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Sons and Princes
Chris Massi has been running from his world his entire life. The son of a Mafia assassin and the former son-in-law of a mob kingpin, Massi has tried to stay on the right side of the law, building a prestigious career as an attorney, and insulating his children as much as possible. But now a series of tragedies have left him without a law license and without several of his loved ones. And at the same time, his teenaged son is beginning to gravitate toward the gangster world Chris has tried so hard to protect him from.
Michele Mathias has been running away from her life for more than a decade. Once a promising young woman with a future, she’s now a drug addicted street player living with the knowledge that her daughter – the only bright thing in her life – was taken away from her. When her roommate is murdered in a mob-related hit, her life intersects with Chris’s life – and their worlds change forever.
For Chris, a showdown is coming. The only way for him to save his son and regain his future is to face – and maybe even embrace – the demon he’s always avoided. For Michele, her last chance at redemption has arrived. How their journeys collide with the dark New York underworld is the stuff of the kind of suspenseful, passionate drama we’ve come to expect from James LePore.
Michele Mathias has been running away from her life for more than a decade. Once a promising young woman with a future, she’s now a drug addicted street player living with the knowledge that her daughter – the only bright thing in her life – was taken away from her. When her roommate is murdered in a mob-related hit, her life intersects with Chris’s life – and their worlds change forever.
For Chris, a showdown is coming. The only way for him to save his son and regain his future is to face – and maybe even embrace – the demon he’s always avoided. For Michele, her last chance at redemption has arrived. How their journeys collide with the dark New York underworld is the stuff of the kind of suspenseful, passionate drama we’ve come to expect from James LePore.
330 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
46 people are currently reading
269 people want to read
About the author
James LePore
22 books52 followersI write what I like to read: novels and short stories with compelling, fast moving plots, in exotic venues, populated by flawed characters who, finding themselves caught up in situations of extraordinary stress and danger, are forced to face their own demons in order to prevail. The world is full of extremes: terrorism and the courage to fight it, love and hate, lust and tenderness, corruption and redemption, honor and revenge. You will find them all in my work.
I also like to take pictures and to write very short fiction and an occasional poem. All three are combined in my book of flash fiction: Blood, Light and Time: Project 52/2015.
I also like to take pictures and to write very short fiction and an occasional poem. All three are combined in my book of flash fiction: Blood, Light and Time: Project 52/2015.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 1, 2013
Chris Massi is the son of a Mafia hitman, the ex-son-in-law of a Mafia Don, a disgraced attorney, a divorced father of two with a son who looks up to his grandfathers and their way of life. His life has been one disaster after another, all while trying to do the right thing in life.
In an effort to keep his son out of the criminal life, he makes a bargain with his ex-father-in-law that is much like selling his soul to the devil, drawing him into the seedy life of drug addicts, murderers and crooked lawmen with vendettas.
Chris is a man out of his element of choice, but has enough knowledge of 'the life' to do what needs to be done. He is trying to balance his own moral compass while staying alive.
James LePore has gotten the gritty, dark life of the underworld down pat! His writing has an edgy style, complete with dark alleys, smokey rooms and dangerous characters that reek of evil and power!
I highly recommend this read!
In an effort to keep his son out of the criminal life, he makes a bargain with his ex-father-in-law that is much like selling his soul to the devil, drawing him into the seedy life of drug addicts, murderers and crooked lawmen with vendettas.
Chris is a man out of his element of choice, but has enough knowledge of 'the life' to do what needs to be done. He is trying to balance his own moral compass while staying alive.
James LePore has gotten the gritty, dark life of the underworld down pat! His writing has an edgy style, complete with dark alleys, smokey rooms and dangerous characters that reek of evil and power!
I highly recommend this read!
April 28, 2011
Chris Massi grew up with a huge burden on his shoulders. His father was a Mafia assassin and his father-in-law was a legend in the Mafia world. Chris has tried his hardest to stay out of his father’s world. Chris became an attorney. Lately, Chris is wondering if he has sheltered his son, Matt enough from the Mafia world. Matt has been acting like a prince. As if Chris does not have enough on his plate with his son, his disbarment from law; Chris learns some new that will bring him back into a world that he wanted nothing to do with.
Michelle Mathias is a junkie. Her room mate was just murdered. When Chris comes into her life, Michelle thinks about cleaning up her life.
Sons and Princes is the latest novel from author, James LePore. If you have not read a book from Mr. LePore you are missing out. Chris was such a solid character. He had great depth. He was like the hero in this story. I was cheering for him to come up on top. I didn’t think Michelle was as strong as Chris but I still did like her. She did have strength, even when the odds were against her. This book was split into several different sections that really focused on the many, different characters and their story lines. I liked this. It really helped to draw me into the characters. Sons and Princes brings me back to what I love about Mr. LePore…hard-hitting characters, a strong story line, and a craving for more!
Michelle Mathias is a junkie. Her room mate was just murdered. When Chris comes into her life, Michelle thinks about cleaning up her life.
Sons and Princes is the latest novel from author, James LePore. If you have not read a book from Mr. LePore you are missing out. Chris was such a solid character. He had great depth. He was like the hero in this story. I was cheering for him to come up on top. I didn’t think Michelle was as strong as Chris but I still did like her. She did have strength, even when the odds were against her. This book was split into several different sections that really focused on the many, different characters and their story lines. I liked this. It really helped to draw me into the characters. Sons and Princes brings me back to what I love about Mr. LePore…hard-hitting characters, a strong story line, and a craving for more!
May 25, 2011
Chris Massi never wanted to enter his father's business as a member of the Mafia. Chris' father, Joe Massi was an assassin for the Mafia.
Chris became an attorney and when Joe was murdered and Chirs' mother died of a heart attack, he reassessed his family. His son, Matt, age thirteen, showed signs of holding Mafia members in high esteem and Chris didn't want him to enter the life either.
Chris has a conference with the Don, Junior Boy DiGiglio who was Chris' former father-in-law and Matt's grandfather. Chris asks what he must do so Matt isn't groomed to enter the Mafia.
DiGiglio tells Chris about the man who murdered his father and asks if Chris would pay the man back.
We also follow Chris' childhood friend, Ed Dolan who has developed a growing hatred for Chris since Chris' father killed Ed's even though it was in self defense. Ed is now a prosecutor with the Mayor's organized task force and wants to destroy Chris, legally or illegally.
The plot flows smoothly as the action goes between New York and New Jersey. Details of the Mafia family are realistically woven into the story and we see Chris' integrity and his goals in life challenged by Dolan who is out to destroy Chris and his family. Excitement builds toward a well described climax in the New Jersey marshes and then in the offices of the Mafia hierarchy.
Chris became an attorney and when Joe was murdered and Chirs' mother died of a heart attack, he reassessed his family. His son, Matt, age thirteen, showed signs of holding Mafia members in high esteem and Chris didn't want him to enter the life either.
Chris has a conference with the Don, Junior Boy DiGiglio who was Chris' former father-in-law and Matt's grandfather. Chris asks what he must do so Matt isn't groomed to enter the Mafia.
DiGiglio tells Chris about the man who murdered his father and asks if Chris would pay the man back.
We also follow Chris' childhood friend, Ed Dolan who has developed a growing hatred for Chris since Chris' father killed Ed's even though it was in self defense. Ed is now a prosecutor with the Mayor's organized task force and wants to destroy Chris, legally or illegally.
The plot flows smoothly as the action goes between New York and New Jersey. Details of the Mafia family are realistically woven into the story and we see Chris' integrity and his goals in life challenged by Dolan who is out to destroy Chris and his family. Excitement builds toward a well described climax in the New Jersey marshes and then in the offices of the Mafia hierarchy.
November 7, 2024
I am a fan of James Lepore's, having read A World I Never Made and Blood of My Brother.
When I began reading Sons and Princes, I had good expectations. I'm happy to say this book didn't disappoint. The storyline takes twists and turns as it takes the reader into the seedy underworld of the mob. You see a world that's not pretty. Drugs, sex, revenge and violence are all weaved within the storyline set in New York and New Jersey.
Two of the main characters are heroin addicts and as you read Lepore really drags you into a harsh world where nothing is sugar coated.
LePore wraps the ending up really well and I was satisfied with the conclusion as well as surprised with a few reveals.
When I began reading Sons and Princes, I had good expectations. I'm happy to say this book didn't disappoint. The storyline takes twists and turns as it takes the reader into the seedy underworld of the mob. You see a world that's not pretty. Drugs, sex, revenge and violence are all weaved within the storyline set in New York and New Jersey.
Two of the main characters are heroin addicts and as you read Lepore really drags you into a harsh world where nothing is sugar coated.
LePore wraps the ending up really well and I was satisfied with the conclusion as well as surprised with a few reveals.
August 15, 2011
I read this story of brothers who grew up immersed in the mafia culture fast, and continued to think about it after finishing. I wanted it to be longer, and think it easily could have been. In general I'm not a fan of mafia stories but liked this one, for two reasons: good, tight sentences and really good characterization - especially of Chris, the main character.
May 2, 2011
Like all true believers, he saw his point of view as the morally correct one. He was perfectly justified in returning hurt for hurt, death for death. – Ed Dolan
Ed Dolan is a man on a mission, and that’s bad news for Chris Massi. Friends for a time when they were teenagers, the two boys’ lives were forever altered when Chris’ father killed Ed’s. The fact Chris’ father, Joe Black Massi, was a mafia hitman and Ed’s was acting as hired muscle trying to protect the target of Joe Black’s mission would seem to complicate the matter a bit. Not for fifteen-year-old Ed, who swore revenge against the Massi family, no matter how long it took.
Fast-forward 25 years and both Chris and Ed have become successful attorneys, Chris working at a prestigious defense firm, Ed as a United States Attorney. Despite having married the daughter of a powerful mob kingpin, Chris has managed to steer clear of “the life” otherwise. Even that association was short lived, when Chris and his wife divorced after only 5 years.
Things start seriously falling apart for Chris when he’s falsely indicted for securities fraud. The prosecuting attorney? Ed Dolan, of course. When that trial ends in acquittal Dolan pursues an ethics complaint with the New York State Bar, succeeding in having Chris disbarred for his alleged “mob ties.” His life already on the ropes, the knock-out punch comes in the form of the murder of his father, not so surprisingly as a result of a mob hit. When his former father-in-law tells Chris he knows who killed his father, Chris has a soul-searching choice to make: try to rebuild his normal life, or embrace the one he’s spent his whole life trying to avoid?
If it was merely a matter of a son deciding whether or not to seek revenge for his father’s murder, Chris could probably force himself to walk away. However, his own fourteen-year-old son, Matt, has been showing a disturbing interest in “the life” of late, and Chris wonders if he may be able to leverage the situation to insure his father-in-law will never involve Matt in the family business. The stakes are high, and they only get higher as Chris wades deeper and deeper into a situation that becomes more complex with every step, and with Ed Dolan just waiting for Chris to step out of line.
In Sons and Princes author James LePore has crafted a sizzlingly tight mafia tale, one that is far from black and white in either its presentation or resolution. As evidenced by the increasingly ethically questionable decisions Ed Dolan makes in his effort to settle the score with the Massi family, the good guys aren’t always so good. Similarly, the bad guys aren’t always so bad, as the deep-seated concepts of honor and loyalty which are so fundamental to the mafia life show themselves in some interesting ways. Indeed, LePore has done a wonderful job of making every character three-dimensional and believable, avoiding the heavy-handed stereotypes that all too often rear their ugly heads in any story involving the mafia.
Though the main storyline comes to a resolution of sorts, as in real life not all the issues in Sons and Princes are wrapped up in a neat little bow at book’s end. With his previous two novels, A World I Never Made and Blood of My Brother, LePore wrote a series of short stories to expand upon the initial stories presented, and he’s indicated he intends to do the same for Sons and Princes. The battle for Chris’ life may have been temporarily won, but it’s not entirely clear where the battle for his soul stands, and I certainly look forward to finding out.
Ed Dolan is a man on a mission, and that’s bad news for Chris Massi. Friends for a time when they were teenagers, the two boys’ lives were forever altered when Chris’ father killed Ed’s. The fact Chris’ father, Joe Black Massi, was a mafia hitman and Ed’s was acting as hired muscle trying to protect the target of Joe Black’s mission would seem to complicate the matter a bit. Not for fifteen-year-old Ed, who swore revenge against the Massi family, no matter how long it took.
Fast-forward 25 years and both Chris and Ed have become successful attorneys, Chris working at a prestigious defense firm, Ed as a United States Attorney. Despite having married the daughter of a powerful mob kingpin, Chris has managed to steer clear of “the life” otherwise. Even that association was short lived, when Chris and his wife divorced after only 5 years.
Things start seriously falling apart for Chris when he’s falsely indicted for securities fraud. The prosecuting attorney? Ed Dolan, of course. When that trial ends in acquittal Dolan pursues an ethics complaint with the New York State Bar, succeeding in having Chris disbarred for his alleged “mob ties.” His life already on the ropes, the knock-out punch comes in the form of the murder of his father, not so surprisingly as a result of a mob hit. When his former father-in-law tells Chris he knows who killed his father, Chris has a soul-searching choice to make: try to rebuild his normal life, or embrace the one he’s spent his whole life trying to avoid?
If it was merely a matter of a son deciding whether or not to seek revenge for his father’s murder, Chris could probably force himself to walk away. However, his own fourteen-year-old son, Matt, has been showing a disturbing interest in “the life” of late, and Chris wonders if he may be able to leverage the situation to insure his father-in-law will never involve Matt in the family business. The stakes are high, and they only get higher as Chris wades deeper and deeper into a situation that becomes more complex with every step, and with Ed Dolan just waiting for Chris to step out of line.
In Sons and Princes author James LePore has crafted a sizzlingly tight mafia tale, one that is far from black and white in either its presentation or resolution. As evidenced by the increasingly ethically questionable decisions Ed Dolan makes in his effort to settle the score with the Massi family, the good guys aren’t always so good. Similarly, the bad guys aren’t always so bad, as the deep-seated concepts of honor and loyalty which are so fundamental to the mafia life show themselves in some interesting ways. Indeed, LePore has done a wonderful job of making every character three-dimensional and believable, avoiding the heavy-handed stereotypes that all too often rear their ugly heads in any story involving the mafia.
Though the main storyline comes to a resolution of sorts, as in real life not all the issues in Sons and Princes are wrapped up in a neat little bow at book’s end. With his previous two novels, A World I Never Made and Blood of My Brother, LePore wrote a series of short stories to expand upon the initial stories presented, and he’s indicated he intends to do the same for Sons and Princes. The battle for Chris’ life may have been temporarily won, but it’s not entirely clear where the battle for his soul stands, and I certainly look forward to finding out.
August 9, 2016
Crime stories are usually not my cup of tea, but I decided to give James LePore's newest suspense novel, "Sons and Princes," a try. Boy, am I glad that I did!
LePore had me hooked from the very first line, which is not hard to do when you're asked to envision body parts showing up in a suitcase. Enter Chris Massi, son of a Mafia assassin and the former son-in-law of one of NJ's most powerful dons. Massi has enough to worry about what with losing his law license and keeping his teenage son from being drawn into the mobster world Chris has worked so hard to escape. But his quest to avenge his father's murder sets in motion a chain of events that forces Massi to embrace this culture as the only way to protect himself and his family.
Some reading this may be turned off by Mafia references and the violence that usually comes with the territory, but Sons and Princes is nothing like The Sopranos. Whereas the latter fixates on prostitutes, obscenities and drugs, Lepore depicts a world of a different kind – one that stresses loyalty, respect, honor and sacrifice. He goes to great lengths to analyze each character and demonstrate how their individual actions drive the plot to its heart pounding climax.
Such a brief summary really doesn't do the book justice, but any attempts at further detail would be giving away too much. What makes this story so riveting are the shocking twists and turns that come with every turn of the page. Suffice it to say your mind will be racing with possibilities, making it extremely difficult to put this book down.
In his letter to the reader, LePore hints at a possible sequel to "Sons and Princes." I certainly hope that becomes a reality one day because characters like Chris Massi don't come around too often. In the meantime, I'll try to be patient and while away the time by reading LePore's other books.
An absolute must-read!
LePore had me hooked from the very first line, which is not hard to do when you're asked to envision body parts showing up in a suitcase. Enter Chris Massi, son of a Mafia assassin and the former son-in-law of one of NJ's most powerful dons. Massi has enough to worry about what with losing his law license and keeping his teenage son from being drawn into the mobster world Chris has worked so hard to escape. But his quest to avenge his father's murder sets in motion a chain of events that forces Massi to embrace this culture as the only way to protect himself and his family.
Some reading this may be turned off by Mafia references and the violence that usually comes with the territory, but Sons and Princes is nothing like The Sopranos. Whereas the latter fixates on prostitutes, obscenities and drugs, Lepore depicts a world of a different kind – one that stresses loyalty, respect, honor and sacrifice. He goes to great lengths to analyze each character and demonstrate how their individual actions drive the plot to its heart pounding climax.
Such a brief summary really doesn't do the book justice, but any attempts at further detail would be giving away too much. What makes this story so riveting are the shocking twists and turns that come with every turn of the page. Suffice it to say your mind will be racing with possibilities, making it extremely difficult to put this book down.
In his letter to the reader, LePore hints at a possible sequel to "Sons and Princes." I certainly hope that becomes a reality one day because characters like Chris Massi don't come around too often. In the meantime, I'll try to be patient and while away the time by reading LePore's other books.
An absolute must-read!
April 23, 2011
Sons and Princes by James LePore
This is a swan dive into the cesspool of organized crime, a journey of re-invention of a decent human being caught in the currents of violence, revenge and even honor.
LePore writes a captivating story nearly impossible to put down. His characters are both memorable and frightening. Each one of us may carry the seed of violence that can blossom into the fruit of death. The trigger for response is as uniquely individual as a finger print. Chris Massi finds within himself family ties he didn’t know existed. LePore masterfully depicts a conflicted soul driven to acts of desperation for the noblest of virtues.
There are some scenes so clearly depicted that you feel the need to whip out the hand sanitizer before you turn another page. Equally honor and courage show up in surprising places. A disbarred lawyer, Chris must make decisions that will impact both his life and his soul. LePore does an amazing job at portraying the struggles of a man to master the cascade of torment heaped upon his head. The depiction of the mob and it’s members was colorful and depressing. One has to wonder how far you personally would go to save family, friends and self respect. This is an outstanding book, destined to be a classic.
I highly recommend the book.
This is a swan dive into the cesspool of organized crime, a journey of re-invention of a decent human being caught in the currents of violence, revenge and even honor.
LePore writes a captivating story nearly impossible to put down. His characters are both memorable and frightening. Each one of us may carry the seed of violence that can blossom into the fruit of death. The trigger for response is as uniquely individual as a finger print. Chris Massi finds within himself family ties he didn’t know existed. LePore masterfully depicts a conflicted soul driven to acts of desperation for the noblest of virtues.
There are some scenes so clearly depicted that you feel the need to whip out the hand sanitizer before you turn another page. Equally honor and courage show up in surprising places. A disbarred lawyer, Chris must make decisions that will impact both his life and his soul. LePore does an amazing job at portraying the struggles of a man to master the cascade of torment heaped upon his head. The depiction of the mob and it’s members was colorful and depressing. One has to wonder how far you personally would go to save family, friends and self respect. This is an outstanding book, destined to be a classic.
I highly recommend the book.
June 19, 2011
I love a good crime story, and I was not disappointed by LePore’s newest novel, Sons and Princes, which hits bookstores today. You know the story is going to be good when it opens with a dismembered body of a hit man. LePore is a wonderful storyteller, captivating the reader through his prose. Just enough background information is given to entice the reader as the plot thickens, making it an impossible novel to put down.
I really enjoyed the different sections of the novel, zoning in on particular characters to help solidify and explain their actions throughout the story. As the crimes unfold and the main character, Chris Massi, deals with his internal and external struggles, he must find balance between the Mafia’s world and his own life...
To read my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
I really enjoyed the different sections of the novel, zoning in on particular characters to help solidify and explain their actions throughout the story. As the crimes unfold and the main character, Chris Massi, deals with his internal and external struggles, he must find balance between the Mafia’s world and his own life...
To read my full review:
http://bookvacations.wordpress.com/20...
February 25, 2014
A story of men, the Mafia, family and morality.
August 26, 2011
This is the second-free- book I read from this author. He writes so well and his stories are suspenseful . This one was about the mafia and two families in particular.
April 1, 2013
A little ruff language, it need not have been there.
April 21, 2013
A good Mafia story.
July 15, 2016
good mob story
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews