book review | The Rat-Catcher’s Daughter by K.J. Charles | 0.5

Author: K.J. Charles
Title: The Rat-Catcher’s Daughter
Series: Lilywhite Boys 0.5
Genre: Historical Fiction; LGBT Romance
Pages: 59
Rate: 5/5 | Goodreads

How much action can 59 pages fit? Well, according to “The Rat-Catcher’s Daughter” by K.J. Charles – a lot.

About the Book: A street gang jumps for power by terrorizing those less fortunate, and other “freelancers” as themselves. Pressure, payments, bought debts that grow greater. But Lilywhite boys aren’t easy to push and force into something they don’t feel like doing…

My Opinion: Fights, threats, people flying out the windows, utter chaos and a beautiful love story with a sweet unexpected turn, as, actually, should be expected from K.J.C.

As always, a fantastic book. I’m not even biased over gangsters. Well… Okay, just a little bit. 5 out of 5.

book review | Death and Destruction by Patricia Logan | 1

Author: Patricia Logan
Title: Death and Destruction
Series: Death and Destruction 1
Pages: Crime; LGBT Romance
Pages: 460
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

I keep trying to tidy out my home library, so I’ve dusted some more TBR old-timers for the end of the year. This time with some good crime thriller “Death and Destruction” by Patricia Logan.

About the Book: After a long nightmarish work undercover Wolf must go into witness protection program just to survive until one of the most dangerous gangsters gets behind bars for life. An ex marine to guard him, Jared, a man with his own demons to fight. Together they try to survive and not give in to ever growing feelings for one another.

My Opinion: Pretty good, high tension bits were epic, interesting backgrounds, fun time with sniper prep. Could have been more of that and less of relationship clichés.

All in all a very decent book. 4 out of 5 from me, might just read another too.

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book review | Among the Living by Jordan Castillo Price | PsyCop 1

Author: Jordan Castillo Price
Title: Among the Living
Series: PsyCop 1
Genre: Paranormal Romance; LGBT Literature
Pages: 156
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

Since there’s less time to read before the holidays hit, I’m on a hunt for shorter books. The first one I found that required some virtual dusting is “Among The Living” by Jordan Castillo Price. Pretty good for the paranormal mystery detective that’s this short.

About the Book: To solve crimes police force uses teams of two. A psychic detective, someone able to communicate with the dead on scene. And regular, someone able to keep cool and match unheard testimonies to evidence. But the new cases leave even someone as strong as Victor – baffled. There’s just no one on the scene to talk to. As if the soul moved on or…

My Opinion: Simple but good, easy to read, with pretty good protagonists. Though I somehow ended up liking the side characters better. They just had more dynamic to them, more story, more substance. Detective itself was nice, a little bit scary, a little bit twisty, just enough to keep you interested in what’s next.

Pretty good, will read more, 4 out of 5.

How’s you with time for books as holidays creep in?

book review | The Ice Man by Philip Carlo

Author: Philip Carlo
Title: The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer
Series: –
Genre: True Crime; Biography
Pages: 410
Rate: 5/5 | Goodreads

“The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer” by Philip Carlo is not an easy book to get into, but it’s definitely worth it. Dark, horrible, and absolutely fascinating tale of Richard Kuklinski, the ice cold killer.

About the Book: Fathered by a brutal man and not wholly there mother Richard witnessed his father beat his brother to death. Yet he doesn’t blame his upbringing for the things he did. In his words, paraphrasing, what he did, he chose to do. And the only thing he truly regrets is not killing his father when there was a chance. Other than that, it was all fair game. From rivals, snitches, bad guys in general, to passerby’s who just happened to be there when he was out to test his new toy, rowdy teens or just stupid drivers. The only taboo in Kuklinski’s book were women and children.

My Opinion: Rats eating people alive, body parts torn off, sharks, cyanide, an arsenal of weapons that allowed him to walk the streets for so long – no one suspected it could be one man doing so much work, from testing, training, to contract killing or outright justice slaying. Brutal to a point where it’s hard to wrap your mind around he went out of his way to save trafficked children, murdering rapists with pleasure. Never cheated on his wife, loved his children dearly, and at the end – did his best to lessen their involvement when it all came out.

It’s a tough book. This man here had golden traits to him that some good people are falling short on. But then, he was an absolute monster. Can only hope there’s no more of such walking the streets. A 5 out of 5, chilling tale indeed. Made worse by the truth of it.

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book review | Hunting Whitey by Casey Sherman

Author: Casey Sherman
Title: Hunting Whitey
Series: –
Genre: True Crime; Nonfiction
Pages: 368
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

Not gonna lie, I had no clue who James “Whitey” Bulger was up until reading “Hunting Whitey” by Casey Sherman. A life and death book of a legendary South Boston mob boss.

About the Book: A ruthless mob boss, self proclaimed gentleman, and a loving father to his children. James “Whitey” Bulger’s name is mentioned along side such notorious ones as Al Capone or Vito Genovese. This is a book of his long overdue capture, long and tough years in prison, and death by murder.

My Opinion: A pretty good book, well written, with plenty of details and names (an important factor for fact-checking). I’m just surprised I had no clue who this man was, since he was second most wanted man in the USA, just after Osama bin Laden.

While the book is good, and I approve of it for October, if you just want a tale of mobsters and gangsters, I’d go with something more fun, like one of those Hollywood Godfather books (there’s a few “former” gangsters who wrote amazing memoirs). But this one gets a solid 4 out of 5.

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book review | Finders Keepers by Stephen King | Bill Hodges Trilogy 2

Author: Stephen King
Title: Finders Keepers
Series: Bill Hodges Trilogy 2
Genre: Thriller, Horror Literature
Page: 434
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

Mh, still a no. I liked “Finders Keepers” by Stephen King, second book in Bill Hodges Trilogy, about as much as I liked Mr. Mercedes. Which isn’t much.

About the Book: Obsessed with characters, fictional world, Morris Bellamy commits to robbery and even murder. But those aren’t the reasons he’s in prison. No, this torture was just a drunken error. And the only thing that keeps him alive all this time is his treasure. The notebooks he stole from his most loved and hated author. Notebooks that are safe, waiting for him. Notebooks that have been found by a boy who read them too and now burns with the same obsession Morris feels… 

My Opinion: This isn’t the first book by King on insane readers. Makes one wonder, doesn’t it? Anyway, the book is written very well. Characters are on point. But the problem is with the middle. Good start, strong ending, with almost nothing other than air in between. Sure there’s a little bit of insight into character inner workings. And some tension due to some mean fellas. But that’s about that. The rest is pushing time and pages.

Saying which I still can’t claim the book is bad, and will give it a solid, firm 3 out of 5. 

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book review | Mr. Mercedes by Stephen King | 1

Author: Stephen King
Title: Mr. Mercedes
Series: Bill Hodges Trilogy 1
Genre: Thriller; Horror
Pages: 437
Rate: 3/5 | Goodreads

Stephen King has his own peculiar writing style. Sometimes it works really well with the plot he’s writing. Other times, like in “Mr. Mercedes” book, it gets in the way.

About the Book: Some wicked man plows into a crowd of people with a stolen Mercedes and disappears without a trace. Nobody knows how he stole the car. Nobody knows who he is. Nobody knows if he’ll do it again. Except for the retired detective Bill Hodges who has received a letter from the criminal. In the letter he describes everything, how he done it, why, how it made him feel. On top of that, he seemingly tries to step on every Bill’s toe, and poke at every sore spot. The bastard is trying to push the detective into the darkness haunting his mind, underestimating the old fella. For Bill doesn’t feel more sorry for himself, no. It gets a fire burning under him with this mad will to catch the little cocky shithead…

My Opinion: The best part of the book is the old-school noir-caveman retired detective, with his quirky old ways. For instance, it baffled him to no end someone could scan the papers for him and print it on the spot, instead of having him run find a copying place. But the story itself wasn’t very captivating, nor very interesting.

It’s alright. Not good. Not bad. A 3 out of 5.

[IG | LT.IG]

book review | Indebted by J.L. Beck | 1

Author: J.L. Beck
Title: Indebted
Series: A Kingpin Love Affair 1
Genre: Romance; Mafia
Pages: 160
Rate: 2/5 | Goodreads

Wow, okay, this was bad. Picked up “Indebted” by J.L. Beck, A Kingpin Love Affair book. Mafia romance is bad almost without exception. But this was next level dull.

About the Book: Bree’s father is indebted to the mafia and they’re here to collect. Having nothing to give them, he’s about to die as his daughter steps out and offers herself as repayment. Alzerro King, the mafia king, agrees, and the young woman falls into the deep dark web of criminal world.

My Opinion: The book was short and consisted mostly out of the emotional state of the two main characters, their inner monologues about each other. Mafia work apparently consists out of fear for double agents, great deal of talk about them, and some anger issues to spice things up. Bad guys might as well carry a sign “I’m the traitor“, and cliff hanger the book ends with is eye-roll worthy.

Another tale of a broken bad boy whom this good girl will fix. A 2 out of 5 is the best I can do.

[IG | LT.IG]

book review | Flawless by Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell

Author: Scott Andrew Selby, Greg Campbell
Title: Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History
Series: –
Genre: Nonfiction; True Crime
Pages: 336
Rate: 5/5 | Goodreads

I’m a great fan of a great heist story, true or fictional. So “Flawless: Inside the Largest Diamond Heist in History” by Scott Andrew Selby and Greg Campbell was definitely my cup of tea.

About the Book: Months and months of painstaking planning, preparations, evaluations, allowed a group of robbers to enter what was considered an impenetrable vault at the heart of all diamonds, Antwerp, Belgium. They left with 108 million dollars worth of loot. Just to get caught over a bagful of refuse… But not before they stashed away their bounty.

My Opinion: It’s strange to think this really happened and isn’t a fictional story. The planning, the details of it, at times it reached Ocean’s 12 levels, just without the Hollywood magic – it took a very long time. The story is very interesting and intense, even when you know how it ends or why.

Not bad. Maybe not worth a whole 5 out of 5, but there’s nothing I can take anything away for.

[IG] | [EN. IG]

book review | Master Thieves by Stephen Kurkjian | true crime

Author: Stephen Kurkjian
Title: Master Thieves
Series: –
Genre: True Crime; Heist
Pages: 272
Rate: 4/5 | Goodreads

I had to brush the dust off “Master Thieves” by Stephen Kurkjian, that’s how long it sat in my TBR pile.

About the Book: In 1990 thirteen pieces of artwork have been stolen from a low security Boston museum. And to this day the case remains open, with even the Boston gangsters trying to help out. For the heist was so perfect, covering every loose end so well, that the art remains missing, and the case remains unsolved.

My Opinion: The book is not very interesting to read, and I dare say its due to a tad dry-ish writing style, because its good for what it is. Well paced, with plenty of details, and on interesting topic. Doesn’t get you invested though.

It’s worth the while if you like books about heists. A 4 out of 5 from me.