Jimmy Bench-Press

by Charlie Stella

Transferred to the Organized Crime department, edgy police officer Alex Pavlik seeks to take down ambitious thug-for-hire Jimmy Mangino, who is performing various shady deeds on behalf of a local would-be mobster. By the author of Eddie's World.

Genres: Crime

272 pages, Hardcover

First published November 10, 2002

About the author

Carmelo Stella is an author long familiar with the street life of New York City, which figures substantially in his writing. His work includes plays, performed off-off-Broadway, his debut novel called Eddie's World and Jimmy Bench-press, also published by Hale. He lives in New Jersey.

Reviews

[Dana King · Rating 5 out of 5]

The darkest of the Godfather’s oeuvre, and I’ve now read them all. Shows the most overt influence of George V. Higgins in both the dialog-driven story and the darkness of the plot, which resolves itself in the only way it could, never giving away too much. Cheapskates may still be my favorite Stella for the humor with which it handles the mob; this is just as good. Brilliant storytelling that never draws attention to itself.

[Gavin Borden · Rating 5 out of 5]

Johnny Porno and Jimmy Bench Press are two of the best.
Stella doesn't glorify the mob at all.
He just shows them for what they are. Unethical criminals, No "code"; they are just hungry predators.

[Samuel Fogas · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first foray into Charlie Stella's writing, and I really enjoyed it. His voice and style are great -- I love how this book is so driven by dialogue, and each character, even bit players, are individual and memorable. Jimmy Mangino, aka Jimmy Bench-Press, may be the title character be he is just one in an ensemble of characters that tie this book together. I got a kick out of watching all the machinations and betrayals weaving through the story, and the tribulations in the lives of the characters who actually fill the roles of "good guys" that make them do things we wish they wouldn't. A fine, quick read. Can't wait to read more from Charlie Stella!

[Brett Wallach · Rating 2 out of 5]

I just joined goodreads, and this is the first novel I've read since doing so. I didn't want to kick things off with a bad review, but I don't have a choice. I found the characters so cliched and hackneyed, especially how things resolved in the end, that whatever good things encouraged me to finish the short novel dissipiated. The best part was the banter between characters, as Stella really has a great ear for how people, especially guys, talk. Maybe he will take more chances (or has) in other books.

[Cp · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm only giving this a three because this guy, Stella, was getting a lot of ticks, which led me to expect something a little more original. that said, one day i would go back and read something later. This read a little like it was introducing characters for books down the road.