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Liam Mulligan #2
Cliff Walk
Prostitution has been legal in Rhode Island for more than a decade; Liam Mulligan, an old-school investigative reporter at dying Providence newspaper, suspects the governor has been taking payoffs to keep it that way. But this isn’t the only story making headlines…a child’s severed arm is discovered in a pile of garbage at a pig farm. Then the body of an internet pornographer is found sprawled on the rocks at the base of Newport’s famous Cliff Walk. At first, the killings seem random, but as Mulligan keeps digging into the state’s thriving sex business, strange connections emerge. Promised free sex with hookers if he minds his own business—and a beating if he doesn’t—Mulligan enlists Thanks-Dad, the newspaper publisher’s son, and Attila the Nun, the state’s colorful Attorney General, in his quest for the truth. What Mulligan learns will lead him to question his beliefs about sexual morality, shake his tenuous religious faith, and leave him wondering who his real friends are. Cliff Walk is at once a hard-boiled mystery and an exploration of sex and religion in the age of pornography. Written with the unique and powerful voice that won DeSilva an Edgar Award for Best First Novel, Cliff Walk lifts Mulligan into the pantheon of great suspense heroes and is a giant leap for the career of Bruce DeSilva.
320 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 22, 2012
20 people are currently reading
437 people want to read
About the author
Bruce DeSilva
10 books208 followersBruce DeSilva grew up in a tiny Massachusetts mill town where the mill closed when he was ten. He had an austere childhood bereft of iPods, X-Boxes, and all the other cool stuff that hadn’t been invented yet. In this parochial little town, metaphors and alliteration were also in short supply. Nevertheless, his crime fiction has won the Edgar and Macavity Awards; has been listed as a finalist for the Shamus, Anthony, and Barry Awards; and has been published in ten foreign languages. His short stories have appeared in Akashic Press's award-winning noir anthologies. He has reviewed books for The New York Times Sunday Book Review and Publishers Weekly, and his reviews for The Associated Press have appeared in hundreds of other publications. Previously, he was a journalist for forty years, most recently as writing coach world-wide for AP, editing stories that won nearly every major journalism prize including the Pulitzer. He and his wife, the poet Patricia Smith, live in New Jersey with two enormous dogs named Brady and Rondo.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 111 reviews
February 23, 2015
I can do sarcastic smart-ass all day long. In fact, I want to love it and squeeze it and then kiss it on the forehead. Liam Mulligan may have a tendency to marry the crazies, but he sure does know how to fire off the one-liners. And that worked for me. The man may not walk around with a loaded gun in his pants, but he has a loaded weapon between his lips, and he’s not afraid to use it. Yes, indeed, he shoveled more shit than a circus performer, and he put more than one smile on my face.
CLIFF WALK started out dark, and then it got darker. And when that wasn’t enough, I went out searching for a nightlight and a Snuggie and a glass of warm milk. Speaking of which, Rhode Island is a great place to take the kids and nothing bad ever happens there at all. Except prostitution and newspapers that break faster than a pair of eggs and pornographic films and dead bodies and child pornography…and shit that’s the mailman at the door and he’s wielding a machine gun. "Oh, my God, they found me, I don't know how, but they found me. Run for it Marty!" Sorry, I had to get that out of my system. Just as I needed to do with this review.
Sure, this book was great, but I think I’m going to need my Snuggie and glass of warm milk for a few more nights.
I received this book for free at Bouchercon.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
CLIFF WALK started out dark, and then it got darker. And when that wasn’t enough, I went out searching for a nightlight and a Snuggie and a glass of warm milk. Speaking of which, Rhode Island is a great place to take the kids and nothing bad ever happens there at all. Except prostitution and newspapers that break faster than a pair of eggs and pornographic films and dead bodies and child pornography…and shit that’s the mailman at the door and he’s wielding a machine gun. "Oh, my God, they found me, I don't know how, but they found me. Run for it Marty!" Sorry, I had to get that out of my system. Just as I needed to do with this review.
Sure, this book was great, but I think I’m going to need my Snuggie and glass of warm milk for a few more nights.
I received this book for free at Bouchercon.
Cross-posted at Robert's Reads
December 11, 2014
A Gut Turning 4 Stars
Unlike the previous novel in the series, Cliff Walk is much darker and grittier. In large part, this is because of the books plot which involves, in part, the child porn business and the murder of children. It is at times, a disturbing look into this despicable world. A few time could feel the characters anger as I imagined what I would do to someone who hurt my children like the villians in story. At no time is Bruce DeSilva insensitive to this serious and delicate topic.
As in his debut novel, DeSilva shows how masterful he is in developing characters. The characters are as vibrant, dull or twisted as DeSilva wants them to be. DeSilva also excels and slowing unfolding his mystery until the end. In this book, I had figured out most of the mystery by the end but I didn't care. The characters were compelling enough to keep me interested.
Another fine installment to the series.
Unlike the previous novel in the series, Cliff Walk is much darker and grittier. In large part, this is because of the books plot which involves, in part, the child porn business and the murder of children. It is at times, a disturbing look into this despicable world. A few time could feel the characters anger as I imagined what I would do to someone who hurt my children like the villians in story. At no time is Bruce DeSilva insensitive to this serious and delicate topic.
As in his debut novel, DeSilva shows how masterful he is in developing characters. The characters are as vibrant, dull or twisted as DeSilva wants them to be. DeSilva also excels and slowing unfolding his mystery until the end. In this book, I had figured out most of the mystery by the end but I didn't care. The characters were compelling enough to keep me interested.
Another fine installment to the series.
June 18, 2016
Fair hard-boiled detective novel, where our protagonist Mulligan investigates the seedy underworld of adult film making, prostitution and child pornography.
I like the way DeSilva pays frequent homage to the authors who paved the way, Dashiell Hammett, Robert B. Parker and others.
I am inspired by Mulligan's clever individual ringtones, and will try to spice mine up a bit.
And I like the angle of his being a journalist in a time when traditional journalism is dying, newspapers shutting down. Journalism was going to be my field of choice, until I took a programming class and got the bug (so to speak). While I think I would have enjoyed the job, I often wonder what it would be like to have done well in the field only to be pushed out by the internet and global communication. This novel offers a sad glimpse at the possibilities.
I like the way DeSilva pays frequent homage to the authors who paved the way, Dashiell Hammett, Robert B. Parker and others.
I am inspired by Mulligan's clever individual ringtones, and will try to spice mine up a bit.
