The Black Hand: The Epic War Between a Brilliant Detective and the Deadliest Secret Society in American History by Stephan Talty
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
The Black Hand is the true story of a dastardly, crime centered Society of the Black Hand and the detective who lost his life in the battle to bring peace. It centers on NYC in the early 1900s but the strength of this group was far reaching. The Italian immigrants were fighting for their lives daily and trying to survive against extortion, kidnapping, bombings, and murder. The powers that be did nothing to help as the racism of the United States was rearing its ugly head again. This is something that we have seen time and time again throughout this country’s entire history. It is very upsetting and aggravating. The author weaves a very engaging and engrossing tale that I did not want to put down. The level of details and the depth of research is evident. This is a part of history that I had no knowledge of, and it was fascinating. The Black Hand was like a precursor to the mafia here in the states. It was cool to learn about Joseph Petrosino and his attempts to eliminate this shadowy group. He did all this amazing work in the face of such opposition, even within he ranks of his fellow members of the police force. Society at the time was unraveling and the public was petrified across the country. In sad similarities to how some people think today, Italian immigrants (specifically people from the south of Italy) were treated horrifically. The corruption in the powers of the city and the reluctance to view the immigrants as equals led to continuation of this horror long after it could have been stopped. There was a scene where the funeral was being described that had me at the edge of tears. It was beautifully and heroically described. The one thing I didn’t like (at no fault of the author) was how people got away with things, especially people in power. Accountability and consequences were lacking which is fundamentally infuriating to me. People were trying to live their lives but they had to worry about the wicked actions of their fellow countrymen. It is heartbreaking. Joseph, the great detective of his time, deserved better and he should be remembered. This book is a great step and I wish more people would read it.
Affiliate Link:
Tag: murder
A Soggy Bottom Bake And A Spoon Full Of Unremarkable Characters
The Golden Spoon by Jessa Maxwell
My rating: 1 of 5 stars
The Golden Spoon is about a baking show involving 6 contestants held on the grounds of a manor who is owned by the host of the show. This season, a secondary host is brought in to help liven it up. It follows the competition as well as the lives of the people staying at the house during the taping. It technically takes place in Vermont but the entire time I was thinking it was England due to the obvious nod to The Great British Bake Off. There are secrets, murder, and some baking. The book featured chapters from each of the contestants in the first person but then the host was 3rd person. The sheer number of narrators and the change of perspective was grating. One character was young, full of herself, and unlikeable. Another was very two dimensional and fake. It seemed he was written as a caricature instead of a real person. 2 other characters were interchangeable to me. One had no impact on the story whatsoever. I had to constantly refer to the front where backstories and descriptions were written out. They just didn’t pop and were not unique. The writing bothered me as well. There were things that didn’t add up and didn’t make sense like a character described as doing something then completing that same action a few paragraphs later. Once, the phrase “this far into the competition” was used and it was only the second day. I rolled my eyes. The same silent scream metaphor was used too many times and the use of a wardrobe was cliché. It was all too predictable as well. I could see the connection a mile away. This was not a mystery or a thriller or any combination of the two. The inside cover provides false, leading statements about how the book unfolds. I would say one good thing was that it was a quick and easy read. I would say do not bother with this one as there are much better books dealing with baking and/or murder.
View all my reviews
Expensive Wine Will Kill You and Avoid Cave Exploration to Save Yourself
The Sentence is Death by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
I was hoping that this book would be different than the first one. Sadly, I still do not like the two main characters at all. The Sentence of Death is another book about Hawthorne, the detective, and Anthony, the writer. This time it follows them as they try to solve the death of a divorce lawyer. Another guy, who knew the lawyer, also died the day previous. It is a typical murder investigation with twists and turns. Red herrings and lies abound. The team of two do what they do to find out how everything links and who did what. There is cave exploration, relationship drama, a book club, scripts, and the writing world. There is also mention of wine which is funny and weird as I just got done reading The Billionaire’s Vinegar which involved the rare wine world. I read the jacket of this one and smiled at the mention of a 1982 Châteu Lafite. I also just started listening to the Currently Reading podcast which brought me to this series in the first place (I won’t blame them) but another book they mentioned was also mentioned here. Just two funny little coincidences. I did think the actual plot of the book was ok. I did guess before they officially revealed the solution but just barely. It was interesting how things connected between people and events. After saying that though, the same things that bothered me about the first book pissed me off here. First off, Hawthorne is a self-centered asshole. He is homophobic and doesn’t care how his actions affect others. The only thing he has going for him is his ability to solve crimes but that still doesn’t mask his unpleasantness. It is funny because the actual author of the book writes “you cannot have a central character who is simply, by his very nature, unpleasant, and although I wouldn’t have used that word to describe Hawthorne, there were moments”. Apparently, you can. Secondly, it is interesting that the author writes himself as a bumbling idiot. He has no self-respect, he cannot say no, and he unconsciously tries to foil the investigation. It is beyond annoying. I despise bullies and this book had a couple. I already mentioned one but then the cops. It just frustrates me beyond belief that people get away doing things without consequences. I also did not like the ending. I did have the rest of the books sitting here from the library, but I don’t think I can continue the series right now. It just aggravates me too much.
View all my reviews
Best Fiction Book In Years and Wanting To Skip Eating, Work, and Sleep to Finish
I Am Pilgrim by Terry Hayes
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I am Pilgrim is the best fiction book I have read in years! Terry Hayes is a master storyteller. He weaves an alluring, investigative thriller surrounding a plot to unleash hell on earth. The book has another crime storyline that just barely kisses up to the main story but adds to the overall excitement. It follows a member of the intelligence community and one of the most calculating & devious villains I have ever seen. He is out for revenge and will stop at nothing to get it. The planning and execution is unbelievably detailed. I love how we find out little bits at a time. I found myself getting frustrated and agitated with the antagonist (but I loved it!) which drew me in deeper. It was the mark of a well written character. The story integrates multiple characters, timelines, and plots but it is done seamlessly. There is murder, secrets, high stakes, and great locations. It has a great balance of good and evil as well as successes and failures. The see-saw of it all was amazing. I love how in the first chapter or so the reader is thrown for a loop and I was made to check my assumptions. There was a part where I felt physically nauseous due to what was happening and the description. A book that can elicit physical reactions also rates high for me. I cannot identify one detracting factor, so I am going to go out on a limb and say this novel is perfection! The main character comes alive and it is like you are along for the ride. He is portrayed so well, and he has faults too, so it makes it more realistic and engaging. He makes mistakes which heightens the pressure and stakes. The scenarios are full of energy and tension. The little hints and foreshadows at the end of chapters just basically forced me to keep going. Terry Hayes is funny and clever writer. The way he phrases things is great. “A rope of gold chains around his neck big enough to anchor a cruise line.” I did not want to put it down. I didn’t want to go to sleep. I toyed with calling in sick to work (I didn’t but I wanted to) just so I can read some more. If I could give it 6 stars I would. This should move to the top of everyone’s TBR pile immediately.
Affiliate Link:
Bored To Death and Other Queer, Geeky Ways To Die
Board to Death by C.J. Connor
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
This is about 30-year-old guy who chooses to come back to Utah and help run a board game shop for his father as his father was diagnosed with a medical issue. He is gay and recently divorced. A shop owner neighbor comes into his life as a murder takes place on his doorstep. The murder seems to revolve around an original game that predates Monopoly. There is a small amount of romance and an even smaller amount of mystery. I am not sure how to classify this one. I cannot find a genre to place it in. The book dips it’s toe into a few different classification pools but never takes the plunge. The main character, Ben, annoyed me slightly. I am not a fan of the meek, easily scared, or pitiful literary trope and unfortunately Ben fits this mold. Granted, it is not as strong with him as other characters, but it still applies. There were two quotes that I did enjoy though. “I loved attempting to read Dune. It was so much easier to accomplish than actually finishing it.” I relate as I have attempted several times to get more than 50 pages into that novel. The other I thought was funny and unique was “I’d had a bowl of Thin Mints doused in milk for breakfast, for goodness sakes. You can’t ethically expose the world to yourself when you are in that state of mind.” Sadly, two good quotes do not a good novel make. Ben was not a good sleuth (he just started giving all his own information away at one point) and it felt that he had no impact on moving the story along. I can’t recall of anything he did by himself. It was bland but a very easy read. I did like that it had queer elements though. You can skip Board to Death and play Solitaire instead.
View all my reviews
Hawthorne Is An Asshole And Other Manipulations
The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This book is about an ass of a detective and an easily manipulated writer with boundary issues. The writer is orchestrated into writing this book, as evident by the book in hand, and it follows an investigation into the death a woman who plans her funeral hours before her murder. We get a first-person account which allows the reader to join in on the adventure and the inner thoughts of the author. I really did enjoy the structure and concept behind the book. A writer writes about himself in a semi-fictional world, in which he creates this intriguing story but interweaves real people, shows, and movies. The name drops are cool and London is a great setting. It did interest me right away and I found it an easy read. It was quick and held my attention throughout. There were phrasings throughout that were teasing and playful which made me smirk. However, there were things that I definitely did not like. As mentioned above, in my opinion, the detective is an ass. He had only 1 redeeming quality and that was his intelligence and shrewdness (is that technically two?). Otherwise, he is a jerk who is manipulative and doesn’t care how he interjects himself into other people’s lives or how he affects others. He doesn’t even have the courtesy to pay for him own stuff. There are plenty of manipulative (on his account) behaviors and boundary issues (on both the main character’s part) in this book. The writer just can’t say no. As the reader, I can see it plain as day and I did not like it. There were also a couple discrepancies that bothered me and the common phrase in these novels that popped up, “I should have stopped.” There was one other characteristic that made me despise the detective, which I won’t mention so you can find out for yourself. Overall, it had some really good aspects and some aspects that really got under my skin. I will see what the next book in the series brings though.
View all my reviews