dislike...
   Peace out.