Last of the Good Guys

by John Carbone

Stunning concept, totally engrossing read - a new generation of Mafia thriller is born.

All Marco wants is to be a stand-up guy. To make his way in the world without too much trouble. Right? But in 1970s New York, that's not so easy. Marco has the Mafia in his blood and at only sixteen years old he hears the streets calling. So he goes into business with a few guys. Dealing a little pot.
Then Marco's ruthless Uncle Tony gets involved. Uncle Tony is the man Marco most looks up to, but he wants Marco and his friends to help him out. Just a little cocaine. A few more deals - and then Marco'll be set for life...
But when it all goes wrong, it's more than Marco's life on the line. It's those he loves and the struggle to break free from the chains of crime which bind him... which stop him. Can he survive to be A GOOD GUY?

Genres: Fiction

410 pages, Paperback

First published July 12, 2007

Reviews

[Pat · Rating 3 out of 5]

An engaging and interesting book that could have been really good but then there was the third act.
The writing style is good and the book moves along at a brisk clip. It keeps you engaged even with the fact these are horrible people and in no way the main character can really be described as a good guy.
The happy and nonsensical resolution for the Marco almost made ne reduce it by a star.

[Aaron Cordy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I thought this book would have more substance. Probably about 50 pages too long, which could have given an extra star.

[Samuel Tyler · Rating 4 out of 5]

Badda-bing, Badda-boom, the one thing that Mafia books and films have is a sense of the epic. ‘The Godfather’, ‘Goodfella’, Donnie Brasco’; all of them had a sense of style and a large outlook. There are few other genres out there that allow you to go to town with a sprawling book that covers decades. We can now add ‘Last of the Good Guys’ to that list; a book about Marco and his six pals who all start off young in the gangster trade and see their lives develop and then fall apart.

‘Last’ has more than a passing whiff of ‘Goodfellas’, but when you are compared to a classic like that, this is no bad thing. John Carbone has created a great sense of time and place; a New York that was growing out of the old fashioned 50s and 60s, into a decade that would bring cocaine and all the money and trouble with it. The book is narrated from the point of view of Marco and you can almost feel the sweeping camera shots as Carbone evokes the spirit of Scorsese. The first half in particular is a great read; all young guns with no future in mind.

The book does start to slip towards the end as the once languid pace suddenly increases. Whilst the first ten years or so are covered in 200 pages, the second half appears to cover 25 years. All of a sudden events begin to happen off the page and relationships come and go before you were even aware that they were happening. It is almost as if Carbone had run out of things to explore and really wanted to get to the finale.

And what a finale. This certainly makes up for some of the pacing issues that precede it. The last 40 pages evoke the earlier part of the book and give the reader the type of conclusion they want from this type of large family epic. It also leaves a little amount open just in case the author wishes to revisit Marco. ‘Last of the Good Guys’ is a very solid Mafia style novel that never attempts to break new ground, but you will have a good time walking over the well-trodden sod.

[Josh · Rating 5 out of 5]

John Carbone's debut 'Last of the Good Guys' is an epic masterpiece which spans the life of 7 close friends (4 Italian, 3 Irish), charting their course from early scuffles with neighbourhood boys to the rise and eventual fall of a successful drug peddling ring. A perfect storm of mafia ties, police corruption, drugs, success, money, and violence culminate in one hell of finish not before taking the reader on a ride they wont soon forget through 1970's New York up until the millennium. The Mafia connection - Uncle Tony, is one Mafioso you don't want to mess with - this is how a bad guy with likable qualities should be written. He's the mentor and head of the operation but comes across as so much more. Each of the 7 childhood friends are equally enjoyable to read with each story impacting on the core plot and adding an extra layer of depth to Carbone's well crafted world. This is the second time I've read 'Last of the Good Guys' and it definitely wont be the last - 5 stars.

[E.R. Yatscoff · Rating 3 out of 5]

A decent read that follows a group of tough young guys in Brooklyn figuring they can make a great living selling weed. But there’s a lot of drug dealers there and selling in a vacuum isn’t possible as everyone knows what you’re doing. Little do they know it but Marco, one of the guys, has his connected Uncle watching out from behind the scenes. The guys must eventually reluctantly pay for this. Good imaging, but a lot more narration than necessary as I would have liked more dialogue. Pick this book yup as it’s not the usual Mafia stuff.

[Zayne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Keeps you entertained and a very cool insight into the gangster world which is seemingly believable... I liked the time gaps throughout the book and thought they were used really well, however sometimes plots weren't elaborated enough and so it lacks in some areas. Still a certainly worthwhile read

[Shea · Rating 3 out of 5]

OMG it was so good, I was prepared to give it 4 stars. And then I reached the epilogue. Like seriously? Seriously THAT's how it ended?!!! After all the years and deaths... THAT is the step Marco took?
I'm taking back half a star!

[Rena · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a solid summer read. A good amount of action and well-paced development. Not overwhelming amazing but I still enjoyed it. Marco was a pretty decent character to follow.