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All He Saw Was The Girl
Rome:
McCabe and Chip, two American exchange students, are about to become embroiled with a violent street gang, a beautiful Italian girl, and a flawed kidnapping plan.
Detroit:
Sharon Vanelli’s affair with Joey Palermo, a Mafia enforcer, is about to be discovered by her husband, Ray, a secret service agent.
Brilliantly plotted and shot through with wry humor, ALL HE SAW WAS THE GIRL sees these two narratives collide in the backstreets of Italy’s oldest city.
McCabe and Chip, two American exchange students, are about to become embroiled with a violent street gang, a beautiful Italian girl, and a flawed kidnapping plan.
Detroit:
Sharon Vanelli’s affair with Joey Palermo, a Mafia enforcer, is about to be discovered by her husband, Ray, a secret service agent.
Brilliantly plotted and shot through with wry humor, ALL HE SAW WAS THE GIRL sees these two narratives collide in the backstreets of Italy’s oldest city.
290 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 2011
51 people are currently reading
936 people want to read
About the author
Peter Leonard
50 books93 followersSon of Elmore Leonard.
Peter Leonard lives in Birmingham, Michigan with his wife and four children. He is a partner in the ad agency Leonard, Mayer & Tocco, Inc.
Peter Leonard lives in Birmingham, Michigan with his wife and four children. He is a partner in the ad agency Leonard, Mayer & Tocco, Inc.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
April 1, 2012
Disclosure: I received a free eGalley eBook ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Synopsis: Rome: McCabe and Chip, two American exchange students, are about to become embroiled with a violent street gang, a beautiful Italian girl, and a flawed kidnapping plan.
Detroit: Sharon Vanelli’s affair with Joey Palermo, a Mafia enforcer, is about to be discovered by her husband, Ray, a secret service agent.
Brilliantly plotted and shot through with wry humor, All He Saw was the Girl sees these two narratives collide in the backstreets of Italy’s oldest city.
My Thoughts: This is my second Peter Leonard book - I recently read Voices of the Dead and my review for that one can be read here: Voices of the Dead .
This was a very complex thriller, lots of threads and different people involved. It actually reminded me strongly of the sorts of books written by Nick Wastnage. His stories are similarly complex and have a similar flavor, so if you like this one, you will love anything by Nick, and vice versa – if you like Nick Wastnage’s stuff, you’ll like Peter Leonard.
The fun thing about crime thrillers, at least with a well-written one, is that you often find the villains as entertaining and interesting as the heroes, and that is certainly the case here. However, as complex and fast-moving as this book was, I often found my attention drifting – for some reason, which I just can’t put my finger on, I was unable to really get into this book. There is nothing technically wrong with it, but it just didn’t hold my attention as well as I felt it should have. Fans of Peter Leonard, thrillers and suspense, and people who enjoy stories involving the mafia should all find this a satisfying read.
Synopsis: Rome: McCabe and Chip, two American exchange students, are about to become embroiled with a violent street gang, a beautiful Italian girl, and a flawed kidnapping plan.
Detroit: Sharon Vanelli’s affair with Joey Palermo, a Mafia enforcer, is about to be discovered by her husband, Ray, a secret service agent.
Brilliantly plotted and shot through with wry humor, All He Saw was the Girl sees these two narratives collide in the backstreets of Italy’s oldest city.
My Thoughts: This is my second Peter Leonard book - I recently read Voices of the Dead and my review for that one can be read here: Voices of the Dead .
This was a very complex thriller, lots of threads and different people involved. It actually reminded me strongly of the sorts of books written by Nick Wastnage. His stories are similarly complex and have a similar flavor, so if you like this one, you will love anything by Nick, and vice versa – if you like Nick Wastnage’s stuff, you’ll like Peter Leonard.
The fun thing about crime thrillers, at least with a well-written one, is that you often find the villains as entertaining and interesting as the heroes, and that is certainly the case here. However, as complex and fast-moving as this book was, I often found my attention drifting – for some reason, which I just can’t put my finger on, I was unable to really get into this book. There is nothing technically wrong with it, but it just didn’t hold my attention as well as I felt it should have. Fans of Peter Leonard, thrillers and suspense, and people who enjoy stories involving the mafia should all find this a satisfying read.
November 11, 2014
Not my kind of book. A contemporary guy adventure story. Several guys with converging plot lines. Guys take improbable changes, enjoy improbable luck, objectify women. (Yes, there is a well-drawn female character, but the male characters react to females in their vicinity like teenagers with raging hormones.) In fact, all the male characters act like adolescents: as soon as a course of action pops into their mind, they do it. No consideration of potential downside results. Of course, it works out for the "good guys." It was all too easy for everyone.
What's to like? Excellent writing. Leonard told the story from a variety of points of view. The reader immediately knew what kind of person each character was, far better than if Leonard had merely told us.
Set mostly in Rome, each character movement is described in such excruciating detail that the reader gets the feeling of it having been written map in hand. There was some place description, but more often bare facts, as if the reader is expected to know what all the famous buildings mentioned look like today.
It was only okay.
What's to like? Excellent writing. Leonard told the story from a variety of points of view. The reader immediately knew what kind of person each character was, far better than if Leonard had merely told us.
Set mostly in Rome, each character movement is described in such excruciating detail that the reader gets the feeling of it having been written map in hand. There was some place description, but more often bare facts, as if the reader is expected to know what all the famous buildings mentioned look like today.
It was only okay.
March 29, 2012
Two college students, McCabe and Chip, are students out on the town who've had a wee bit too much to drink. Chip gets the bright idea to steal an Italian taxi and enjoy a joy ride. But things don't turn out so well for McCabe. Chip's very wealthy and powerful father saves the day by rescuing his son and giving him one tongue lashing. He does succeed, however, in infuriating some mob characters in prison over a pack of stolen cigarettes. McCabe, meanwhile, is warned by the College Dean that he will be dismissed if there are anymore unruly and troubling antics, a threat that would mean the end of his scholarship.
It seems the mob characters have bad memories and decide that kidnapping Chip, getting some knocks back, and demanding ransom money will even the scales of justice. The only problem is that they mistake McCabe for Chip and kidnap the wrong victim. Now the hunt is on to save McCabe (and his scholarship), who has been sucked into the scheme by a very sexy lady.
The scene just as quickly shifts to Detroit, the home of the mob characters holding McCabe. It seems the husband of our sexy gal has quit the Secret Service and is looking for his absent wife. He's got some competition, though, from the mob boss. To say more would ruin the story but it's non-stop action, truth, lies, battles, death threats, and high-stake scenes that keep one flipping the pages (or buttons in e-book form) and unable to figure out how it will all come down in the end.
Peter Leonard definitely knows how to craft and pace an international and domestic crime thriller. This second novel read by this reviewer is just as thrilling as the first. Readers who want to get engrossed in a fast-paced, unpredictable story will love this novel!!!
It seems the mob characters have bad memories and decide that kidnapping Chip, getting some knocks back, and demanding ransom money will even the scales of justice. The only problem is that they mistake McCabe for Chip and kidnap the wrong victim. Now the hunt is on to save McCabe (and his scholarship), who has been sucked into the scheme by a very sexy lady.
The scene just as quickly shifts to Detroit, the home of the mob characters holding McCabe. It seems the husband of our sexy gal has quit the Secret Service and is looking for his absent wife. He's got some competition, though, from the mob boss. To say more would ruin the story but it's non-stop action, truth, lies, battles, death threats, and high-stake scenes that keep one flipping the pages (or buttons in e-book form) and unable to figure out how it will all come down in the end.
Peter Leonard definitely knows how to craft and pace an international and domestic crime thriller. This second novel read by this reviewer is just as thrilling as the first. Readers who want to get engrossed in a fast-paced, unpredictable story will love this novel!!!
June 6, 2012
McCabe and Chip, a senator's son are going to school in Rome. Chip steals a taxi and they are arrested. The Senator greases some palms and they are released.
As McCabe sits at the cafe waiting to meet up with Chip and some friends, he sees "the girl". She encourages him to walk with her and when they meet up with "Fabio", who is a tough guy Mafia man he met in prison, McCabe realizes she has set him up to be kidnapped. They have mistaken him for Chip because of a mix-up in the newspapers. They had printed Chip's name under McCabe's picture.
Meanwhile, in Detroit, Sharon Vanelli is lonely and bored in her marriage to Ray, a Secret Service agent. While she's sitting in the bar she is approached by Joey Paterno, a Mafia enforcer. As the affair progresses to a level she's not sure she wants it to reach, she wonders what would happen if Ray found out.
I won this book in a giveaway on Goodreads. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I have also checked his books out of the library before.
In the beginning of the book you wonder how what is happening in Rome has anything to do with what is going on in Detroit. Does the title, All He Saw Was the Girl, have anything at all to do with the book. Don't worry, just keep reading because it all comes together.
I'd stop as I was reading along and think, "Hey wait a minute. What happens next?" It kept me reading because I had to know.
All He Saw Was The GirlPeter Leonard
As McCabe sits at the cafe waiting to meet up with Chip and some friends, he sees "the girl". She encourages him to walk with her and when they meet up with "Fabio", who is a tough guy Mafia man he met in prison, McCabe realizes she has set him up to be kidnapped. They have mistaken him for Chip because of a mix-up in the newspapers. They had printed Chip's name under McCabe's picture.
Meanwhile, in Detroit, Sharon Vanelli is lonely and bored in her marriage to Ray, a Secret Service agent. While she's sitting in the bar she is approached by Joey Paterno, a Mafia enforcer. As the affair progresses to a level she's not sure she wants it to reach, she wonders what would happen if Ray found out.
I won this book in a giveaway on Goodreads. Imagine my surprise when I realized that I have also checked his books out of the library before.
In the beginning of the book you wonder how what is happening in Rome has anything to do with what is going on in Detroit. Does the title, All He Saw Was the Girl, have anything at all to do with the book. Don't worry, just keep reading because it all comes together.
I'd stop as I was reading along and think, "Hey wait a minute. What happens next?" It kept me reading because I had to know.
All He Saw Was The GirlPeter Leonard
June 7, 2012
Rome: McCabe and Chip, two American exchange students, are about to become embroiled with a violent street gang, a beautiful Italian girl and a flawed kidnapping plan.
Detroit: Sharon Vanelli's affair with Joey Palermo, a Mafia enforcer, is about to be discovered by her husband, Ray, a secret service agent.
All He Saw Was the Girl takes place as these two narratives converge in the backstreets of Italy's oldest city.
Peter Leonard throws you straight into the action in this book and keeps the story fast passed until the end. He describes the settings well and you soon find yourself taken along with the characters.
As an English person living in Rome I could really identify with the speech patterns of the Italian characters and his detailed descriptions of the setting.
All He Saw Was The Girl is a quick but interesting read. I'm definitely now curious about reading the other work by this author.
Detroit: Sharon Vanelli's affair with Joey Palermo, a Mafia enforcer, is about to be discovered by her husband, Ray, a secret service agent.
All He Saw Was the Girl takes place as these two narratives converge in the backstreets of Italy's oldest city.
Peter Leonard throws you straight into the action in this book and keeps the story fast passed until the end. He describes the settings well and you soon find yourself taken along with the characters.
As an English person living in Rome I could really identify with the speech patterns of the Italian characters and his detailed descriptions of the setting.
All He Saw Was The Girl is a quick but interesting read. I'm definitely now curious about reading the other work by this author.
October 26, 2016
It's a fast read and a good read, too! I like everything Peter Leonard writes. Yeah, he had a great teacher and he writes about Detroit, too. I lived in old Detroit (before the fire) and I knew a few people.
When you read this novel you're gonna get hungry. These people are always eating. And when they do, they take you through the entire meal, all the way to the cappuccino. So be ready for that. And it's the kinda story you can't put down.
When you read this novel you're gonna get hungry. These people are always eating. And when they do, they take you through the entire meal, all the way to the cappuccino. So be ready for that. And it's the kinda story you can't put down.
June 21, 2012
Disclaimer: I did not pay for this book. I received a free copy to review for a magazine which will remain nameless. I have no vendetta against Peter Leonard. I’m sure he is a nice man and I wish him all the success in the world. This is just my honest review.
I asked for this book for the same reason a lot of you discovered Peter Leonard. His dad is Elmore Leonard, a novelist and writer of the story ‘Fire in the Hole’, which became the basis for ‘Justified’, one of the best shows on TV. When I saw the list of books I could get for free, I did quick searches and when I found out who Peter’s dad was, I jumped on it. Surely, the apple can’t fall that far from the tree.
The story started out great. Two college friends, studying in Rome, get drunk, steal a taxi, and get arrested. One of the students’ dad is a rich senator, so he pulls some strings and gets them out. Their picture is taken and put in the paper, which mixes their names up, so when a group of thugs want to kidnap the son of a wealthy American for ransom purposes, they abduct the wrong one. So far so good. After the ransom is paid and he is set free, he decides that he wants the money back (that wasn’t his) so he tracks down the hot girl that tricked him and kidnaps her and holds her for ransom. Did I mention that she was the local mafia don’s daughter? He didn’t know that yet. So he kidnaps her, and it is obvious that they’re going to start fooling around and fall in love, which is what happens. The other characters are Joey, an American relative of the don, Sharon, Joey’s girlfriend, and Ray, a disgraced Secret Service agent and Sharon’s husband.
Early on, I could tell that these separate narratives were going to end up together and be awesome, so I kept reading. The reading was the hard part, because Leonard put so many Italian street names and landmarks in his writing that by the time you reached the end of a paragraph, you forgot what he was trying to say. It’s like he wrote this specifically for American expatriates living in Rome. Editors have a rule they like their writers to follow: No info dumps. It’s okay to talk about how old something is or some unique aspect of a building as long as that building plays into the story or tells me something about a character. Leonard clogged paragraphs with details that only contributed to a higher word count. One particular sentence has the following points of interest: Corso Vittoria Emaniele, Pantheon, Fontana del Moro, and Piazza Navona. And that was a short sentence. There are hundreds like this, so much that when trying to mentally follow someone’s route through the city, I skipped ahead three paragraphs and didn’t miss a beat. He acts like more of a tour guide than a writer at points, so much that I told my wife, “I bet this guy used to live in Italy.” A quick Google search told me I was correct.
The constant listing of things continues with everything. Leonard lists everything the character packs in his suitcase and everything each character eats, drinks, and wears. Even if it’s not important to the story. He describes the main character’s love interest, Angela, as looking like Manuela Arcuri. Don’t know who she is? I don’t either, probably because I don’t keep up with Italian soaps. That reference would make sense if he was an Italian writer whose book was translated into English, but instead it leaves the reader searching the web for a picture.
Another problem I had with this book, which is a major pet peeve of mine, is using brand names. Some brand names are iconic enough to make a statement. Having a foreigner offer an American a cigarette and having the American say “I only smoke Marlboros,” tells me something about that particular character. Drinking Jack Daniels, driving a Ferrari, riding a Harley, you get the idea. If someone drives a Prius, you automatically assume something about that character, though you can say it was a hybrid and get the same effect without name dropping. See what I mean? So having a kid pay for dinner, then telling me is was a Visa, does nothing for anyone! I don’t care what kind of bottled water the Secret Service guy drinks, or what kind of scooters clog up the roads, or the name brand on the gym bag used to hold the ransom money, or the brand of the lighter used to light a particular cigar. None of it matters. I know the rich mafia dude has money, because you already told me about his house and boat, so telling me what luxury car he drives feels like wasting my time, because I already assumed it was nice. This is a selection from chapter ten: Costco, US Bank, Visa, DTE Energy, Honda, Verizon, People, Rolling Stone, Vibe, Scene, Murder Dog, SKBK Sotheby’s, and TruGreen. I imagined him sitting behind his laptop wearing an outfit like NASCAR drivers wear, with sponsorship logos everywhere. Does saying Visa instead of ‘credit card bill’ make it better?
Back to the story. As the tension builds, and all the parties are about to collide in some park somewhere that Leonard mentions by name but doesn’t matter to anyone, and you know it’s about to get real. Everyone is armed except the guy facing down the mafia. The secret service dude is there, and so is the guy that’s having sex with his wife. Here comes the epic-ness that will make all of the clutter worth it. Pssssshf. That was the sound of the air being let out of my balloon. When the moment comes, the cops show up and arrest the bad guys, and then the mob guy gets arrested for having a gun in a train station. I think maybe one person got shot. Then the kid gets the money he was after (that wasn’t his to start with). That’s it.
Honestly, I think that if he left out the info dumps and the name brands, this would barely be a novella. He had the beginnings of a good story, but it felt like in the end he was trying too hard.
I asked for this book for the same reason a lot of you discovered Peter Leonard. His dad is Elmore Leonard, a novelist and writer of the story ‘Fire in the Hole’, which became the basis for ‘Justified’, one of the best shows on TV. When I saw the list of books I could get for free, I did quick searches and when I found out who Peter’s dad was, I jumped on it. Surely, the apple can’t fall that far from the tree.
The story started out great. Two college friends, studying in Rome, get drunk, steal a taxi, and get arrested. One of the students’ dad is a rich senator, so he pulls some strings and gets them out. Their picture is taken and put in the paper, which mixes their names up, so when a group of thugs want to kidnap the son of a wealthy American for ransom purposes, they abduct the wrong one. So far so good. After the ransom is paid and he is set free, he decides that he wants the money back (that wasn’t his) so he tracks down the hot girl that tricked him and kidnaps her and holds her for ransom. Did I mention that she was the local mafia don’s daughter? He didn’t know that yet. So he kidnaps her, and it is obvious that they’re going to start fooling around and fall in love, which is what happens. The other characters are Joey, an American relative of the don, Sharon, Joey’s girlfriend, and Ray, a disgraced Secret Service agent and Sharon’s husband.
Early on, I could tell that these separate narratives were going to end up together and be awesome, so I kept reading. The reading was the hard part, because Leonard put so many Italian street names and landmarks in his writing that by the time you reached the end of a paragraph, you forgot what he was trying to say. It’s like he wrote this specifically for American expatriates living in Rome. Editors have a rule they like their writers to follow: No info dumps. It’s okay to talk about how old something is or some unique aspect of a building as long as that building plays into the story or tells me something about a character. Leonard clogged paragraphs with details that only contributed to a higher word count. One particular sentence has the following points of interest: Corso Vittoria Emaniele, Pantheon, Fontana del Moro, and Piazza Navona. And that was a short sentence. There are hundreds like this, so much that when trying to mentally follow someone’s route through the city, I skipped ahead three paragraphs and didn’t miss a beat. He acts like more of a tour guide than a writer at points, so much that I told my wife, “I bet this guy used to live in Italy.” A quick Google search told me I was correct.
The constant listing of things continues with everything. Leonard lists everything the character packs in his suitcase and everything each character eats, drinks, and wears. Even if it’s not important to the story. He describes the main character’s love interest, Angela, as looking like Manuela Arcuri. Don’t know who she is? I don’t either, probably because I don’t keep up with Italian soaps. That reference would make sense if he was an Italian writer whose book was translated into English, but instead it leaves the reader searching the web for a picture.
Another problem I had with this book, which is a major pet peeve of mine, is using brand names. Some brand names are iconic enough to make a statement. Having a foreigner offer an American a cigarette and having the American say “I only smoke Marlboros,” tells me something about that particular character. Drinking Jack Daniels, driving a Ferrari, riding a Harley, you get the idea. If someone drives a Prius, you automatically assume something about that character, though you can say it was a hybrid and get the same effect without name dropping. See what I mean? So having a kid pay for dinner, then telling me is was a Visa, does nothing for anyone! I don’t care what kind of bottled water the Secret Service guy drinks, or what kind of scooters clog up the roads, or the name brand on the gym bag used to hold the ransom money, or the brand of the lighter used to light a particular cigar. None of it matters. I know the rich mafia dude has money, because you already told me about his house and boat, so telling me what luxury car he drives feels like wasting my time, because I already assumed it was nice. This is a selection from chapter ten: Costco, US Bank, Visa, DTE Energy, Honda, Verizon, People, Rolling Stone, Vibe, Scene, Murder Dog, SKBK Sotheby’s, and TruGreen. I imagined him sitting behind his laptop wearing an outfit like NASCAR drivers wear, with sponsorship logos everywhere. Does saying Visa instead of ‘credit card bill’ make it better?
Back to the story. As the tension builds, and all the parties are about to collide in some park somewhere that Leonard mentions by name but doesn’t matter to anyone, and you know it’s about to get real. Everyone is armed except the guy facing down the mafia. The secret service dude is there, and so is the guy that’s having sex with his wife. Here comes the epic-ness that will make all of the clutter worth it. Pssssshf. That was the sound of the air being let out of my balloon. When the moment comes, the cops show up and arrest the bad guys, and then the mob guy gets arrested for having a gun in a train station. I think maybe one person got shot. Then the kid gets the money he was after (that wasn’t his to start with). That’s it.
Honestly, I think that if he left out the info dumps and the name brands, this would barely be a novella. He had the beginnings of a good story, but it felt like in the end he was trying too hard.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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November 14, 2021This review was first posted on Northern Plunder, if you want to see more reviews please click here.
I first received this book two years ago, it was the first book I ever agreed to review as part of a book tour and I felt terrible that I just couldn't get into it that I promised I'd give it ago at a later date.
Well this year was the later date and yet again it just didn't grip me, back then I should've known I wouldn't finish it even after time had passed but I also was very stubborn and refused to acknowledge "did not finish" could be a thing.
The reason I agreed to this tour was because I was still very much in love with Rome, I always will be, I had a great time being there and I wanted to read a book set there to see how they'd portray the two cities and whether they'd connect.
After reading two chapters and then finding myself skimming the words I realised I just couldn't do it, nothing grabbed my attention and hooked me, it was simply a chore.
I've seen the book have some good reviews and I'm upset that I didn't get to see this part of the book, but alas I just couldn't connect.
I first received this book two years ago, it was the first book I ever agreed to review as part of a book tour and I felt terrible that I just couldn't get into it that I promised I'd give it ago at a later date.
Well this year was the later date and yet again it just didn't grip me, back then I should've known I wouldn't finish it even after time had passed but I also was very stubborn and refused to acknowledge "did not finish" could be a thing.
The reason I agreed to this tour was because I was still very much in love with Rome, I always will be, I had a great time being there and I wanted to read a book set there to see how they'd portray the two cities and whether they'd connect.
After reading two chapters and then finding myself skimming the words I realised I just couldn't do it, nothing grabbed my attention and hooked me, it was simply a chore.
I've seen the book have some good reviews and I'm upset that I didn't get to see this part of the book, but alas I just couldn't connect.
June 28, 2012
This novel is a great mixture of love, action, and culture. The way the author jumps from one person's perspective to the next is exciting and allows the reader to know more about the story than the characters do. Beginning with drunk college guys crashing a taxi and heading for jail, All He Saw Was The Girl takes the reader on a thrill ride through kidnapping attempts, love affairs, and the inner workings of the Italian mafia. The reader learns of the strange ways lives can become tangled together with each other.
A wild emotional rollercoaster allows the reader to hate a character then in the next chapter love that character and even later hate them again. I caught myself hating Angela ("the girl" he saw), then feeling sorry for her tragic childhood and bad relationship with her father (the mafia don), and then loving her for loving McCabe (the "he" who saw her).
I would recommend this book over and over again to find adventure with a Secret Service agent, love with a beautiful Italian, and humor in the sarcasm of a born-and-raised Detroit boy.
A wild emotional rollercoaster allows the reader to hate a character then in the next chapter love that character and even later hate them again. I caught myself hating Angela ("the girl" he saw), then feeling sorry for her tragic childhood and bad relationship with her father (the mafia don), and then loving her for loving McCabe (the "he" who saw her).
I would recommend this book over and over again to find adventure with a Secret Service agent, love with a beautiful Italian, and humor in the sarcasm of a born-and-raised Detroit boy.
August 19, 2016
A very exciting book with lots of villains, which takes place in modern Rome.. The book also contains many facts about Rome and its history. Some of the characters do border on the unbelievable, however.
February 3, 2018
The concept was good, but the characters fell flat.
There are two basic plots here, both of which have great potential: First, the wife of a secret service agent is feeling abandoned and has an affair, with someone who turns out to be mob connected. Second, two college kids doing a semester abroad in Rome get drunk, arrested, and meet some mob connected people in jail. Leonard does a nice job of building these two plots into a compelling narrative. So far, so good.
The problem is that not a single character has any depth. They are all cartoon characters, playing a stock role: mob boss, mob boss's arrogant, no talent kid, Senator's frat boy son, beautiful woman who is a criminal's girlfriend (there are actually two characters who play this exact same role), an alcoholic law enforcement type who just needs a challenging case to save him, and a working class sidekick to the Senator's wastrel son who has amazing unrecognized talents.
All of these stock characters are here, and not ONE of them is given a meaningful backstory, or any personality that would flesh them out as actual human beings. Rather, they are just allowed to play their assigned roles.
Bottom line: the narrative is compelling enough to keep you turning the pages, but in the end, there is no substance.
There are two basic plots here, both of which have great potential: First, the wife of a secret service agent is feeling abandoned and has an affair, with someone who turns out to be mob connected. Second, two college kids doing a semester abroad in Rome get drunk, arrested, and meet some mob connected people in jail. Leonard does a nice job of building these two plots into a compelling narrative. So far, so good.
The problem is that not a single character has any depth. They are all cartoon characters, playing a stock role: mob boss, mob boss's arrogant, no talent kid, Senator's frat boy son, beautiful woman who is a criminal's girlfriend (there are actually two characters who play this exact same role), an alcoholic law enforcement type who just needs a challenging case to save him, and a working class sidekick to the Senator's wastrel son who has amazing unrecognized talents.
All of these stock characters are here, and not ONE of them is given a meaningful backstory, or any personality that would flesh them out as actual human beings. Rather, they are just allowed to play their assigned roles.
Bottom line: the narrative is compelling enough to keep you turning the pages, but in the end, there is no substance.
September 3, 2018
Converging storylines
At first I didn't appreciate the structure: the narrative jumped from one storyline to another, seemingly disconnected one. The connection did eventually emerge in a degrees of separation kind of way. One storyline involves an American art history student in Italy who gets mistakenly kidnapped for ransom but turns out to be a kind of badass action hero (well, McCabe is kind of an action hero name). Also, he is the one who sees the girl of the title. In another plotline Ray Pope, a newly resigned Secret Service agent is searching for his missing wife who had an affair with an American mobster. The two characters meet only briefly during a gunfight at the Spanish steps in Rome, but the stories are connected.
The author uses a wry laconic tough guy prose not unlike that of his father. There is plenty of detail about Italy, art and history sprinkled in the dialogue.
I ended up enjoying the book.
At first I didn't appreciate the structure: the narrative jumped from one storyline to another, seemingly disconnected one. The connection did eventually emerge in a degrees of separation kind of way. One storyline involves an American art history student in Italy who gets mistakenly kidnapped for ransom but turns out to be a kind of badass action hero (well, McCabe is kind of an action hero name). Also, he is the one who sees the girl of the title. In another plotline Ray Pope, a newly resigned Secret Service agent is searching for his missing wife who had an affair with an American mobster. The two characters meet only briefly during a gunfight at the Spanish steps in Rome, but the stories are connected.
The author uses a wry laconic tough guy prose not unlike that of his father. There is plenty of detail about Italy, art and history sprinkled in the dialogue.
I ended up enjoying the book.
July 16, 2025
Now, Peter's style is very similar to his dad's, which is fine. If you gotta emulate anyone, emulate the best. But, this book really seems like someone doing a bad parody of Elmore Leonard, especially with the main character, who is extremely grating in the fact that he's portrayed as nothing but a bad-ass dude who just stumbles from one situation to another and does nothing but win, because he's a bad-ass, y'know? If you bang your head against the wall every time he shrugs and says "I'll think of something" when he has to solve a problem, and then of course he does, you'll have a bad headache at the end, indeed.
Plus, it really seems like Peter went on vacation to Italy and just used his memories as tourist as an excuse to write a book.
Plus, it really seems like Peter went on vacation to Italy and just used his memories as tourist as an excuse to write a book.
December 30, 2022
All He Saw Was the Girl by Peter Leonard
Very fast paced action about a few college aged guys who travel overseases, get in trouble while attending college there.
End up in prison for a few days and because of one of the boys father career they are released.
Women play a big part in the plot as well as Mafia and gangs. Mistaken kidnapping and so many more events shape this into a great read.
Would make a really cool movie as there is so much action. Love the locations as they are decrsibed in every detail so you know exactly what corner of the street they are at.
So many scenarios take place, great read.
Received this review copy from The Story Plant and this is my honest opinion.
Very fast paced action about a few college aged guys who travel overseases, get in trouble while attending college there.
End up in prison for a few days and because of one of the boys father career they are released.
Women play a big part in the plot as well as Mafia and gangs. Mistaken kidnapping and so many more events shape this into a great read.
Would make a really cool movie as there is so much action. Love the locations as they are decrsibed in every detail so you know exactly what corner of the street they are at.
So many scenarios take place, great read.
Received this review copy from The Story Plant and this is my honest opinion.
November 20, 2019
Read on Kindle app on phone. Difficult to read due to poor lay-out, lack of breaks between scenes. Had to go back and restart paragraphs because I'd realize I was in a different location with different characters one or two sentences into a new paragraph. Also, dialogue was confusing with one character saying something and another responding within single paragraph.
As for the plots/storylines - not great. The entire Ray & Sharon storyline was unnecessary. Joey was a caricature and completely ridiculous.
As for the plots/storylines - not great. The entire Ray & Sharon storyline was unnecessary. Joey was a caricature and completely ridiculous.
July 24, 2017
Sorry guys, This one was not for me.
September 10, 2019
Entertaining in parts, but overall felt like a frivolous waste of time.
November 3, 2012
That rule is from Elmore Leonard’s New York Times article, “Easy on the Adverbs, Exclamation Points and Especially Hooptedoodle”. His son, Peter certainly had memorized that rule, along with the rest, in writing this marvelous novel. The prose are terse, hard-bitten and to the point. When a story opens with the protagonist in jail, well, it’s got to be dark and hardboiled. And true to the Leonard name, its slapstick-caper-with-great-dialogue in vintage.
When American college buddies, the rich and arrogant Chip Tallenger and William McCabe, the son of a working class Detroit family, end up in an Italian jail after a night of drunken revelry that ends in Chip stealing a taxi they are on a collision course with disaster.
In jail, the pair meet an Italian street thug with delusions of grandeur. Roberto Mazara tries to strong arm Chip who looks like an easy mark in his $400 Cole Haan boots, but McCabe steps up and puts Mazara in his place and on his butt.
When Chip and McCabe are “bought” out of jail by Chip’s wealthy U.S. Senator father Chip puts the blame for the taxi fiasco on McCabe, even though he was responsible for the shenanigans. McCabe doesn’t correct him and takes the heat from Charles Tallenger II. The story makes the local papers - U.S. Senators Son is Acquitted of Stealing Taxi - but the names were switched under the photos. When Mazara breaks out he hatches a plot for revenge for the loss of face. Italians are nothing if not bubbling over with machismo. He is going to kidnap McCabe, mistaking him for the son of the senator and he uses his beautiful girlfriend to insure that All He Saw Was The Girl. The senator ransoms McCabe, thinking it’s Chip the gangsters have and because Chip is off to the beach no one is the wiser.
But McCabe decides to turn the tables on Mazara and get back the ransom money. He kidnaps Mazara’s girlfriend, Angela who just happens to be the godfather of all mafia godfathers, Don Gennaro’s only child.
Switching scenes to Detroit, Joey Palermo, another spoiled rich kid, the son of a local mafia lieutenant meets Sharon, an older bored wife of a too often out of town U.S. Secret Service agent. A one night stand is one thing, but when Joey falls for her and wants to marry her, it’s crossing the line as the mafia doesn’t need this kind of heat. When Sharon’s husband, Ray, melts down on the job and walks away from his career, he returns to Detroit in the hopes of patching up his marriage. But, when he finds Sharon is gone he sets out to find her, which of course leads him to Joey.
But Joey has been spirited out of the country until things cool down and is now in Italy with his uncle Don Gennaro.
It’s not hard to shine in a field where your father is the master. None of the Hemingway’s, though they could write competently, could live up to the standards of Papa. Bob Dylan’s son is a fine musician, but not on a level with Bob, same with John Lennon’s offspring. But Peter Leonard is proving the exception in his books. In All He Saw Was The Girl - his third-he tells a darkly humorous tale with great dialog and narrative. Lean, mean and as tightly wrapped as the characters that inhabit it.
He resists the urge to wax poetic in his descriptions of Rome and the Italian countryside, perhaps remembering Rule 9 in his fathers essay : “Don't go into great detail describing places and things.” Nevertheless, letting those details come forth in dialog and thoughts of the characters and the natural flow of the story. He conveys a sense of place while avoiding a travelogue style which works wonderfully. The characters, too, jump memorably from the page full of life and foibles.
The story is based on an incident from the authors life while he was a student in Italy in the ‘70s and that experience allows him to paint a masterpiece of fiction that can only be called Leonard-esque now that it is in its second generation of bearing fruit. The plot motors along like a sports car cruising down the Italian coast and never misses a twist or a turn. But there’s bound to be a collection when this many egos get involved and the reader will enjoy the ride and the crash. Peter Leonard is in full stride with this, his third book and the future shines with a noirish light. This is “don’t miss” crime fiction at its very best.
Title : All He Saw Was The Girl - Publisher : The Story Plant - Pub Date : June 05, 2012 – ISBN : 978161188042
Article first published as Book Review: All He Saw Was The Girl by Peter Leonard on Blogcritics.
The Dirty Lowdown
When American college buddies, the rich and arrogant Chip Tallenger and William McCabe, the son of a working class Detroit family, end up in an Italian jail after a night of drunken revelry that ends in Chip stealing a taxi they are on a collision course with disaster.
In jail, the pair meet an Italian street thug with delusions of grandeur. Roberto Mazara tries to strong arm Chip who looks like an easy mark in his $400 Cole Haan boots, but McCabe steps up and puts Mazara in his place and on his butt.
When Chip and McCabe are “bought” out of jail by Chip’s wealthy U.S. Senator father Chip puts the blame for the taxi fiasco on McCabe, even though he was responsible for the shenanigans. McCabe doesn’t correct him and takes the heat from Charles Tallenger II. The story makes the local papers - U.S. Senators Son is Acquitted of Stealing Taxi - but the names were switched under the photos. When Mazara breaks out he hatches a plot for revenge for the loss of face. Italians are nothing if not bubbling over with machismo. He is going to kidnap McCabe, mistaking him for the son of the senator and he uses his beautiful girlfriend to insure that All He Saw Was The Girl. The senator ransoms McCabe, thinking it’s Chip the gangsters have and because Chip is off to the beach no one is the wiser.
But McCabe decides to turn the tables on Mazara and get back the ransom money. He kidnaps Mazara’s girlfriend, Angela who just happens to be the godfather of all mafia godfathers, Don Gennaro’s only child.
Switching scenes to Detroit, Joey Palermo, another spoiled rich kid, the son of a local mafia lieutenant meets Sharon, an older bored wife of a too often out of town U.S. Secret Service agent. A one night stand is one thing, but when Joey falls for her and wants to marry her, it’s crossing the line as the mafia doesn’t need this kind of heat. When Sharon’s husband, Ray, melts down on the job and walks away from his career, he returns to Detroit in the hopes of patching up his marriage. But, when he finds Sharon is gone he sets out to find her, which of course leads him to Joey.
But Joey has been spirited out of the country until things cool down and is now in Italy with his uncle Don Gennaro.
It’s not hard to shine in a field where your father is the master. None of the Hemingway’s, though they could write competently, could live up to the standards of Papa. Bob Dylan’s son is a fine musician, but not on a level with Bob, same with John Lennon’s offspring. But Peter Leonard is proving the exception in his books. In All He Saw Was The Girl - his third-he tells a darkly humorous tale with great dialog and narrative. Lean, mean and as tightly wrapped as the characters that inhabit it.
He resists the urge to wax poetic in his descriptions of Rome and the Italian countryside, perhaps remembering Rule 9 in his fathers essay : “Don't go into great detail describing places and things.” Nevertheless, letting those details come forth in dialog and thoughts of the characters and the natural flow of the story. He conveys a sense of place while avoiding a travelogue style which works wonderfully. The characters, too, jump memorably from the page full of life and foibles.
The story is based on an incident from the authors life while he was a student in Italy in the ‘70s and that experience allows him to paint a masterpiece of fiction that can only be called Leonard-esque now that it is in its second generation of bearing fruit. The plot motors along like a sports car cruising down the Italian coast and never misses a twist or a turn. But there’s bound to be a collection when this many egos get involved and the reader will enjoy the ride and the crash. Peter Leonard is in full stride with this, his third book and the future shines with a noirish light. This is “don’t miss” crime fiction at its very best.
Title : All He Saw Was The Girl - Publisher : The Story Plant - Pub Date : June 05, 2012 – ISBN : 978161188042
Article first published as Book Review: All He Saw Was The Girl by Peter Leonard on Blogcritics.
The Dirty Lowdown
July 18, 2012
Two narratives ... two cities ... both intertwining to provide a suspense thriller that is one heck of a roller coaster ride!
William McCabe and Charles "Chip" Tallenger III are American exchange students studying abroad at Loyola University in Rome, Italy. McCabe is from Detroit, Michigan, and is on an academic scholarship, while Chip is the spoiled rich son of U.S. Senator Charles Tallenger II from Greenwich, Connecticut. While out partying one night, Chip and McCabe steal a cab and end up locked up in Rebibbia, a hardcore Italian prison, where they cross paths with a violent street gang with mafia ties. A case of mistaken identity leads to one of the boys being kidnapped by the street gang which included a beautiful Italian girl, the ransom is paid and the boy plots to avenge the street gang and reclaim the ransom money.
Meanwhile in Detroit, Michigan, Sharon Vanelli is a lonely wife of an absent Secret Service agent, who goes to bars and seeks the company of other men. Sharon meets Joey "Swinging Joey" Palermo, a mafia lieutenant and enforcer for the Corrado mob family. Sharon and Joey's affair is soon discovered by Sharon's husband, Ray Pope. When Joey tells his father "Joe P," an underboss in the Corroda mob family, about his relationship with Sharon, and that her husband is a Secret Service agent, Joey is sent packing to Italy to stay with his uncle, Don Carlo Gennaro, who is the head of the Rome mafia, until the coast is clear. Ray is determined to track down his missing wife. Sharon follows Joey to Rome, so Ray travels to Italy where the fun is just about too begin ...
What will happen when these two narratives and cast of characters intertwine and collide in Rome?
All He Saw Was The Girl is a fast paced action packed suspense thriller that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. The author masterfully weaves a story with two intertwining narratives in alternating chapters, that easily transports the reader between Detroit, Michigan and Rome, Italy. This complex suspense thriller has enough drama, action and twist and turns that will keep the reader engaged and turning the pages to see what will happen next. I found it fascinating how the author takes the two narratives and intertwines them in a satisfying climatic fashion.
The author has created a strong cast of characters that are realistic and complex. Their different personalities and entertaining interactions are intriguing, and the author does a great job of flowing from one character to another, engaging the reader to keep up with all of the characters. What I liked best is how the author keeps the reader guessing how all the characters fit into the two intertwining narratives, until ultimately they come together to mix it up in the backstreets of Rome.
Author Peter Leonard has provided the reader with a richly detailed and tour-guide description of the beautiful ancient city of Rome, Italy. His descriptions of the famous landmarks and tourist attractions, along with a street map worthy description of the locale, easily transports the reader to Rome, where they can visualize the tantalizing sights and sounds of the city. I absolutely loved his style of describing settings in this novel, it is simply phenomenal.
I had previously been introduced to Peter Leonard's writings when I read and reviewed his novel Voices of the Dead, which I thoroughly enjoyed. When I was given this opportunity to read and review All He Saw Was The Girl, I was hoping that this novel would provide the same kind of suspense and action that I had read in the previous novel, and I can honestly say that this novel has exceeded my expectations and then some! I look forward to reading many more of his novels in the future.
If you are looking for a novel that is full of drama, suspense and enough action that volleys you back and forth from one end of the globe to the other, then All He Saw Was The Girl is the one for you! This is one suspense thriller that is a must read, you won't be disappointed!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book by the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
William McCabe and Charles "Chip" Tallenger III are American exchange students studying abroad at Loyola University in Rome, Italy. McCabe is from Detroit, Michigan, and is on an academic scholarship, while Chip is the spoiled rich son of U.S. Senator Charles Tallenger II from Greenwich, Connecticut. While out partying one night, Chip and McCabe steal a cab and end up locked up in Rebibbia, a hardcore Italian prison, where they cross paths with a violent street gang with mafia ties. A case of mistaken identity leads to one of the boys being kidnapped by the street gang which included a beautiful Italian girl, the ransom is paid and the boy plots to avenge the street gang and reclaim the ransom money.
Meanwhile in Detroit, Michigan, Sharon Vanelli is a lonely wife of an absent Secret Service agent, who goes to bars and seeks the company of other men. Sharon meets Joey "Swinging Joey" Palermo, a mafia lieutenant and enforcer for the Corrado mob family. Sharon and Joey's affair is soon discovered by Sharon's husband, Ray Pope. When Joey tells his father "Joe P," an underboss in the Corroda mob family, about his relationship with Sharon, and that her husband is a Secret Service agent, Joey is sent packing to Italy to stay with his uncle, Don Carlo Gennaro, who is the head of the Rome mafia, until the coast is clear. Ray is determined to track down his missing wife. Sharon follows Joey to Rome, so Ray travels to Italy where the fun is just about too begin ...
What will happen when these two narratives and cast of characters intertwine and collide in Rome?
All He Saw Was The Girl is a fast paced action packed suspense thriller that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat. The author masterfully weaves a story with two intertwining narratives in alternating chapters, that easily transports the reader between Detroit, Michigan and Rome, Italy. This complex suspense thriller has enough drama, action and twist and turns that will keep the reader engaged and turning the pages to see what will happen next. I found it fascinating how the author takes the two narratives and intertwines them in a satisfying climatic fashion.
The author has created a strong cast of characters that are realistic and complex. Their different personalities and entertaining interactions are intriguing, and the author does a great job of flowing from one character to another, engaging the reader to keep up with all of the characters. What I liked best is how the author keeps the reader guessing how all the characters fit into the two intertwining narratives, until ultimately they come together to mix it up in the backstreets of Rome.
Author Peter Leonard has provided the reader with a richly detailed and tour-guide description of the beautiful ancient city of Rome, Italy. His descriptions of the famous landmarks and tourist attractions, along with a street map worthy description of the locale, easily transports the reader to Rome, where they can visualize the tantalizing sights and sounds of the city. I absolutely loved his style of describing settings in this novel, it is simply phenomenal.
I had previously been introduced to Peter Leonard's writings when I read and reviewed his novel Voices of the Dead, which I thoroughly enjoyed. When I was given this opportunity to read and review All He Saw Was The Girl, I was hoping that this novel would provide the same kind of suspense and action that I had read in the previous novel, and I can honestly say that this novel has exceeded my expectations and then some! I look forward to reading many more of his novels in the future.
If you are looking for a novel that is full of drama, suspense and enough action that volleys you back and forth from one end of the globe to the other, then All He Saw Was The Girl is the one for you! This is one suspense thriller that is a must read, you won't be disappointed!
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book by the author in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.
http://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot...
May 15, 2012
All He Saw Was The Girl by Peter Leonard
Published by The Story Plant
ISBN-10: 1611880424
ISBN-13: 978-1611880427
At the request of The Story Plant, an ARC digital version was provided, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (from publisher):
Rome:
McCabe and Chip, two American exchange students, are about to become embroiled with a violent street gang, a beautiful Italian girl, and a flawed kidnapping plan.
Detroit:
Sharon Vanelli’s affair with Joey Palermo, a Mafia enforcer, is about to be discovered by her husband, Ray, a secret service agent.
Brilliantly plotted and shot through with wry humor, ALL HE SAW WAS THE GIRL sees these two narratives collide in the backstreets of Italy’s oldest city.
My Thoughts and opinion: I was first introduced to this author when I read, Voices of the Dead, which I thoroughly enjoyed due to his writing style, his character development and descriptive settings, however, I am always a bit skeptical when I start to read a follow up novel. Will it be as good? Have I set my expectations too high and compare it to the first book?
All He Saw Was The Girl, just like Voices of the Dead, within the first few pages the book pulled me in with the introduction of a few of the characters that the author brought to life. Chip and McCabe, 2 students studying in Italy. Then Sharon, a lonesome wife from Detroit, married to a secret service agent, is injected into the story line. Characters, so different and on different ends of the spectrum, had this reader wondering what is their connection? The suspense starts and builds, like a ticking time bomb with one kidnapping that has gone bad, and continues with the tumultuous "mob" related cat and mouse chase of another kidnapping through the streets of Italy.
What I like about Peter Leonard's books is that he creates the cast of characters, with the reader not knowing the connection, and in a very fluid manner, interweaves them all into an intricate plot. Another aspect of his writing that I enjoy is that he alternates chapters with different characters and leaves the reader with mini cliff hangers that it's a "one more chapter" read to find out what happens and I found that I had read many more chapters than one. The detailed descriptions of Italy were vivid, and for me, factual as I had seen and visited many of the locales that he used as his settings. The action fast paced, with twists and turns of suspense and a bit of dry humor thrown in.
Did All He Saw Was The Girl meet my expectations, yes! It was what I call "a transport read", where I was so engrossed into the story that I was unaware of what was going on around me. A page turner!! Would I recommend it, absolutely!!! Only one problem now, waiting for his next novel!!
My Rating: 5
Published by The Story Plant
ISBN-10: 1611880424
ISBN-13: 978-1611880427
At the request of The Story Plant, an ARC digital version was provided, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.
Synopsis (from publisher):
Rome:
McCabe and Chip, two American exchange students, are about to become embroiled with a violent street gang, a beautiful Italian girl, and a flawed kidnapping plan.
Detroit:
Sharon Vanelli’s affair with Joey Palermo, a Mafia enforcer, is about to be discovered by her husband, Ray, a secret service agent.
Brilliantly plotted and shot through with wry humor, ALL HE SAW WAS THE GIRL sees these two narratives collide in the backstreets of Italy’s oldest city.
My Thoughts and opinion: I was first introduced to this author when I read, Voices of the Dead, which I thoroughly enjoyed due to his writing style, his character development and descriptive settings, however, I am always a bit skeptical when I start to read a follow up novel. Will it be as good? Have I set my expectations too high and compare it to the first book?
All He Saw Was The Girl, just like Voices of the Dead, within the first few pages the book pulled me in with the introduction of a few of the characters that the author brought to life. Chip and McCabe, 2 students studying in Italy. Then Sharon, a lonesome wife from Detroit, married to a secret service agent, is injected into the story line. Characters, so different and on different ends of the spectrum, had this reader wondering what is their connection? The suspense starts and builds, like a ticking time bomb with one kidnapping that has gone bad, and continues with the tumultuous "mob" related cat and mouse chase of another kidnapping through the streets of Italy.
What I like about Peter Leonard's books is that he creates the cast of characters, with the reader not knowing the connection, and in a very fluid manner, interweaves them all into an intricate plot. Another aspect of his writing that I enjoy is that he alternates chapters with different characters and leaves the reader with mini cliff hangers that it's a "one more chapter" read to find out what happens and I found that I had read many more chapters than one. The detailed descriptions of Italy were vivid, and for me, factual as I had seen and visited many of the locales that he used as his settings. The action fast paced, with twists and turns of suspense and a bit of dry humor thrown in.
Did All He Saw Was The Girl meet my expectations, yes! It was what I call "a transport read", where I was so engrossed into the story that I was unaware of what was going on around me. A page turner!! Would I recommend it, absolutely!!! Only one problem now, waiting for his next novel!!
My Rating: 5
July 28, 2012
My Rating: 4.5 stars out of 5.
Disclaimers: I received an electronic form of this book for review in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not obligated to write a good review and did not receive any compensation for writing this review.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: First of all, I love Italy, and so the second I heard this took place in Rome, I knew I had to read this one. Plus the mafia is involved...come on...how can you not read this one?
Leonard exceeded my expectations in every manner possible. I was stunned by the depth in the plot, the characters, and in the writing style. His writing was compelling, intriguing, and never boring. He masterfully weaved several different story arcs together into one action-packed novel that had my heart racing. Beautiful prose to say the least.
As for the characters, they were all so brilliantly crafted. Often when I read suspense, I feel like the characters are flat. This was not the case with this novel. Every single one of these characters (and no I'm not exaggerating) left me impressed. I absolutely adored McCabe and Angela in particular. Their interactions were amusing, thrilling, and had me frantically turning pages to see how their story ended.
As for the whole Sharon, Ray, and Joey angle, I usually have no tolerance for people who cheat. However, I found myself thoroughly intrigued by their relationship and couldn't help but wonder how everything I would turn out. A girl married to a Special Service man and having an affair with a mobster. Intriguing, horrible, but thoroughly intriguing.
This novel was one of the better thriller/mystery/suspense novels I've read in a long time. Like I mentioned earlier, the writing seemed to flow so well and the plot development was brilliantly done.
In Summary: A fast read with a killer plot line that left me thoroughly entranced from the very first page to the very last. Brilliant characters...plus it takes place in Italy and involved the Mafia. What more could you ask for?
Warnings/Side-notes: Several instances of strong language, but not excessive use. Sexual references were very common. They were a little more detailed than some books I've read, but they were still not very detailed. (See the excerpt. It mentions sex like this frequently, but isn't really detailed.)
The Wrap-up: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read in a manner of hours and intrigued the entire time. Every moment of this book seemed to flow together so nicely and in a way that compelled me to keep reading. Plus, I loved the characters. At the beginning, I found the jumps between characters and the flashes to the past a little confusing. However, I quickly caught on and became swept away in the story. An intriguing read to say the least. Definitely recommended.
Love,
Danica Page
Disclaimers: I received an electronic form of this book for review in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not obligated to write a good review and did not receive any compensation for writing this review.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: First of all, I love Italy, and so the second I heard this took place in Rome, I knew I had to read this one. Plus the mafia is involved...come on...how can you not read this one?
Leonard exceeded my expectations in every manner possible. I was stunned by the depth in the plot, the characters, and in the writing style. His writing was compelling, intriguing, and never boring. He masterfully weaved several different story arcs together into one action-packed novel that had my heart racing. Beautiful prose to say the least.
As for the characters, they were all so brilliantly crafted. Often when I read suspense, I feel like the characters are flat. This was not the case with this novel. Every single one of these characters (and no I'm not exaggerating) left me impressed. I absolutely adored McCabe and Angela in particular. Their interactions were amusing, thrilling, and had me frantically turning pages to see how their story ended.
As for the whole Sharon, Ray, and Joey angle, I usually have no tolerance for people who cheat. However, I found myself thoroughly intrigued by their relationship and couldn't help but wonder how everything I would turn out. A girl married to a Special Service man and having an affair with a mobster. Intriguing, horrible, but thoroughly intriguing.
This novel was one of the better thriller/mystery/suspense novels I've read in a long time. Like I mentioned earlier, the writing seemed to flow so well and the plot development was brilliantly done.
In Summary: A fast read with a killer plot line that left me thoroughly entranced from the very first page to the very last. Brilliant characters...plus it takes place in Italy and involved the Mafia. What more could you ask for?
Warnings/Side-notes: Several instances of strong language, but not excessive use. Sexual references were very common. They were a little more detailed than some books I've read, but they were still not very detailed. (See the excerpt. It mentions sex like this frequently, but isn't really detailed.)
The Wrap-up: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I read in a manner of hours and intrigued the entire time. Every moment of this book seemed to flow together so nicely and in a way that compelled me to keep reading. Plus, I loved the characters. At the beginning, I found the jumps between characters and the flashes to the past a little confusing. However, I quickly caught on and became swept away in the story. An intriguing read to say the least. Definitely recommended.
Love,
Danica Page
August 12, 2012
At the beginning of the book I did not understand how the author was going to connect everything together. Two different cities, a handful of people and at the time it seemed like two different plots. However the author brings it all together for the reader. The author has readers hopping around the world, from the USA to Italy. This book will keep the reader entertained and wondering what is happening next.
I loved how the author included several different mafias in this book. This is not just an average read. The author keeps the readers mind occupied. If you are looking for a fast pass crime/mystery book for a weekend read then check this book out.
The cast of characters are Chip who is a US senator’s son, McCabe who is on a scholarship in Rome, Sharon a bored wife who wants some adventure, Joey who is a thug in the mafia, and Ray an ex-secret service agent.
Chip and McCabe are on a semester tour in Rome. Chip is this young adult that has an attitude that he should get the royal treatment no matter what he does, including having his crimes overlooked. McCabe is good friends with Chip but takes a lot of the blame for Chip’s mistakes.
Sharon is just bored with her marriage. She cannot remember the last time she had sex with her husband. She meets up with Joey and thinks it is a dream comes true. She wants to have the cake and eat it also.
Joey is a thug in the mafia. This is not known during the first part of the book. He has this carefree attitude and wants everything he cannot have. He has
Ray is Sharon’s husband. During the beginning of the book the reader might think Ray has a totally different career. He sounds like he is just burned out of everything in his life at the moment.
The cover makes me think of a James Bond movie. I can see Sean Connery or Roger Moore as Ray. However we all know that 007 was never married so that little bit in the book would have to be changed. The title fits this book perfect. The last thing the guys saw was ‘The Girl’. Granted it was not the same girl but it was a girl.
If you have followed my blog for more than a day or so you will know that I cannot write a detailed review without giving away spoilers. I always stop before that happens. Well here is the stopping point. Sorry.
Thanks for a great read Peter.
I loved how the author included several different mafias in this book. This is not just an average read. The author keeps the readers mind occupied. If you are looking for a fast pass crime/mystery book for a weekend read then check this book out.
The cast of characters are Chip who is a US senator’s son, McCabe who is on a scholarship in Rome, Sharon a bored wife who wants some adventure, Joey who is a thug in the mafia, and Ray an ex-secret service agent.
Chip and McCabe are on a semester tour in Rome. Chip is this young adult that has an attitude that he should get the royal treatment no matter what he does, including having his crimes overlooked. McCabe is good friends with Chip but takes a lot of the blame for Chip’s mistakes.
Sharon is just bored with her marriage. She cannot remember the last time she had sex with her husband. She meets up with Joey and thinks it is a dream comes true. She wants to have the cake and eat it also.
Joey is a thug in the mafia. This is not known during the first part of the book. He has this carefree attitude and wants everything he cannot have. He has
Ray is Sharon’s husband. During the beginning of the book the reader might think Ray has a totally different career. He sounds like he is just burned out of everything in his life at the moment.
The cover makes me think of a James Bond movie. I can see Sean Connery or Roger Moore as Ray. However we all know that 007 was never married so that little bit in the book would have to be changed. The title fits this book perfect. The last thing the guys saw was ‘The Girl’. Granted it was not the same girl but it was a girl.
If you have followed my blog for more than a day or so you will know that I cannot write a detailed review without giving away spoilers. I always stop before that happens. Well here is the stopping point. Sorry.
Thanks for a great read Peter.
May 19, 2012
A few months ago I had the pleasure to read “Voices of the Dead” by Peter Leonard. I said at the time I would be tracking down some of the authors other books, but I didn’t realise that I would be reviewing another one from Partners In Crime Tours quite so soon. I simply couldn’t resist the request for the review, but then I did wonder if it could be quite as good as Voices of the Dead. Simply put … I was not disappointed.
I couldn’t put “All He Saw Was the Girl”, down and read it in a day. Peter Leonard is a master storyteller, in “All He Saw Was the Girl”; he has developed two complicated and intricate plots, and woven a story of Mafioso, US Secret Service, kidnap and love into one extraordinary book.
The setting of Italy works incredibly well and is an excellent backdrop to the story. In reality the story doesn’t need that backdrop, it could have been set anywhere; but Italy just works, and brings the scenes to life.
All of the characters, and there are quite a few, are believable and it was great to see how the two storylines drew together towards the end of the book, without ever quite connecting completely. This was very well written, and not the obvious way to bring things together which was nice; I like a bit of unpredictability and to be proved wrong once in a while, when I think I know how things are going to end.
As I read I couldn’t help but feel that there is a movie of this book now waiting to be made. Whether that is intentional or not, it would certainly make a good film, all the elements are there.
Whilst I love a series read, I also like to find authors who are capable of producing a different book each time. I think in the case of Peter Leonard the latter is true. Although they fit within the crime/thriller genre, the two I have read to date are completely different. They have the authors quite distinctive voice, but the story premise couldn’t be more different.
Another recommended read from Peter Leonard, and now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find something else by Mr Leonard to read.
I couldn’t put “All He Saw Was the Girl”, down and read it in a day. Peter Leonard is a master storyteller, in “All He Saw Was the Girl”; he has developed two complicated and intricate plots, and woven a story of Mafioso, US Secret Service, kidnap and love into one extraordinary book.
The setting of Italy works incredibly well and is an excellent backdrop to the story. In reality the story doesn’t need that backdrop, it could have been set anywhere; but Italy just works, and brings the scenes to life.
All of the characters, and there are quite a few, are believable and it was great to see how the two storylines drew together towards the end of the book, without ever quite connecting completely. This was very well written, and not the obvious way to bring things together which was nice; I like a bit of unpredictability and to be proved wrong once in a while, when I think I know how things are going to end.
As I read I couldn’t help but feel that there is a movie of this book now waiting to be made. Whether that is intentional or not, it would certainly make a good film, all the elements are there.
Whilst I love a series read, I also like to find authors who are capable of producing a different book each time. I think in the case of Peter Leonard the latter is true. Although they fit within the crime/thriller genre, the two I have read to date are completely different. They have the authors quite distinctive voice, but the story premise couldn’t be more different.
Another recommended read from Peter Leonard, and now if you’ll excuse me, I’m off to find something else by Mr Leonard to read.
January 1, 2016
When I reached the end of All He Saw Was the Girl, I closed the book with a smile. While there were a few slightly predictable moments, overall I really enjoyed the book. The action is nonstop, and the suspense builds and builds as the story progresses. It’s fast-paced and great entertainment.
The characters were, as a whole, interesting. The mobsters, with the exception of the big guy in Italy, were not in the least bit sympathetic. It’s easy to root against these guys. The Don, however, has a story that I’d love to know more about. We learn about a major tragedy, but not how he gets from there to where he is now. I’d like to know more about that. The other characters are more sympathetic, which I suppose is the point with the good-guys, right? With the exception of Chip, who’s a privileged jerk, they all are easy to root for. I especially liked McCabe, Ray, and Arturo. There are a few characters I’d call in-between. Either it’s hard to know which side they’re on, or they switch sides, or they even are so briefly part of the book that they can’t be classified. My favorite would be Angela. She is surprisingly likable, and I found myself rooting for her as much as the others.
The overall plot is a bit out there, but I think that is part of what keeps the book so fun. (I really don’t want to say too much for fear of ruining surprises!) There were moments when I was moderately frustrated with one character or another, but never to the point of wanting to throw the book across the room. The resolution, which some might think needs more, I found to be perfect. It’s very fitting to the style of the book and the story itself. While, sure some more details would be welcome, but (as I mentioned earlier) I found myself smiling at the end. A book that leaves me smiling is a well-written, and well-ended, book!
I really, really liked this. I'd bump it up a notch and go with 4.5 stars.
The characters were, as a whole, interesting. The mobsters, with the exception of the big guy in Italy, were not in the least bit sympathetic. It’s easy to root against these guys. The Don, however, has a story that I’d love to know more about. We learn about a major tragedy, but not how he gets from there to where he is now. I’d like to know more about that. The other characters are more sympathetic, which I suppose is the point with the good-guys, right? With the exception of Chip, who’s a privileged jerk, they all are easy to root for. I especially liked McCabe, Ray, and Arturo. There are a few characters I’d call in-between. Either it’s hard to know which side they’re on, or they switch sides, or they even are so briefly part of the book that they can’t be classified. My favorite would be Angela. She is surprisingly likable, and I found myself rooting for her as much as the others.
The overall plot is a bit out there, but I think that is part of what keeps the book so fun. (I really don’t want to say too much for fear of ruining surprises!) There were moments when I was moderately frustrated with one character or another, but never to the point of wanting to throw the book across the room. The resolution, which some might think needs more, I found to be perfect. It’s very fitting to the style of the book and the story itself. While, sure some more details would be welcome, but (as I mentioned earlier) I found myself smiling at the end. A book that leaves me smiling is a well-written, and well-ended, book!
I really, really liked this. I'd bump it up a notch and go with 4.5 stars.
August 20, 2014
All He Saw Was the Girl is a deft crime thriller adventure story. The fast-moving story is matched perfectly by the quickly-paced prose. Deftly-drawn character sketches; exotic U.S. and foreign locales; hot, trashy women; hot tough guys and gangsters; action scenes galore; a twenty-something male protagonist who surprises people at every turn: All He Saw Was the Girl is a book begging to be adapted to film.
The story is set partially in Detroit, Michigan, but mainly it is set in and around Rome, Italy. The sense of place in All He Saw Was the Girl is very strong.
In the first few pages of All He Saw Was the Girl, the protagonist, William McCabe, has encounters with Italian police in the shape of the uniformed Carabinieri and a police Commissario.
The first chapter is full of confidently written action scenes, with a keen eye for the visual story. It has a hard-boiled delivery that makes this book's style punchy, as punchy as the protagonist gets more than once in the book, in both senses of the word.
The narration is third-person limited, that switches from one character's perspective to another swiftly, as swiftly as needed by the fast-moving storyline. I only noticed a few errors and typos. The e-book edition has some missing line breaks that have the effect of running dialog from two characters together, causing some confusion.
The author is a master of the dry-aside, and he is equally confident writing from the female and male perspectives.
Please read my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews.
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
The story is set partially in Detroit, Michigan, but mainly it is set in and around Rome, Italy. The sense of place in All He Saw Was the Girl is very strong.
In the first few pages of All He Saw Was the Girl, the protagonist, William McCabe, has encounters with Italian police in the shape of the uniformed Carabinieri and a police Commissario.
The first chapter is full of confidently written action scenes, with a keen eye for the visual story. It has a hard-boiled delivery that makes this book's style punchy, as punchy as the protagonist gets more than once in the book, in both senses of the word.
The narration is third-person limited, that switches from one character's perspective to another swiftly, as swiftly as needed by the fast-moving storyline. I only noticed a few errors and typos. The e-book edition has some missing line breaks that have the effect of running dialog from two characters together, causing some confusion.
The author is a master of the dry-aside, and he is equally confident writing from the female and male perspectives.
Please read my full and illustrated review at Italophile Book Reviews.
http://italophilebookreviews.blogspot...
January 16, 2016
Two story lines collide in All He Saw Was The Girl.
McCabe and Chip are two American college students studying abroad in Italy. A freak incident, a case of mistaken identity, and a beautiful Italian girl, lead to more than one exciting chase.
Sharon is a bored wife of a secret service agent. He is always traveling leaving her home alone. Her choice to have an affair with Joey Palermo to add a little excitement to her life may cost her dearly.
When Elmore Leonard is your father good writing is in the genes. This is well proven by Peter's success. I reviewed his Voices of the Dead earlier this year and I do enjoy his writing style. He slowly builds the path and reveals the clues to take us on a ride of thrills and suspense.
I have never been to Italy but Leonard's detailed descriptions made me feel like I was right there sitting at sidewalk table outside Rosati drinking a Moretti looking out at the Porta del Popolo watching the cars and motorbikes go speeding by.
It is sometimes difficult to weave two stories together but the author has done this very well. We do lose one character for awhile which bothered me a bit.
The story is fast paced so this is a really quick read. The pages keep turning and turning. Little cliffhangers at the end of the chapters make it very hard to put down.
McCabe and Chip are two American college students studying abroad in Italy. A freak incident, a case of mistaken identity, and a beautiful Italian girl, lead to more than one exciting chase.
Sharon is a bored wife of a secret service agent. He is always traveling leaving her home alone. Her choice to have an affair with Joey Palermo to add a little excitement to her life may cost her dearly.
When Elmore Leonard is your father good writing is in the genes. This is well proven by Peter's success. I reviewed his Voices of the Dead earlier this year and I do enjoy his writing style. He slowly builds the path and reveals the clues to take us on a ride of thrills and suspense.
I have never been to Italy but Leonard's detailed descriptions made me feel like I was right there sitting at sidewalk table outside Rosati drinking a Moretti looking out at the Porta del Popolo watching the cars and motorbikes go speeding by.
It is sometimes difficult to weave two stories together but the author has done this very well. We do lose one character for awhile which bothered me a bit.
The story is fast paced so this is a really quick read. The pages keep turning and turning. Little cliffhangers at the end of the chapters make it very hard to put down.
June 29, 2012
After reading Voices Of The Dead by Peter Leonard, I decided that I was going to pick all his books. So when I was offered to review All He Saw Was the Girl, I was thrilled. I was notdisappointed at all!
I had a roller coaster ride throughout the novel. It has the ingredients of an action movie. Drug Mafia, kidnapping, car chasing, and a love story. And all that happens in Italy, that too due to a misunderstanding! One American exchange student is kidnapped by mistake and ransom is paid for him. He feels bad about that and decides to get back the money. Without any help from anyone, he takes on the kidnappers and gets involved with the drug mafia, all by himself.
The story jumps from one character to other but it is seamless and certain situations are so hilarious that I chuckled loudly while reading!! Here the black and white smudges into grey. No one is perfect and also no one is totally black, other than the mafia, of course! Seemingly distant situations are related in a such a way that one feels tickled by it.
What appealed to me most was the sarcastic way of thinking by the various characters. That alone makes the novel very delightful!! I am going to read all of Peter Leonard's novels!!
May 15, 2012
I can, in no way summarize the plot better than the summary from Goodreads. Those few lines tell the tale very well.
The story starts off in Rome with two students who are out to have fun. But their fun night quickly turns into a nightmare that they have to live through. Chip is pulled out of trouble by his all too influential and wealthy father. McCabe on the other hand lands himself into further trouble all because of his loud mouth. He is mistaken as Chip and is kidnapped by mobsters and lured into a web of lies and deceit by a sexy vamp. While in Detroit, Ray, a secret service agent is close to discovering his wife’s affair to a mobster. We discover that both the incidents are connected when Ray goes in search of his estranged wife. Sharon’s mobster boyfriend is also involved in the kidnapping of McCabe and thus leads Ray right into the middle of it all.
This is a fast paced, action packed novel that keeps you turning the pages with hope of trying to figure out what is going to happen next. With strong and well developed characters, engrossing plot and great narration – this is a must read for all the thriller enthusiasts out there.
The story starts off in Rome with two students who are out to have fun. But their fun night quickly turns into a nightmare that they have to live through. Chip is pulled out of trouble by his all too influential and wealthy father. McCabe on the other hand lands himself into further trouble all because of his loud mouth. He is mistaken as Chip and is kidnapped by mobsters and lured into a web of lies and deceit by a sexy vamp. While in Detroit, Ray, a secret service agent is close to discovering his wife’s affair to a mobster. We discover that both the incidents are connected when Ray goes in search of his estranged wife. Sharon’s mobster boyfriend is also involved in the kidnapping of McCabe and thus leads Ray right into the middle of it all.
This is a fast paced, action packed novel that keeps you turning the pages with hope of trying to figure out what is going to happen next. With strong and well developed characters, engrossing plot and great narration – this is a must read for all the thriller enthusiasts out there.
June 1, 2012
Peter Leonard has written a very different sort of book than what I've been reading lately. It took me a chapter or two to get into it because it is very stark and abrupt. From the first word, the reader is thrown into the action. There is no time to build characters or explain what is going on - that comes eventually, but it is a bit of a shocking beginning. It's kind of like being tossed into cold water: it takes a minute to get your bearings. Once the shock wears off you find that the effect is carried through the book. The reader is an observer in a most intense, fast moving ride.
Sometimes trying to weave two, seemingly, unrelated stories together results in a total train wreck. Thankfully, Mr. Leonard has avoided that in All He Saw was the Girl. Instead the two stories combine smoothly without interrupting the flow of the story. Because of the writing style, it takes awhile to connect with the characters but it happens. And while it is happening the absurdity of the characters' actions keeps the reader very entertained.
Last word: stick with it. As I read chapter one I was wondering if I would make it through. By chapter two, I couldn't put it down.
Sometimes trying to weave two, seemingly, unrelated stories together results in a total train wreck. Thankfully, Mr. Leonard has avoided that in All He Saw was the Girl. Instead the two stories combine smoothly without interrupting the flow of the story. Because of the writing style, it takes awhile to connect with the characters but it happens. And while it is happening the absurdity of the characters' actions keeps the reader very entertained.
Last word: stick with it. As I read chapter one I was wondering if I would make it through. By chapter two, I couldn't put it down.
July 26, 2012
Do you like action? This book has plenty…right from the beginning.
The books starts in Rome with Chip and McCabe, two exchange students who steal a cab, try to help a girl in trouble and end up in jail. Then in Detroit, we read about Sharon Vanelli, who is married to Ray, a secret service agent. She’s having an affair with Joey Palermo, a Mafia enforcer. And Ray is about to find out about it. Could things get any worse for them? Oh yeah!!
There are so many twists and surprises in this book that it’s hard to put it down. Just when you think things are going to calm down, something new happens. It’s a non stop thrill ride.
What fascinated me the most about the book was that the author was writing about two very different places and two very different story lines. I kept wondering how he would merge them into one story that made sense, but he did a great job and the book is so interesting that you get caught up in what’s going on, and you lose track of time. Over and Over.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers/mysteries.
Oh yeah, the author even found a way to add some humor to the book!
The books starts in Rome with Chip and McCabe, two exchange students who steal a cab, try to help a girl in trouble and end up in jail. Then in Detroit, we read about Sharon Vanelli, who is married to Ray, a secret service agent. She’s having an affair with Joey Palermo, a Mafia enforcer. And Ray is about to find out about it. Could things get any worse for them? Oh yeah!!
There are so many twists and surprises in this book that it’s hard to put it down. Just when you think things are going to calm down, something new happens. It’s a non stop thrill ride.
What fascinated me the most about the book was that the author was writing about two very different places and two very different story lines. I kept wondering how he would merge them into one story that made sense, but he did a great job and the book is so interesting that you get caught up in what’s going on, and you lose track of time. Over and Over.
I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes thrillers/mysteries.
Oh yeah, the author even found a way to add some humor to the book!
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