And I like the angle of his being a journalist in a time when traditional journalism is dying, newspapers shutting down. Journalism was going to be my field of choice, until I took a programming class and got the bug (so to speak). While I think I would have enjoyed the job, I often wonder what it would be like to have done well in the field only to be pushed out by the internet and global communication. This novel offers a sad glimpse at the possibilities.
February 17, 2016
I've now read the first two books ROGUE ISLAND (2010) and CLIFF WALK (2012) about reporter Liam Mulligan. I really enjoy these crime fiction novels. There are at least four books so far in this engrossing series.
April 9, 2017
A much darker novel than "Rogue Island", the first book in this series. Any book dealing with child porn is unlikely to be a light read, and this one is disturbing. It's only one of several plots that wind their way through the book, though. One of the foremost is the slow death of the newspaper business. DeSilva, as a former reporter, does a great job of spelling out a lot of the backstory behind this historical event.
Things I would like (or not) to see in upcoming DeSilva novels:
1) the disappearance of his ex-wife. She was an annoyance by her second appearance.
2) More consistency in characters. With the exception of Mulligan, almost every interesting character in the first two novels has met an untimely end.
3) No more detailed playlist. You like blues. So do I. Enough already. The ringtones are clever---something I like to do with my own phone--but they should be cut by about 75%.
4) Better editing. Several identical phrases make several different appearances. It's noticeable.
All that said, bring on Book 3.
Things I would like (or not) to see in upcoming DeSilva novels:
1) the disappearance of his ex-wife. She was an annoyance by her second appearance.
2) More consistency in characters. With the exception of Mulligan, almost every interesting character in the first two novels has met an untimely end.
3) No more detailed playlist. You like blues. So do I. Enough already. The ringtones are clever---something I like to do with my own phone--but they should be cut by about 75%.
4) Better editing. Several identical phrases make several different appearances. It's noticeable.
All that said, bring on Book 3.
October 17, 2024
Another great book by DeSilva! In this book mulligan goes on a hunt for pornographers of adults and children. DeSilva again uses his story telling, humor and RI experiences masterfully. I enjoyed this book so much that I finished it in just over a week. Must read for those who like page turners and have experience with RI. I look forward to reading the 3rd Mulligan book soon!
August 17, 2020
Typical PI book. I read it because I love the Cliffwalk in RI.
October 1, 2018
"Viviamo nello splendido mondo creato da Dio, ma c’è del male in circolazione. Dei mostri che danno la caccia ai nostri figli. A quanto pare, io non sono molto brava a catturarli, e neppure la polizia di Stato. Forse è una buona cosa che ci siano altri che possono fermare questi predatori"
.
Ci sono volte in cui appena inizi un libro vorresti chiuderlo, ma non perché non ti piace il tipo di scrittura o l’autore, ma per i forti temi trattati. Questo è quello che mi è successo con questo romanzo.
Pornografia, pedopornografia e violenze su minori la fanno da padrone. Fortunatamente l’autore ha fatto una scelta oculata: non entrare troppo nei dettagli macabri ma rendere l’idea di ciò di cui si parla.
Leggendolo la mia considerazione, avendo una bambina piccola, è stata che purtroppo questi fatti avvengono tutti i giorni, e chi li vive credo passi il peggior incubo della propria vita. Non è sicuramente un libro facile da leggere.
Inizialmente non capivo dove volesse condurre la storia, la prima metà del libro è stato un susseguirsi di avvenimenti poco chiari e a volte contorti, ma dalla seconda metà in poi ci si rende conto di quanto schifo possa fare, a volte, l’essere umano.
Ci troviamo di fronte ad un giornalista con gli attributi, che non ha nessuna paura di scavare a fondo, e a due morti inquietanti e apparentemente accidentali: la prima è di una bambina trovata mutilata all’interno di una porcilaia e la seconda di Salvatore Maniella, famoso pornografo per il mondo degli adulti. Al suo fianco troviamo un giovane apprendista raccomandato, che lavora con lui al giornale, l’avvocatessa della famiglia Maniella, con la quale vorrebbe avere una storia ma che non ha seguito, e Violet, una suora con dei modi non proprio ortodossi.
Mulligan si troverà quindi a dover scavare nel passato non proprio limpido della cittadina di Providence, dove anche chi sembra senza colpa, può essere l’indiziato principale.
Durante la lettura si incontrano sicuramente scene forti, ma il sapiente modo descrittivo dell’autore, i personaggi perfettamente descritti e con caratteri ben definiti, ne fanno un thriller d’effetto che, a parer mio, si fa leggere d’un fiato e dà la possibilità al lettore di credere che ci possa essere un seguito a questo primo capitolo.
.
Maljka - per RFS
.
Ci sono volte in cui appena inizi un libro vorresti chiuderlo, ma non perché non ti piace il tipo di scrittura o l’autore, ma per i forti temi trattati. Questo è quello che mi è successo con questo romanzo.
Pornografia, pedopornografia e violenze su minori la fanno da padrone. Fortunatamente l’autore ha fatto una scelta oculata: non entrare troppo nei dettagli macabri ma rendere l’idea di ciò di cui si parla.
Leggendolo la mia considerazione, avendo una bambina piccola, è stata che purtroppo questi fatti avvengono tutti i giorni, e chi li vive credo passi il peggior incubo della propria vita. Non è sicuramente un libro facile da leggere.
Inizialmente non capivo dove volesse condurre la storia, la prima metà del libro è stato un susseguirsi di avvenimenti poco chiari e a volte contorti, ma dalla seconda metà in poi ci si rende conto di quanto schifo possa fare, a volte, l’essere umano.
Ci troviamo di fronte ad un giornalista con gli attributi, che non ha nessuna paura di scavare a fondo, e a due morti inquietanti e apparentemente accidentali: la prima è di una bambina trovata mutilata all’interno di una porcilaia e la seconda di Salvatore Maniella, famoso pornografo per il mondo degli adulti. Al suo fianco troviamo un giovane apprendista raccomandato, che lavora con lui al giornale, l’avvocatessa della famiglia Maniella, con la quale vorrebbe avere una storia ma che non ha seguito, e Violet, una suora con dei modi non proprio ortodossi.
Mulligan si troverà quindi a dover scavare nel passato non proprio limpido della cittadina di Providence, dove anche chi sembra senza colpa, può essere l’indiziato principale.
Durante la lettura si incontrano sicuramente scene forti, ma il sapiente modo descrittivo dell’autore, i personaggi perfettamente descritti e con caratteri ben definiti, ne fanno un thriller d’effetto che, a parer mio, si fa leggere d’un fiato e dà la possibilità al lettore di credere che ci possa essere un seguito a questo primo capitolo.
.
Maljka - per RFS
August 12, 2020
Not as complex as its successor, and lacking the same kind of charm from its predecessor, Cliff Walk does suffer slightly from a sophomore slump, but only a little. This book was still a page turner, with each new break in the case feeling worthy of celebration. The subject matter is definitely dark, but it was exciting to see him get closer and closer to solving the case.
Edit: I wrote the above review mere seconds before passing out. Anyway - I really enjoy reading Mulligan novels and this helped fill in the missing pieces for the third book, which I have already read.
Edit: I wrote the above review mere seconds before passing out. Anyway - I really enjoy reading Mulligan novels and this helped fill in the missing pieces for the third book, which I have already read.
March 5, 2013
I was charmed by Rogue Island, DaSilva's debut novel. I liked Mulligan as a character (I read an interview with DaSilva in which he said he visualized Mulligan as looking like Dennis Leary, which, um, yes, that works). And as a Rhode Islander who still misses her home state, I loved the portrayal of my corrupt, scruffy ancestral homeland. Plus as a bitter writer (for magazines mostly, newspapers occasionally -- but my dad had a column in the Providence Journal for a while, and he worked with a lot of the law enforcement, social services and newspaper folks during his day job running a community mental health center), I loved all the newsroom drama, the elegy for the dying business of publishing, the dumbing down of journalism. All super-smart and absorbing. I was less enamored of Rogue Island's plot -- the whodunit was a big duh -- and had some issues with sexism. (Hey, DaSilva admires Spillane, which means objectification of the lady bods, some iffy stereotypes of Asians, and a sexual assault written in a way that's a bit unnervingly titillating as well as gross.) In Cliff Walk, the plot is way better -- and yay, we get to mock Newport society types as well as corrupt Providence politicos! and we meet Attila the Nun, obviously based on the kickass Sister Arlene Violet!-- but the flaws in characterization are worse. I hate when white writers make street characters "talk black," especially when they use dated slang, fo shizzle. And again, I had a tough time with the portrayal of non-white women. I realize DaSilva is married to a woman of color -- his shout-outs to her within the narratives of both his books (as in, "Hey, hot black woman character I am crushing on, let us go on a date to see the excellent black poet Patricia Smith!") are sweet but awkward and fourth-wall-crushing -- but to me his love for his wife doesn't excuse his depictions of poor, cartoonishly accented non-white strippers and a love interest whose defining quality is her blackness, in a fetishistic -- to me -- way.) I also had a hard time reading for escapism a book that explicitly depicts child porn -- I was so upset and freaked and squicked, it ripped me right out of the book and made the banter-y stuff (which there's admittedly less of than in Rogue's Island) feel yucky. But your tolerance may be higher than mine. And again, I did think the plot was stronger, and I really like the development of Thanks-Dad, the publisher's privileged son who is actually NOT a dickwad. Look, I already know I'm in for the next installment.
December 3, 2012
The second book from Bruce DeSilva and I have enjoyed both of them. The main character is an investigative reporter, Liam Mulligan (just Mulligan) for a slowly dying newspaper in Rhode Island.
DeSilva, himself once a newspaper reporter, spins a good yarn. He also gives some great insight into the reason newspapers are in the financial trouble they are in---they ignored the internet in the early days.
DeSilva’s writing is in a style I have come to appreciate with the growing popularity of eBook authors. Newspaper journalists are by nature clear and concise in their writing. Obviously they have a limited amount of space with which to work. That habit carries over to their novels. Some of my favorite authors are ex newspaper journalists, Sandford, Crais, and Connelly to name a few. A lot of the eBook authors I have read have yet to acquire that skill.
While the subject matter of this book is very dark, child exploitation and child porn, there are some very light and humorous moments. Mulligan’s phone conversations with his soon to be ex wife among them. And, Mulligan’s take on how to write an obituary is pretty funny, too.
All in all, I recommend this to people who enjoy tightly written, sometimes serious and sometimes funny, novels. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
DeSilva, himself once a newspaper reporter, spins a good yarn. He also gives some great insight into the reason newspapers are in the financial trouble they are in---they ignored the internet in the early days.
DeSilva’s writing is in a style I have come to appreciate with the growing popularity of eBook authors. Newspaper journalists are by nature clear and concise in their writing. Obviously they have a limited amount of space with which to work. That habit carries over to their novels. Some of my favorite authors are ex newspaper journalists, Sandford, Crais, and Connelly to name a few. A lot of the eBook authors I have read have yet to acquire that skill.
While the subject matter of this book is very dark, child exploitation and child porn, there are some very light and humorous moments. Mulligan’s phone conversations with his soon to be ex wife among them. And, Mulligan’s take on how to write an obituary is pretty funny, too.
All in all, I recommend this to people who enjoy tightly written, sometimes serious and sometimes funny, novels. I don’t think you will be disappointed.
May 31, 2012
I had read Rogue Island, DeSilva's first (and award-winning) Mulligan novel and had been anxiously awaiting Cliff Walk. It was certainly worth the wait. Liam Mulligan is a fascinating character--a long-time journalist in a fast-fading newspaper business who can't stop digging into a complex story. And the story he's digging into is full of low-life characters that may or may not be connected to the very worst kind of pornography and are certainly murderers. A page-turner of the first degree, I highly recommend this second Mulligan novel and again, anxiously await the next.
July 3, 2015
3.5 stars
Good if grisly plot, interesting main character. I do get tired of his verbose sexual angst but Mulligan is mostly likable and who can resist the classic wiseass amateur detective? Sounds like there is a career change coming - the descriptions of the waning of print jounalism are poignant.
Good if grisly plot, interesting main character. I do get tired of his verbose sexual angst but Mulligan is mostly likable and who can resist the classic wiseass amateur detective? Sounds like there is a career change coming - the descriptions of the waning of print jounalism are poignant.
August 12, 2012
Enjoyed this one as much as Rogue Island
June 6, 2012
Cliff Walk: Bruce DeSilva
Reviewed by Fran Lewis
Imagine the sight of a young child’s severed arm found in pile of garbage on a pig farm. The pain this child endured could not be described in words and the sight of the shattered bones almost surreal to the owner of the farm. Although it is a reputable business Scialic Recycling was where this body part was found but when listening to the conversation between the owner and investigative reporter Liam Mulligan you would think they were referring to a piece of meat found in a waste basket or a tossed out carcass.
Liam Mulligan spends most of his days hunting down stories dealing with real crimes not a social event requiring him to dress up in a tuxedo. But, his boss insists that he covers the Annual Derby Ball but not before getting a ticket for you are not going to believe it: Safe Driving because the officer did not want to lose face after stopping him and realizing he was guilty of nothing. He ticketed him for stopping at the sign he stopped at. This is just the tip of the iceberg for Rhode Island and the corruption and illegal dealings in that state and much more. So, why was the Governor seen with a local mobster by our reporter and what were they discussing while everyone else was eating caviar and drinking champagne?
With his article in the Derby Ball placed on the paper’s website and driving back to Providence Liam began to recount the events at the ball and the reader is enlightened to the history of Salvatore Maniella and his rise as one rich porno King. Imagine that prostitution was declared legal in this state if the transaction takes place indoors and since the courts agreed Salvatore and some other “Businessmen,” decided to open Gentlemen’s Clubs.
But, not everyone is immune to murder and when driving back to Providence his police scanner goes off he heads back to Newport to learn that the very internet pornographer he saw commiserating with the Governor at the Derby Ball was the body found sprawled out on the rocks at the base of Cliff Walk. As the facts come in and the Attorney General AKA: Attila the Nun discusses the case no one comes forward to ID the body and his family is nowhere to be found. Working along with Mulligan is the son of the newspaper’s publisher who although rich and just learning is a valuable asset to Mulligan. Nicknamed Thanks Dad for his fatherly ways even though young, he reveres Mulligan and together with the Attorney General hunts for the truth. Could the severed arm and the murder of Salvador Maniella be related? According to the Attorney General the family was grooming the daughter to take over the business making the father’s death just a change in command. Corruption runs high in this State, as this man’s family and this man literally own the governor, superior justices and half the state legislature.
As Mulligan decides to frequent several bars owned by the Maniella family he is propositioned, offered services, learns more about the family and spends time trying to figure out who was behind the murder and why no one is talking. Added to the mix is the Attorney General’s unsuccessful attempt to get the Governor to eliminate prostitution in Rhode Island and hoping the police find out more about the severed arm. Girls for sale and yet they have to pay to dance at most of these clubs and even worse they had to pay off bouncers and for the rooms. Protection comes high for the girls but the payoff is even higher. But, there are so many dead ends to follow Mulligan needs one clean lead.
Author Bruce DeSilva brings the reader inside the world of prostitution and child pornography as you witness first hand what the girls experience, the protection they need, the violence involved and their struggle for survival as Mulligan joins them on this dangerous journey trying to stop what Rhode Island’s top officials profit from. Each girl tells her back-story helping you understand the graft and violence attached. The author’s descriptions allow the reader to create his or her own mental image of the real world of prostitution.
The murders were just adding up as another young girl’s body parts were round where the severed arm was and Mulligan still had no answers to who and why these kids were being killed and dismembered.
A startling revelation would change one part of the investigation as Mulligan learns more about Sal and his family. But, things heat up even more when Mulligan gets a tip and walks in on three more murder victims. Rhode Island seems riddled with murders and not just kids. When the police asks him to withhold certain information it is up to Mulligan to decide whether he should. But the murders lead to more questions and the answers do not seem to be coming as Mulligan teams up with the police Captain and the Attorney General to find out who is behind the murders, the snuff films and who wanted Sal dead.
The links start to form in the chain as Mulligan starts to connect the murders of the pornographer, the children that are abducted and killed and the porn business in general. From Cliff Walk to Chad Brown Housing to a pig farm, snuff films and much more this book brings to light what some will do to make money, exploit women, avenge deaths and circumvent the law to get the job done. Just who was behind the deaths of so many you won’t believe. Who had all the pedophiles killed and made contributions to find missing children? Who leaked the information in order to make sure that the right people knew and were in the right place? Just how does Mulligan fit in and how does he figure out the mastermind and much more? What happens at the end lets the reader know that there is much more work for Mulligan to do and even though the governor made prostitution a misdemeanor and changed the law will things really change? Offered a job from Vanessa to work digging into lives of others Mulligan has a hard decision to make and the offer is quite lucrative. Just what he decides and how this turns out will definitely surprise the reader as author Bruce DeSilva penned another novel so filled with twists, turns and an unexpected ending that lets the reader know that Mulligan has more work to do.
From the author of Rogue Island comes a novel that will take you into the depths of porn movies, underworld murders, child pornographer, Gentlemen clubs and the inside world of hookers. Fast paced action packed and so true to life even if it’s fiction. What happens when one police captain, one tough reporter and one Thanks Dad young guy team up? Cliff Walk: Don’t go to close to the edge!
Fran Lewis: Reviewer
This book gets FIVE NEW RINGTONES FOR MULLIGAN
Reviewed by Fran Lewis
Imagine the sight of a young child’s severed arm found in pile of garbage on a pig farm. The pain this child endured could not be described in words and the sight of the shattered bones almost surreal to the owner of the farm. Although it is a reputable business Scialic Recycling was where this body part was found but when listening to the conversation between the owner and investigative reporter Liam Mulligan you would think they were referring to a piece of meat found in a waste basket or a tossed out carcass.
Liam Mulligan spends most of his days hunting down stories dealing with real crimes not a social event requiring him to dress up in a tuxedo. But, his boss insists that he covers the Annual Derby Ball but not before getting a ticket for you are not going to believe it: Safe Driving because the officer did not want to lose face after stopping him and realizing he was guilty of nothing. He ticketed him for stopping at the sign he stopped at. This is just the tip of the iceberg for Rhode Island and the corruption and illegal dealings in that state and much more. So, why was the Governor seen with a local mobster by our reporter and what were they discussing while everyone else was eating caviar and drinking champagne?
With his article in the Derby Ball placed on the paper’s website and driving back to Providence Liam began to recount the events at the ball and the reader is enlightened to the history of Salvatore Maniella and his rise as one rich porno King. Imagine that prostitution was declared legal in this state if the transaction takes place indoors and since the courts agreed Salvatore and some other “Businessmen,” decided to open Gentlemen’s Clubs.
But, not everyone is immune to murder and when driving back to Providence his police scanner goes off he heads back to Newport to learn that the very internet pornographer he saw commiserating with the Governor at the Derby Ball was the body found sprawled out on the rocks at the base of Cliff Walk. As the facts come in and the Attorney General AKA: Attila the Nun discusses the case no one comes forward to ID the body and his family is nowhere to be found. Working along with Mulligan is the son of the newspaper’s publisher who although rich and just learning is a valuable asset to Mulligan. Nicknamed Thanks Dad for his fatherly ways even though young, he reveres Mulligan and together with the Attorney General hunts for the truth. Could the severed arm and the murder of Salvador Maniella be related? According to the Attorney General the family was grooming the daughter to take over the business making the father’s death just a change in command. Corruption runs high in this State, as this man’s family and this man literally own the governor, superior justices and half the state legislature.
As Mulligan decides to frequent several bars owned by the Maniella family he is propositioned, offered services, learns more about the family and spends time trying to figure out who was behind the murder and why no one is talking. Added to the mix is the Attorney General’s unsuccessful attempt to get the Governor to eliminate prostitution in Rhode Island and hoping the police find out more about the severed arm. Girls for sale and yet they have to pay to dance at most of these clubs and even worse they had to pay off bouncers and for the rooms. Protection comes high for the girls but the payoff is even higher. But, there are so many dead ends to follow Mulligan needs one clean lead.
Author Bruce DeSilva brings the reader inside the world of prostitution and child pornography as you witness first hand what the girls experience, the protection they need, the violence involved and their struggle for survival as Mulligan joins them on this dangerous journey trying to stop what Rhode Island’s top officials profit from. Each girl tells her back-story helping you understand the graft and violence attached. The author’s descriptions allow the reader to create his or her own mental image of the real world of prostitution.
The murders were just adding up as another young girl’s body parts were round where the severed arm was and Mulligan still had no answers to who and why these kids were being killed and dismembered.
A startling revelation would change one part of the investigation as Mulligan learns more about Sal and his family. But, things heat up even more when Mulligan gets a tip and walks in on three more murder victims. Rhode Island seems riddled with murders and not just kids. When the police asks him to withhold certain information it is up to Mulligan to decide whether he should. But the murders lead to more questions and the answers do not seem to be coming as Mulligan teams up with the police Captain and the Attorney General to find out who is behind the murders, the snuff films and who wanted Sal dead.
The links start to form in the chain as Mulligan starts to connect the murders of the pornographer, the children that are abducted and killed and the porn business in general. From Cliff Walk to Chad Brown Housing to a pig farm, snuff films and much more this book brings to light what some will do to make money, exploit women, avenge deaths and circumvent the law to get the job done. Just who was behind the deaths of so many you won’t believe. Who had all the pedophiles killed and made contributions to find missing children? Who leaked the information in order to make sure that the right people knew and were in the right place? Just how does Mulligan fit in and how does he figure out the mastermind and much more? What happens at the end lets the reader know that there is much more work for Mulligan to do and even though the governor made prostitution a misdemeanor and changed the law will things really change? Offered a job from Vanessa to work digging into lives of others Mulligan has a hard decision to make and the offer is quite lucrative. Just what he decides and how this turns out will definitely surprise the reader as author Bruce DeSilva penned another novel so filled with twists, turns and an unexpected ending that lets the reader know that Mulligan has more work to do.
From the author of Rogue Island comes a novel that will take you into the depths of porn movies, underworld murders, child pornographer, Gentlemen clubs and the inside world of hookers. Fast paced action packed and so true to life even if it’s fiction. What happens when one police captain, one tough reporter and one Thanks Dad young guy team up? Cliff Walk: Don’t go to close to the edge!
Fran Lewis: Reviewer
This book gets FIVE NEW RINGTONES FOR MULLIGAN
March 6, 2023
Okay, I'm hooked on this guy. Funny, fast moving, intricate and character driven, Cliff Walk is another book in Bruce DeSilva's noirish books about the seamy side of Rhode Island. Like a lot of West Coast folks I knew very little about Rhode Island before reading these books. That, for example it's not really an Island. And that graft and corruption are nearly an official state sport. The protagonist Mulligan (He doesn't let people use his first name Liam) is a reporter on a dying newpaper in Providence. Along with being stuck writing about obituaries and garden parties (the staff has been gutted in budget cuts) he pursues a series of murders tied to the proliferation of child pornography. While tracking down the killers, he engages in an unrequitted love affair with a beautiful lawyer, tries to dodge the hired muscle recruited to discourage him and exchanges information with a female police chief nicknamed Attila the Nun. Oh yes, and he occasionally has to field a cell phone call from his embittered soon-to-be ex-wife. This book (and the other Desilva novel I read) continue the noir tradition with lots of wisecracks, beautiful dames and sinister bad guys.
December 19, 2024
4.5 stars. This 2nd in the series was darker/grimier than the 1st, due to the pornography story line. DeSilva continues to offer sarcasm & presents good commentary on reading material, music & sports, & even tv shows! I'd say it's a good, compelling read....but probably not an 'easy' one, again..... due to the subject matter. I don't think I got as many chuckles out of this one, as I did the 1st.....yeah....the subject matter.... I definitely like this Mulligan guy though, & will definitely keep reading to see where he goes with this! Easily 4.5 stars.....as I won't be able to forget it.....
February 18, 2021
Another quick read following the exploits of instigating reporter Liam Mulligan. The crimes in this one are disturbing but DeSilva doesn't dwell as much on them as Mulligan's troubles, both professional and personal. Like all his books, this one is intended as an homage to old-time noir writers but is best for folks who know and maybe tolerate Rhode Island.
January 20, 2026
An interesting book showcasing a journalist searching for the truth while dealing with the decline of journalism and the impacts it has on the world around them. The characters are engaging and interesting and so is the story. Would recommend if you like and appreciate the efforts journalists make to uncover the truth.
September 15, 2025
A story featuring prostitutes and a mister Mulligan, who works for a newspaper. He starts to investigate a possible murder of a high-profile person and stumbles into children pornography and murders. book overall is a 3.5 stars.
March 31, 2019
This was another audiobook we listen to on vacation. We really liked it, especially all the references to our local area. I definitely recommend to anyone
August 5, 2021
Dark, dark subject of child pornography and pedophilia. Well written and a surprise at the end
March 4, 2023
Not for cozy fans or those who don't like their mysteries on the dark and violent side. But good plotting, characters, and description.
December 7, 2025
Una lettura di relax .. prima o dopo di libri più impegnativi ...
October 25, 2012
Reporter Liam Mulligan from the start knows this is going to be a very unpleasant story. Cosmo Scalici raises hogs and hogs will eat just about anything that ends up in their pens. That includes a child’s arm. While local law enforcement now has killed the hog so they can hopefully retrieve whatever is left of some little girl’s arm and hand, finding out to whom it belonged to and where it came from is going to be very hard. When Cosmo Scalici isn’t dealing with the hogs, he runs company, Scalici Recycling. They collect garbage from schools, jails, and restaurants all over Rhode Island. That means the arm could have come from just about anywhere.
That isn’t the only story Mulligan is working on though it is the most gruesome one right now. Mulligan is also working on figuring out who is doing some waste dumping, who is trying to buy the governor this time through campaign funds, and how long his paper, Providence Dispatch, is going to survive.
It is because he is sent out to Newport to attend an event during the weeklong Newport Jumping Derby that he witnesses Salvatore Maniella in deep conversation with the governor. The same Salvatore Maniella who is found hours later splattered across the rocks below Newport’s world famous Cliff Walk. The same Salvatore Maniella who is linked to various forms of pornography, prostitution, and others things.
In chasing the various stories, Mulligan finds himself a target as well as a confident to a number of people. He might make headway on his stories if the newspaper he works for wasn’t in such a state of collapse. The newspaper is crumbling around him with more and more layoffs, circulation cutbacks, financial cuts and other problems. Like any other business these days, it means that those that are left, Mulligan and others must increasingly share the workload to keep the paper afloat. His personal problems in terms of his health as well as an ex that just won’t leave him alone add to his burdens. Mulligan is at a crossroads, both personally and professionally, in a tale where faith and politics play increasing roles in cases that get darker as the weeks pass into the fall months.
Bruce DeSilva won both the 2011 Edgar and Macavity Awards for his debut novel, Rogue Island. Rightfully so, as that was a powerful book that firmly established the Liam Mulligan character as well as several others. Simply put, CLIFF WALK just might be a better book. Featuring the same occasionally sarcastic tone and laugh out loud moments (the obits are a must read on their own), several complex storylines where nothing is as it seems, and a sense that you right there with Mulligan every step of the way, he book is a good one from the start to the moving finish.
While it can be read as a stand-alone, those who have read Rogue Island will get far more out of CLIFF WALK as the characters and relationships continue to evolve.
CLIFF WALK: A MULLIGAN NOVEL
Bruce DeSilva
http://www.brucedesilva.com
A Forge Book (Tom Doherty Associates)
http://www.tor-forge.com
May 2012
ISBN# 978-0-7653-3237-0
Hardback (also available in e-book and audio book)
318 Pages
$24.99
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2012
That isn’t the only story Mulligan is working on though it is the most gruesome one right now. Mulligan is also working on figuring out who is doing some waste dumping, who is trying to buy the governor this time through campaign funds, and how long his paper, Providence Dispatch, is going to survive.
It is because he is sent out to Newport to attend an event during the weeklong Newport Jumping Derby that he witnesses Salvatore Maniella in deep conversation with the governor. The same Salvatore Maniella who is found hours later splattered across the rocks below Newport’s world famous Cliff Walk. The same Salvatore Maniella who is linked to various forms of pornography, prostitution, and others things.
In chasing the various stories, Mulligan finds himself a target as well as a confident to a number of people. He might make headway on his stories if the newspaper he works for wasn’t in such a state of collapse. The newspaper is crumbling around him with more and more layoffs, circulation cutbacks, financial cuts and other problems. Like any other business these days, it means that those that are left, Mulligan and others must increasingly share the workload to keep the paper afloat. His personal problems in terms of his health as well as an ex that just won’t leave him alone add to his burdens. Mulligan is at a crossroads, both personally and professionally, in a tale where faith and politics play increasing roles in cases that get darker as the weeks pass into the fall months.
Bruce DeSilva won both the 2011 Edgar and Macavity Awards for his debut novel, Rogue Island. Rightfully so, as that was a powerful book that firmly established the Liam Mulligan character as well as several others. Simply put, CLIFF WALK just might be a better book. Featuring the same occasionally sarcastic tone and laugh out loud moments (the obits are a must read on their own), several complex storylines where nothing is as it seems, and a sense that you right there with Mulligan every step of the way, he book is a good one from the start to the moving finish.
While it can be read as a stand-alone, those who have read Rogue Island will get far more out of CLIFF WALK as the characters and relationships continue to evolve.
CLIFF WALK: A MULLIGAN NOVEL
Bruce DeSilva
http://www.brucedesilva.com
A Forge Book (Tom Doherty Associates)
http://www.tor-forge.com
May 2012
ISBN# 978-0-7653-3237-0
Hardback (also available in e-book and audio book)
318 Pages
$24.99
Material supplied by the good folks of the Plano, Texas Public Library System.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2012
June 1, 2012
It is hard to believe that Bruce DeSilva has topped last year's Edgar Best First Novel and Macavity winner, Rogue Island, but Cliff Walk surpasses it. Set on the mean streets of Providence RI, Liam Mulligan is back writing stories at the dying Providence Dispatch. Staff has been cut back so far that Liam is reduced to covering the social beat and writing obits along with whatever investigative reporting he can work in. Two seemingly unrelated events set him off on a new investigation; the discovery of a child's severed arm in a pig sty and the presence of Sal Maniella at a charity ball in tony Newport. Sal is Rhode Island's most prominent pornographer and his conversation with the governor piques Liam's interest. As Liam is driving back to Providence the next day a radio report of a body on the rocks at the foot of Cliff Walk sends him back. The body appears to be Sal Maniella but no one is sure because of the damage. Sal's wife and daughter are missing in action and not available to identify the body for several days.
Prostitution is legal in RI due to a quirk in the law that makes street walking illegal, but does not outlaw brothels. Sal's daughter, Vanessa, has recently branched out in to the brothel business. Liam's long-time friend, Fiona McNerney AKA Attila the Nun, has been working for 10 years to outlaw prostitution but is getting nowhere. She has recently become the state's Attorney General, much to the displeasure of the Catholic Church. Fiona and Liam think there just might be some graft and chicanery going on with Maniella and the elected officials. As children are snatched and bodies begin piling up, Liam is confronted by a world of corruption even worse than he suspected.
Cliff Walk is populated by a host of colorful characters, some of whom are returning from Rogue Island. From Attilla the Nun to Mason, "Thanks Dad", the Dispatch owner's son, they are unforgettable. Liam himself stands at a crossroads. Should he hang on at the Dispatch or leave the sinking ship? DeSilva is poetic in his descriptions of the glory days of the newsroom and the sad shadow it has become in the age of TV and internet news. Cliff Walk is a very dark and disturbing story, leavened by Liam's sometimes equally dark humor. By the end of the novel, Liam finds out that some of the people he counted as friends are not at all what he thought.
I highly recommend Cliff Walk, both as a crime novel and a novel that considers the meaning of faith and friendship.
Prostitution is legal in RI due to a quirk in the law that makes street walking illegal, but does not outlaw brothels. Sal's daughter, Vanessa, has recently branched out in to the brothel business. Liam's long-time friend, Fiona McNerney AKA Attila the Nun, has been working for 10 years to outlaw prostitution but is getting nowhere. She has recently become the state's Attorney General, much to the displeasure of the Catholic Church. Fiona and Liam think there just might be some graft and chicanery going on with Maniella and the elected officials. As children are snatched and bodies begin piling up, Liam is confronted by a world of corruption even worse than he suspected.
Cliff Walk is populated by a host of colorful characters, some of whom are returning from Rogue Island. From Attilla the Nun to Mason, "Thanks Dad", the Dispatch owner's son, they are unforgettable. Liam himself stands at a crossroads. Should he hang on at the Dispatch or leave the sinking ship? DeSilva is poetic in his descriptions of the glory days of the newsroom and the sad shadow it has become in the age of TV and internet news. Cliff Walk is a very dark and disturbing story, leavened by Liam's sometimes equally dark humor. By the end of the novel, Liam finds out that some of the people he counted as friends are not at all what he thought.
I highly recommend Cliff Walk, both as a crime novel and a novel that considers the meaning of faith and friendship.
October 30, 2013
The pieces of a young child's body being eaten in a pig farm. A pornographer shot dead. Legal prostitution. Religious zealots picketing adult clubs. A crusading attorney general, who is also a nun, pushing women's rights. All in the little state of Rhode Island. Criminal reporter Liam Mulligan and his collection of personal ringtones is at it again.
"He won't hurt you none," Zerilli said. "He's fuckin' harmless."
"Where'd you get him?"
"The pound."
"Got a name for him yet?"
"Calling him Shortstop."
"How come?"
"'Cause Centerfielder's a stupid fuckin' name."
The dialogue is quick and realistic. At least in the way you want it to be real. DeSilva does an admirable job with the characters, rounding them fully so that none are a caricature of what you thought they should be. It is witty and comedic. But don't let that fool you. It needs to be. The subject matter is dark and disturbing on a visceral level that few of us ever want to admit exists. To and past the point that the prostitutes and their plight are the lighter of the evil that reeks throughout the story.
...When I got home, I was still jumpy. I lay in bed drinking Bushmills from a pint bottle, hoping it would calm me down. I used the remote to snap on the TV and channel surfed until I stumbled on a favorite movie, The assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. As the whiskey kicked in, I forgot to keep my eyes open, afraid of what my dreams might bring.
I knew I'd lost the fight when a bloody little girl walked into the room and asked me to help her find her arms...
Mulligan travels this dark underbelly of Rhode Island hunting child rapists and killers and pornographers. Until he finds himself hunting the killer who is hunting them as well.
This is dark crime drama. It is also spiritual. Somewhere early on, Mulligan remarks that he believes prostitution is a victimless crime. That is until the victim's bodies begin to pile up on him. By the end he is not sure who is the real victim and who is the real criminal.
Mulligan has been standing on the banks of the cesspool he reports upon. This time the tide has risen and he may have begun to sink in.
"He won't hurt you none," Zerilli said. "He's fuckin' harmless."
"Where'd you get him?"
"The pound."
"Got a name for him yet?"
"Calling him Shortstop."
"How come?"
"'Cause Centerfielder's a stupid fuckin' name."
The dialogue is quick and realistic. At least in the way you want it to be real. DeSilva does an admirable job with the characters, rounding them fully so that none are a caricature of what you thought they should be. It is witty and comedic. But don't let that fool you. It needs to be. The subject matter is dark and disturbing on a visceral level that few of us ever want to admit exists. To and past the point that the prostitutes and their plight are the lighter of the evil that reeks throughout the story.
...When I got home, I was still jumpy. I lay in bed drinking Bushmills from a pint bottle, hoping it would calm me down. I used the remote to snap on the TV and channel surfed until I stumbled on a favorite movie, The assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford. As the whiskey kicked in, I forgot to keep my eyes open, afraid of what my dreams might bring.
I knew I'd lost the fight when a bloody little girl walked into the room and asked me to help her find her arms...
Mulligan travels this dark underbelly of Rhode Island hunting child rapists and killers and pornographers. Until he finds himself hunting the killer who is hunting them as well.
This is dark crime drama. It is also spiritual. Somewhere early on, Mulligan remarks that he believes prostitution is a victimless crime. That is until the victim's bodies begin to pile up on him. By the end he is not sure who is the real victim and who is the real criminal.
Mulligan has been standing on the banks of the cesspool he reports upon. This time the tide has risen and he may have begun to sink in.
Read
September 25, 2016After a series of seemingly random murders piques the interest of Liam Mulligan, all bets are off as he begins to investigate.
Stuck in his ever increasing dead end job as a reporter for the failing Providence Dispatch newspaper, Mulligan finds himself shuffled off to cover jobs he never would have thanks to a depleted staff at the paper.
When he covers a society party, he notices a reputed criminal cozying up to a politician. And when that criminal later turns up dead, it sets Mulligan off to report on the increasingly violent and depraved "case".
Set during the time when prostitution was still legal in Rhode Island, the story touches on pornography, prostitution and the strange bedfellows the billions of dollars business that creates.
What sets this story apart is how author Bruce DeSilva plays with expectations and levels of morality and friendship. Who can you trust? That question is not easy to answer in this book and eventually reveals that the bad guy may not be all bad while your friends are those you might want to watch out for because you never know how far wrong they may go in trying to make a right.
The movement of the subplots involving Mulligan's shrewish wife was pleasing since that is just an annoyance to this reader. But the evolving lovelife for Mulligan gives a bit of comedy amidst his still active grieving process for the friend he lost in the previous book.
The fully realized descriptions of everyday life in Mulligan's Rhode Island make for fascinating reading.
The term hardboiled gets thrown around a lot when describing this book and it mostly fits. The violence and graphic descriptions of some horrifying visuals in the story aren't for the weak of heart. But in terms of the actual construction of the book, I really appreciated DeSilva taking the time to show the utter horrified reactions from Mulligan and another character after one particular murder they witness. That the characters have real world reactions to what they see helps make the book that much more of a fully fleshed out, if unsettling, tale.
Stuck in his ever increasing dead end job as a reporter for the failing Providence Dispatch newspaper, Mulligan finds himself shuffled off to cover jobs he never would have thanks to a depleted staff at the paper.
When he covers a society party, he notices a reputed criminal cozying up to a politician. And when that criminal later turns up dead, it sets Mulligan off to report on the increasingly violent and depraved "case".
Set during the time when prostitution was still legal in Rhode Island, the story touches on pornography, prostitution and the strange bedfellows the billions of dollars business that creates.
What sets this story apart is how author Bruce DeSilva plays with expectations and levels of morality and friendship. Who can you trust? That question is not easy to answer in this book and eventually reveals that the bad guy may not be all bad while your friends are those you might want to watch out for because you never know how far wrong they may go in trying to make a right.
The movement of the subplots involving Mulligan's shrewish wife was pleasing since that is just an annoyance to this reader. But the evolving lovelife for Mulligan gives a bit of comedy amidst his still active grieving process for the friend he lost in the previous book.
The fully realized descriptions of everyday life in Mulligan's Rhode Island make for fascinating reading.
The term hardboiled gets thrown around a lot when describing this book and it mostly fits. The violence and graphic descriptions of some horrifying visuals in the story aren't for the weak of heart. But in terms of the actual construction of the book, I really appreciated DeSilva taking the time to show the utter horrified reactions from Mulligan and another character after one particular murder they witness. That the characters have real world reactions to what they see helps make the book that much more of a fully fleshed out, if unsettling, tale.
March 15, 2014
#2 in the Liam Mulligan series. Author DeSilva has done himself proud in this 2012 follow-up to his 2010 award winning debut novel "Rogue Island". Mulligan was a hard drinking, cigar smoking, investigative reporter for a Providence newspaper. Stomach pains have toned down the drinking and smoking, and budget cuts are reducing the time available for investigation; in fact, we first encounter Mulligan in this novel as he attends a Newport charity gala to cover for the society reporter, who has quit. Even in reduced circumstances, Mulligan crusades against child porn and crooked politicians and author DeSilva writes with humor and an evident love of Rhode Island, with all its faults. Strongly recommended for fans of the hard-boiled school of detection and those of novels with a great sense of place.
Liam Mulligan series - Prostitution has been legal in Rhode Island for more than a decade; Liam Mulligan, an old-school investigative reporter at dying Providence newspaper, suspects the governor has been taking payoffs to keep it that way. But this isn't the only story making headlines...a child's severed arm is discovered in a pile of garbage at a pig farm. Then the body of an internet pornographer is found sprawled on the rocks at the base of Newport's famous Cliff Walk. At first, the killings seem random, but as Mulligan keeps digging into the state's thriving sex business, strange connections emerge. Promised free sex with hookers if he minds his own business--and a beating if he doesn't--Mulligan enlists Thanks-Dad, the newspaper publisher's son, and Attila the Nun, the state's colorful Attorney General, in his quest for the truth. What Mulligan learns will lead him to question his beliefs about sexual morality, shake his tenuous religious faith, and leave him wondering who his real friends are.
Liam Mulligan series - Prostitution has been legal in Rhode Island for more than a decade; Liam Mulligan, an old-school investigative reporter at dying Providence newspaper, suspects the governor has been taking payoffs to keep it that way. But this isn't the only story making headlines...a child's severed arm is discovered in a pile of garbage at a pig farm. Then the body of an internet pornographer is found sprawled on the rocks at the base of Newport's famous Cliff Walk. At first, the killings seem random, but as Mulligan keeps digging into the state's thriving sex business, strange connections emerge. Promised free sex with hookers if he minds his own business--and a beating if he doesn't--Mulligan enlists Thanks-Dad, the newspaper publisher's son, and Attila the Nun, the state's colorful Attorney General, in his quest for the truth. What Mulligan learns will lead him to question his beliefs about sexual morality, shake his tenuous religious faith, and leave him wondering who his real friends are.
July 12, 2012
Bruce DeSilva's second novel was every bit as well written and captivating as his first. It was one of those books that I was found myself dreading the dwindling down of unread pages, knowing that my adventure into the world of Liam Mulligan was finite and temporary. It ended leaving me ready . . .very ready to begin the next . .
Cliff Walk brings back many of wonderfully crafted characters from first book and reveals more of their part in Mulligan's world . .sometimes in surprising ways. The dialogs are so well done that they found voices in my mind as I read . . as though I had heard these same people in my own life somewhere. I also found familiar references to real world characters; a Bernese Mountain Dog named Brady (like DeSilva's), a beautiful poetress named Patricia Smith (DeSilva's wife and first editor), and a list of blues artists that parallels my own favorites. Mulligan's persona is real enough to me that I have caught myself looking around for him at several blues events lately . . .does that make me a tin foil hat candidate?
The book is a window into a culture, community and life that I have never been even close to . . .and I feel these pages have allowed me to experience some of this from the comfort of my LayZBoy. I have just re-ordered Bruce DeSilva's award winning first novel, Rogue Island, knowing that it will join Cliff Walk as one of those rare books that I will be re-reading. The re-purchase became necessary after my first copy was lost to my own personal version of a "Dorcas" episode . . .and yet another parallel.
Cliff Walk brings back many of wonderfully crafted characters from first book and reveals more of their part in Mulligan's world . .sometimes in surprising ways. The dialogs are so well done that they found voices in my mind as I read . . as though I had heard these same people in my own life somewhere. I also found familiar references to real world characters; a Bernese Mountain Dog named Brady (like DeSilva's), a beautiful poetress named Patricia Smith (DeSilva's wife and first editor), and a list of blues artists that parallels my own favorites. Mulligan's persona is real enough to me that I have caught myself looking around for him at several blues events lately . . .does that make me a tin foil hat candidate?
The book is a window into a culture, community and life that I have never been even close to . . .and I feel these pages have allowed me to experience some of this from the comfort of my LayZBoy. I have just re-ordered Bruce DeSilva's award winning first novel, Rogue Island, knowing that it will join Cliff Walk as one of those rare books that I will be re-reading. The re-purchase became necessary after my first copy was lost to my own personal version of a "Dorcas" episode . . .and yet another parallel.
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