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The Take
Dennis writes true noir . The Take is a fast-motion train wreck from page one, twisting the reader's heart for the desperate souls on a ride they never chose.
--Vicki Hendricks, author of Cruel Poetry .
In the world of small-time bookie Eddie Ryan, only the cop cars are black and white. Everything else swirls in a kind of gray soup. Overcome by greed, lust, and the survival instinct, Eddie takes part in a high-stakes heist, stepping into a morally treacherous world where no one can be trusted, and where life expectancy is short. Set in the dim half-light of the Houston and New Orleans demimondes, The Take is a fast-paced, nerve-jangling ride.
--Vicki Hendricks, author of Cruel Poetry .
In the world of small-time bookie Eddie Ryan, only the cop cars are black and white. Everything else swirls in a kind of gray soup. Overcome by greed, lust, and the survival instinct, Eddie takes part in a high-stakes heist, stepping into a morally treacherous world where no one can be trusted, and where life expectancy is short. Set in the dim half-light of the Houston and New Orleans demimondes, The Take is a fast-paced, nerve-jangling ride.
178 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2010
5 people want to read
About the author
Mike Dennis
12 books5 followersAfter thirty years as a professional musician (piano), Mike Dennis left Key West and moved to Las Vegas to become a professional poker player. He turned to writing when his first novel, THE TAKE, was picked up by a publisher in 2009.
His second book, SETUP ON FRONT STREET, was the first of a series of Key West Nocturnes, standalone noir novels. These books will lift the veil on Key West and reveal it as a true noir city, on a par with Los Angeles, New Orleans, or Miami.
THE GHOSTS OF HAVANA is the second book in that set. The third, Man-Slaughter, is coming soon.
Mike also has a collection of short stories, BLOODSTAINS ON THE WALL. In addition, his stories have been published in A Twist Of Noir, Mysterical e, Powder Burn Flash, Slow Trains, and The Wizards Of Words 2009 Anthology.
He also has published CADILLAC'S COMIN', a rock & roll novel about a one-hit wonder who recorded for Sun Records in the 1950s.
In December, 2010, Mike moved back to Key West, where he enjoys year-round sunshine, great movies, good friends, and the Miami Marlins.
CONTACT MIKE:
darqside@comcast.net
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-D...
His second book, SETUP ON FRONT STREET, was the first of a series of Key West Nocturnes, standalone noir novels. These books will lift the veil on Key West and reveal it as a true noir city, on a par with Los Angeles, New Orleans, or Miami.
THE GHOSTS OF HAVANA is the second book in that set. The third, Man-Slaughter, is coming soon.
Mike also has a collection of short stories, BLOODSTAINS ON THE WALL. In addition, his stories have been published in A Twist Of Noir, Mysterical e, Powder Burn Flash, Slow Trains, and The Wizards Of Words 2009 Anthology.
He also has published CADILLAC'S COMIN', a rock & roll novel about a one-hit wonder who recorded for Sun Records in the 1950s.
In December, 2010, Mike moved back to Key West, where he enjoys year-round sunshine, great movies, good friends, and the Miami Marlins.
CONTACT MIKE:
darqside@comcast.net
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Mike-D...
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
March 27, 2011
Eddie Ryan is a small time bookie and not a very good one at that. Eddie violated the first rule for bookies and that is never let the betting get too one-sided. World Series betting got Eddie in a world of trouble with no way to pay off the bets.
Eddie takes his troubles to Raymond Cannetta, a loan shark, who agrees to lend Eddie the money he needs but Cannetta’s repayment plan is one that is very difficult to meet without missing a payment here and there. Cannetta’s repayment plan does not allow for missed payments.
Eddie’s buddy Val Borden devises a plan where the two will rob Chico Salazar, a local drug dealer. The two manage to pull off the robbery but it doesn’t go as planned. Chico is hurt very badly and now the gang's after the robbers. The future isn’t looking good for Eddie or Val but Felina, the beautiful woman who lives with Val, decides that she is sick of Val and proposes that Eddie take her somewhere safe where they can enjoy the proceeds of the robbery.
The two go on a road trip but not one to Felina’s liking. Felina wants to go to Mexico. Eddie is determined that he must go to New Orleans and visit his sister Linda who has stood by him since childhood. Eddie feels he owes Linda and wants to pay her back.
Meanwhile back in Houston a couple of crocked cops have picked up Eddie’s trail and they want the money.
Eddie’s maneuvering, with the help of Felina, gains him a little time but it is a draw as to who will wind up with the cash. The outcome is a big surprise.
Eddie takes his troubles to Raymond Cannetta, a loan shark, who agrees to lend Eddie the money he needs but Cannetta’s repayment plan is one that is very difficult to meet without missing a payment here and there. Cannetta’s repayment plan does not allow for missed payments.
Eddie’s buddy Val Borden devises a plan where the two will rob Chico Salazar, a local drug dealer. The two manage to pull off the robbery but it doesn’t go as planned. Chico is hurt very badly and now the gang's after the robbers. The future isn’t looking good for Eddie or Val but Felina, the beautiful woman who lives with Val, decides that she is sick of Val and proposes that Eddie take her somewhere safe where they can enjoy the proceeds of the robbery.
The two go on a road trip but not one to Felina’s liking. Felina wants to go to Mexico. Eddie is determined that he must go to New Orleans and visit his sister Linda who has stood by him since childhood. Eddie feels he owes Linda and wants to pay her back.
Meanwhile back in Houston a couple of crocked cops have picked up Eddie’s trail and they want the money.
Eddie’s maneuvering, with the help of Felina, gains him a little time but it is a draw as to who will wind up with the cash. The outcome is a big surprise.
March 28, 2011
Descriptions of "The Take" describe it as noir (also known as black fiction). I always have to look up the word noir when I see it used. I have a sense what it means, but can’t put it into words without prodding. According to Wikipedia, the website that knows everything, noir is a subset of “hardboiled fiction” (think Raymond Chandler, Dashiell Hammett, or more recently Robert Parker and Walter Mosley). The noir subset differs mainly in that the protagonist is typically not a detective, as is usually the case with a hardboiled novel, and tends to be self-destructive. Elmore Leonard is an example of a contemporary bestseller writing in this literary style.
From the synopsis above, it should be apparent that Eddie Ryan is a self-destructive protagonist. I’ll often not find this type of character sympatric, yet Eddie was different. He took a bit of a gamble, let’s call it a risk instead, just as any businessperson might. All his actions after that are a matter of doing what he thinks he must to survive.
Eddie’s adventures will keep you on edge as he struggles to survive as you both try to decide whom he should trust. Whether he will escape and what price Eddie will have to pay is unclear until the end. Fan’s of Elmore Leonard should find Mike Dennis an author worth watching – and worth reading.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog.**
From the synopsis above, it should be apparent that Eddie Ryan is a self-destructive protagonist. I’ll often not find this type of character sympatric, yet Eddie was different. He took a bit of a gamble, let’s call it a risk instead, just as any businessperson might. All his actions after that are a matter of doing what he thinks he must to survive.
Eddie’s adventures will keep you on edge as he struggles to survive as you both try to decide whom he should trust. Whether he will escape and what price Eddie will have to pay is unclear until the end. Fan’s of Elmore Leonard should find Mike Dennis an author worth watching – and worth reading.
**Originally written for "Books and Pals" book blog.**
March 12, 2011
The Take by Mike Dennis
Two down on their luck losers, decide to rob a Mexican drug klngpin of his weekly take of about 30-40 thousand dollars. But Eddie, a small time bookie currently in debt to a loan shark and, Val, an aging pool hall hustler, end up getting more than they bargain for. As things start to go wrong for the two theives, they quickly turn on each other. Convinced by Val's girlfriend, Felina, that Val is going to kill them, Eddie and Felina flee Houston. On the run from a loan shark, Mexican hitmen, crooked cops, and Val. As they drive to New Orleans they pick up another down on his luck drifter, Lowel. The three of them meet up with Eddie's sister, Linda. I thought the dialogue didn't really flow and felt the storyline dragged in places until .
Two down on their luck losers, decide to rob a Mexican drug klngpin of his weekly take of about 30-40 thousand dollars. But Eddie, a small time bookie currently in debt to a loan shark and, Val, an aging pool hall hustler, end up getting more than they bargain for. As things start to go wrong for the two theives, they quickly turn on each other. Convinced by Val's girlfriend, Felina, that Val is going to kill them, Eddie and Felina flee Houston. On the run from a loan shark, Mexican hitmen, crooked cops, and Val. As they drive to New Orleans they pick up another down on his luck drifter, Lowel. The three of them meet up with Eddie's sister, Linda. I thought the dialogue didn't really flow and felt the storyline dragged in places until .
March 8, 2011
Somewhat reminiscent of "A Simple Plan", this is Noir, from beginning to end. From the very start, you just know how this is going to end, and even so, the author keeps you reading to find out how. People are fascinated by train wrecks and car crashes and this is the story of a human car crash. I was given the book for free in an exchange for a review, and in the end I am glad I did so. The book was a good quick read that stays on your mind when not reading. I was a little disappointed that some characters and decisions were not a bit more explained or fleshed out, but it does add to the story's feeling of exasperation.
The writing itself was very good in terms of character and scene and it had a good flow to it. I look forward to reading a more fully developed novel by Mr. Dennis.
The writing itself was very good in terms of character and scene and it had a good flow to it. I look forward to reading a more fully developed novel by Mr. Dennis.
October 7, 2013
Dennis’s first, and a great start. Eddie Ryan is a sad sack bookie who gets in over his head so badly he has little choice but to step out of his comfort zone. Things go wrong—as we knew they would—not in the way we expected. Dennis has a good twist on the femme fatale, enough surprises to keep anyone interested but not confused, and he keeps track of them all so nothing is wasted. The ending would make Quentin Tarentino proud.
March 26, 2013
The Take is a dark tale of treachery, mistrust, and moral ambiguity. It features a cast of dangerous, desperate, twisted, and double-dealing characters. The Bluebird of Happiness isn't one of them.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews