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Mr. Hooligan
Riley James was small-time, just a kid running messages and money for the Monsanto Brothers, the real players in Belize City. Then one slip in judgment left two men dead. The Monsantos handled the situation for their young protégé---but accepting this favor put Riley inescapably in their debt.
Now, years later, he’s a pro picking up drug drops under the Coast Guard’s nose and guiding boats through the reefs, which was something he wanted as a kid but not anymore. He wants out once and for all, and to cancel his debt, he makes a deal with the Monsantos to do one last run. It’s Riley’s last chance to scrape back to even, to nothing, to a place where he hasn’t been since he was just a kid.
Shamus Award winner Ian Vasquez is a rising star in the world of noir, and he reaches new heights with Mr. Hooligan , a gripping, hardboiled story of a man fighting to escape to a new life---or die trying.
Now, years later, he’s a pro picking up drug drops under the Coast Guard’s nose and guiding boats through the reefs, which was something he wanted as a kid but not anymore. He wants out once and for all, and to cancel his debt, he makes a deal with the Monsantos to do one last run. It’s Riley’s last chance to scrape back to even, to nothing, to a place where he hasn’t been since he was just a kid.
Shamus Award winner Ian Vasquez is a rising star in the world of noir, and he reaches new heights with Mr. Hooligan , a gripping, hardboiled story of a man fighting to escape to a new life---or die trying.
- GenresFiction
352 pages, Hardcover
First published December 7, 2010
29 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 13, 2015
PROTAGONIST: Riley James, smuggler
SETTING: Belize
SERIES: Standalone
RATING: 3.0
Riley James has been living the criminal life since he was quite young, and now he’s ready to get out. As a teen, he ran messages and collected money for the Monsanto brothers, with whom he had a relatively good and trusting relationship. Now they mostly use him for smuggling, since he is quite skilled at navigating the local waters of Belize. But then Riley blows his latest assignment when he has a car accident and has to complete a huge drug run to pay off his debts before he can quit the game, the infamous “one last job”.
Riley has been transitioning to the straight life for a while. He is full of regret for the things he has done and really wants to get away from the source of his unhappiness. Together with a friend, Harvey, he plans to become a co-owner of Lindy’s bar. He has also found a woman he wants to marry, Candice. But the new job has him working with some major losers, and he knows that the chances are that he may need to leave all that his dreams behind. Things turn ugly pretty quickly; lives are lost and loved ones threatened.
Although I liked the book overall, I really had a hard time with its structure. The first several chapters are told from the point of view of a former nun who is friends with Riley, and she is telling someone about his life adventures. Then there is a switch to straight third person—it seemed to me that at that point, the narrator should have been Riley, viewed from a first person point of view. In addition, the dialog was hard to follow—at times it was half quoted and half not, which was confusing.
Vasquez manages to create empathy for a basically unsympathetic character in Riley, who does seem to sincerely regret the actions that he has taken that have made him what he is today. He is a resourceful man, which made it all the more puzzling to see him pull a really stupid action at the end of the book. The choice of Belize as a setting was an excellent one, as it has a built-in noir sensibility. Despite its structural limitations, the characterization and engrossing plot of MR. HOOLIGAN will keep you reading.
SETTING: Belize
SERIES: Standalone
RATING: 3.0
Riley James has been living the criminal life since he was quite young, and now he’s ready to get out. As a teen, he ran messages and collected money for the Monsanto brothers, with whom he had a relatively good and trusting relationship. Now they mostly use him for smuggling, since he is quite skilled at navigating the local waters of Belize. But then Riley blows his latest assignment when he has a car accident and has to complete a huge drug run to pay off his debts before he can quit the game, the infamous “one last job”.
Riley has been transitioning to the straight life for a while. He is full of regret for the things he has done and really wants to get away from the source of his unhappiness. Together with a friend, Harvey, he plans to become a co-owner of Lindy’s bar. He has also found a woman he wants to marry, Candice. But the new job has him working with some major losers, and he knows that the chances are that he may need to leave all that his dreams behind. Things turn ugly pretty quickly; lives are lost and loved ones threatened.
Although I liked the book overall, I really had a hard time with its structure. The first several chapters are told from the point of view of a former nun who is friends with Riley, and she is telling someone about his life adventures. Then there is a switch to straight third person—it seemed to me that at that point, the narrator should have been Riley, viewed from a first person point of view. In addition, the dialog was hard to follow—at times it was half quoted and half not, which was confusing.
Vasquez manages to create empathy for a basically unsympathetic character in Riley, who does seem to sincerely regret the actions that he has taken that have made him what he is today. He is a resourceful man, which made it all the more puzzling to see him pull a really stupid action at the end of the book. The choice of Belize as a setting was an excellent one, as it has a built-in noir sensibility. Despite its structural limitations, the characterization and engrossing plot of MR. HOOLIGAN will keep you reading.
December 2, 2010
Riley James grew up with an alcoholic mother and hustler father who was rarely home. Riley, knowing his way around the rainforest, coastal waters and back roads of Belize, was an easy pick as a smuggler for the Monsanto brothers. Twenty years later, he owns a bar with his good friend Harvey Longworth and has one last run to make before he can call it quits with the Monsantos and enter into a legal life with his American fiancée, Candice. Events spiral out of control beginning with a car accident that pulls Riley into the greedy clutches of corrupt government officials, and no matter how hard Riley tries to make things right, his life is governed by betrayal and violence.
This gritty crime novel moves at a fast pace, building tension and suspense to a surprising end. Vasquez’s Elmore Leonardesque writing style guarantees a good read, with well-developed characters and a plot that will not disappoint. Although Riley James is a criminal, he is a likeable, empathetic character and readers will be vested in his attempts to normalize his life. Vasquez’s visual descriptive of Belize adds a colorful ambiance, further enriching this intriguing story.
This gritty crime novel moves at a fast pace, building tension and suspense to a surprising end. Vasquez’s Elmore Leonardesque writing style guarantees a good read, with well-developed characters and a plot that will not disappoint. Although Riley James is a criminal, he is a likeable, empathetic character and readers will be vested in his attempts to normalize his life. Vasquez’s visual descriptive of Belize adds a colorful ambiance, further enriching this intriguing story.
January 13, 2011
This is basically a "caper" story of who is double-crossing who but the underlying "can he escape his past" theme and some strong characterizations work well, especially in the Belize setting.
I will look for more of Vasquez's writing.
I will look for more of Vasquez's writing.
January 11, 2011
Mr. Hooligan is an unexpected read—from its Caribbean setting to its well-developed characters to its riveting conclusion.
Read the full review at: http://www.nightsandweekends.com/arti...
Read the full review at: http://www.nightsandweekends.com/arti...
February 9, 2011
Really enjoyed this book and the characters. Don't often see too many stories set in Belize, and I found the writer's knowledge of the area to be a real plus. Will definitely read his other two books.
June 3, 2011
Really enjoyed this book. Follows a man in Belize who gets entangled in shady dealings as a young man and is now trying to lead a better life. Full of drug deals, intrigue, backstabbing, romance and life questions.
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December 7, 2012Love it
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July 30, 2011Belizean grows from minion to trusted lackey of major gangsters. Tries to escape to straight life but finds himself pulled back and betrayed at every turn. Just one more job before retirement...
February 5, 2011
A small-time crook gets caught up with dangerous people.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews