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Blue Hotel
"Blue Hotel" is a crime novel set in the 1940s:
In the winter of 1948, Michael Egan, the young protege of a Chicago mobster flees a botched heist with a valise full of bearer bonds belonging to his mobster mentor. With a festering bullet wound and a desperate need for a hiding place, he takes refuge in the “Blue Hotel”, the only landmark in a small Nebraska railroad town whose ability to survive in post-war America is in grave doubt.
However, a stranger in this lonely place quickly gets noticed. Egan is arrested by the town's corrupt sheriff, who discovers his prisoner is wanted by the mob. Sensing an opportunity, the sheriff sells Egan to the highest bidder and deputizes Andy Bond, a nerve-shattered amputee war veteran, to guard him.
But when the sheriff overplays his hand and a blizzard isolates the town, the two rival gangs with whom he has been negotiating, attempt to kidnap Egan and extract from him the location of the money he had hidden just prior to his arrest. Egan’s only hope is Andy Bond who takes his side in a lethal three-way cat-and-mouse game that alters the fates of the two men, the sheriff, and the town itself.
This novel is imagined as a sequel to Stephen Crane’s 1899 short story, “The Blue Hotel”. It has been written that Stanley Kubrick was inspired by Crane's story to make "The Shining" although the basis for the movie, of course, is the popular novel by the same name written by Stephen King. There are, however, no supernatural elements in this novel or Crane's story.
In the winter of 1948, Michael Egan, the young protege of a Chicago mobster flees a botched heist with a valise full of bearer bonds belonging to his mobster mentor. With a festering bullet wound and a desperate need for a hiding place, he takes refuge in the “Blue Hotel”, the only landmark in a small Nebraska railroad town whose ability to survive in post-war America is in grave doubt.
However, a stranger in this lonely place quickly gets noticed. Egan is arrested by the town's corrupt sheriff, who discovers his prisoner is wanted by the mob. Sensing an opportunity, the sheriff sells Egan to the highest bidder and deputizes Andy Bond, a nerve-shattered amputee war veteran, to guard him.
But when the sheriff overplays his hand and a blizzard isolates the town, the two rival gangs with whom he has been negotiating, attempt to kidnap Egan and extract from him the location of the money he had hidden just prior to his arrest. Egan’s only hope is Andy Bond who takes his side in a lethal three-way cat-and-mouse game that alters the fates of the two men, the sheriff, and the town itself.
This novel is imagined as a sequel to Stephen Crane’s 1899 short story, “The Blue Hotel”. It has been written that Stanley Kubrick was inspired by Crane's story to make "The Shining" although the basis for the movie, of course, is the popular novel by the same name written by Stephen King. There are, however, no supernatural elements in this novel or Crane's story.
- GenresMystery
300 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 22, 2011
18 people are currently reading
125 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
April 28, 2015
This book was a real page turner. I really found myself saying, "Just one more chapter." There's plenty of action. The characters are interesting and believable. There are a lot of them though and some have multiple names or aliases that occasionally makes it hard to keep track of them.
The protagonist is a young man who grows up in a mob environment. He's good at what he does (which is non-violent), and then he makes a classic mob mistake by stealing money from the boss. As expected, when the boss finds out who took the money he sends some goons to go after him. Even though the protagonist is--or was--in the mob, he comes off as tough, smart, savvy, quick, and likable, all of which are important in a good protagonist in this kind of setting.
The antagonist, the hit man going after him, is appropriately evil. He has two reasons for capturing, or preferably killing, the protagonist. The fist is for the mob boss. The second is to maintain his reputation within the mob. Unlike most villains, the antagonist has motivations and personality that are understandable to the reader.
The reason I am giving this book four stars instead of five is the ending, which is a big letdown after such a captivating book. The protagonist does not survive by his own means, instead an event outside of his control or participation, causes the hit man to lose interest in him. This is also not believable given what we know about his motives. In addition, there is an epilogue at the end of the book which adds nothing and distracts from the rest of the book. I suggest you not read it.
All in all, I found this an enjoyable and fun book.
The protagonist is a young man who grows up in a mob environment. He's good at what he does (which is non-violent), and then he makes a classic mob mistake by stealing money from the boss. As expected, when the boss finds out who took the money he sends some goons to go after him. Even though the protagonist is--or was--in the mob, he comes off as tough, smart, savvy, quick, and likable, all of which are important in a good protagonist in this kind of setting.
The antagonist, the hit man going after him, is appropriately evil. He has two reasons for capturing, or preferably killing, the protagonist. The fist is for the mob boss. The second is to maintain his reputation within the mob. Unlike most villains, the antagonist has motivations and personality that are understandable to the reader.
The reason I am giving this book four stars instead of five is the ending, which is a big letdown after such a captivating book. The protagonist does not survive by his own means, instead an event outside of his control or participation, causes the hit man to lose interest in him. This is also not believable given what we know about his motives. In addition, there is an epilogue at the end of the book which adds nothing and distracts from the rest of the book. I suggest you not read it.
All in all, I found this an enjoyable and fun book.
May 27, 2015
Well written
I was getting to like Eagan, the main character up til the end. I was hoping that my guy would come up with a clever way to get away with the treasure and triumph spectacularly over the bad guys. Alas, Eagan, although clever and resilient, only managed to survive his ordeals and come out ahead later in life. I read this type of story for an escape from reality, not to be reminded of it.
I look forward to reading more from this author but hope he will allow his characters to ascend above normalcy once in awhile to give those of us seeking a vacation from what should happen to what could happen.
I was getting to like Eagan, the main character up til the end. I was hoping that my guy would come up with a clever way to get away with the treasure and triumph spectacularly over the bad guys. Alas, Eagan, although clever and resilient, only managed to survive his ordeals and come out ahead later in life. I read this type of story for an escape from reality, not to be reminded of it.
I look forward to reading more from this author but hope he will allow his characters to ascend above normalcy once in awhile to give those of us seeking a vacation from what should happen to what could happen.
June 9, 2015
I was prepared to not like this but it turned out to be quite good. Although there are many twists and turns and just as Michael is about to get away, he is trapped again and again, it was still very good. It was believable. I liked the setting of it, which was 1948 during most of the book. The cast of characters was wonderful and although the author did not spend a lot of time developing most of the characters, I had a pretty clear view of each one.
It was well done.
It was well done.
June 26, 2011
The young driver for a Chicago gangster flees his boss's retribution carrying a valise full of mob money and encounters a traumatized war veteran and a corrupt sheriff in a dying Nebraska railroad town during the 1940s.
May 29, 2015
Surprisingly good! One of my favorite genres, and a great overall story! Felt the climax to be a little disconnected, however the ending was perfect. Talk about a page turner!
May 26, 2015
This was a good easy read. I enjoyed the story line. Just enough mystery and romance to want you to keep on going. Liked the mobster involvement and the ending was great...
November 12, 2015
Gently engrossing, pulls readers in, believable cast. Re-readable. Not "too" much or over the top. Recommend for mystery readers (not a Christian or spiritual mystery). ©2012
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews