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The first review is out for Blood Red Turns Dollar Green Vol. 2!!! It’s a great, spoiler free piece by Chris Pilkington over at Collar and Elbow.



THE FOLLOW-UP to Paul O’Brien’s best-selling novel Blood Red Turns Dollar Green hits shelves next Friday 26 April. This wrestling/crime series managed to wow audiences last year, including The Hardcore Legend himself Mick Foley, and so it was with much delight that we received an advance copy of the second novel. Having already interviewed O’Brien about his hopes for the second book, it’s safe to say that our anticipation was high, but does Volume 2 live up to our rather lofty expectations? Chris Pilkington had the privilege of finding out…

Some eight months ago, I stumbled upon a book named Blood Red Turns Dollar Green, an organised crime thriller set in the territorial wrestling industry in the late sixties and early seventies. Intrigued, I contacted author Paul O’Brien with the hope of being able to review the book for this site. As you’re probably aware by now, Paul agreed and I had the privilege of discovering one of my favourite books of last year.

The engrossing tale of Danno Garland and his attempts to nationalise his wrestling territory via any means necessary hooked me from start to finish. When the opportunity to review the direct sequel came up I jumped at the chance, relishing being able to climb back into a world that had very much stayed in my consciousness since that first read, yet somewhat nervous that it wouldn’t live up to my expectations. I read Volume 2 on a Kindle and as such can tell you that any fears I may have had disappeared completely 14 percent of the way in … and I never looked back.

As a direct sequel it’s hard to talk too much about the plot without spoiling the ending of Volume 1 for anybody who still hasn’t read it. Volume 2 picks up almost immediately from where the first novel ends and the twists and turns it takes deserve to be experienced first hand so I’ll keep things as spoiler-free as possible. Suffice to say that for those who have read the first novel you’ll be aware that despite all of main protagonist Danno Garland’s meticulous planning, things didn’t exactly go off without a hitch. The first couple of chapters of Volume 2 are explosive to say the least and leave nobody in doubt as to the dark alleys O’Brien takes his characters down.

If the first feels like a wrestling book with a crime element then Volume 2 feels very much like a crime novel with wrestling elements. It’s still very much set in the murky, dark world of professional wrestling and O’Brien continues to astound with his well-drawn and relateable wrestling characters, but it isn’t as integral to the plot this time around. It’s perhaps a bold tactic but one that mostly pays off, resisting the temptation to tread water and give readers more of the same when the first volume was so well received. Indeed, in many key ways, Volume 2 feels almost alien to its counterpart. Many of the key characters return but they are changed almost beyond recognition. Volume 1 was all about everything these characters had to gain, whereas Volume 2 deals with all the things they stand to lose.

Volume 1′s labyrinthine plot is replaced with a much more straight-forward revenge narrative that still manages to shock and surprise along the way. Volume 1 spanned several years whilst Volume 2 spans a few frenetic days interspersed with flashbacks that provide new information to old scenes. These shifts in time and perspective all add to the relentless pace of a novel that is purposely disorientating and never less than revelatory.

In a recent interview with CollarAndElbow.com, O’Brien stated that Blood Red Turns Dollar Green was always envisaged as a series and it’s clear to see this in chapters in which we return to events of the first book but seen through other characters’ eyes. They were always meant to fit into a grander scheme of things and there’s a great sense of delight in putting all the pieces together. It’s a sign of a writer who really understands the world he’s created; from the period details to the stellar dialogue, it’s hard to shake from your mind once you reluctantly put the book down.

The wresting aspect may feel a little more like window-dressing this time around, but what a fantastic window it is! There’s still so much for wrestling fans to enjoy here, wrapped up in a genuinely affecting story. The nods to the hedonistic “living the gimmick” wrestlers and promoters of the era is clear to see, with frequent nods to the likes of ‘The Nature Boy’ Ric Flair that will delight wrestling enthusiasts.

From it’s startling beginning to shocking conclusion, Blood Red Turns Dollar Green Volume 2 more than lives up to the wonderful original. It’s every bit as enjoyable as Volume 1 and at least twice as nasty. It’s a fast-paced, sometimes chaotic, and always pitch black tale of revenge that delights from beginning to grizzly end.