The Cutman

Fight Card #2

by Jack Tunney, Paul Bishop (Editor), Mel Odom (Editor)

Havana, Cuba. 1954. Mickey Flynn is an ex-Korean War vet turned merchant marine. He was born in the ghettos of Chicago and raised in an orphanage with his younger brother, Patrick. He was one of several young men who received an education from the nuns at St. Vincent's. But he was also taught the "sweet science" by Father Tim, a Golden Gloves boxer and retired police officer who only knew one way to bring a troubled boy to manhood. Father Tim worked with his young charges, taught them how to jab and punch and throw a hook that seemed to come out of nowhere. When the young men left St. Vincent's (Our Lady of the Glass Jaw), they were changed, fit and ready to take on the troubles the encountered around the world, no matter where they found them. Now Mick's in Havana, working on WIDE BERTHA, his ship. After surviving a fierce storm at sea, the last thing Mick and the crew need to do is get crossways with the Italian organized crime flooding Havana, but it doesn't take much to put him in the cross hairs of a vengeful mob boss working for Lucky Luciano. Unable to get free of bad luck and unfortunate circumstance, Mick ends up in the ring in an illegal boxing match fighting a human killing machine.

170 pages, Paperback

First published November 11, 2011

About the author

Jack Tunney is the unifying pen name for authors of the FIGHT CARD series - created by Mel Odom and Paul Bishop. Up-and-coming new authors, such as Eric Beetner, David Foster, Kevin Michaels, and Heath Lowrance have all penned entries in the series alongside more established names in the field such as Wayne D. Dundee, Bishop, and Odom.

The books in the Fight Card series are 25,000 word novelettes, designed to be read in one or two sittings, and are inspired by the fight pulps of the '30s and '40s - such as Fight Stories Magazine - and Robert E. Howard's two-fisted boxing tales featuring Sailor Steve Costigan.

Each of the novellas is short, sharp and packs a punch.

FOR MORE VISIT www.fightcardbooks.com

Reviews

[Wayne Turmel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun throw-back of a read to the pulps of the 40s and 50s. It is exactly what you think it is, and that's not a bad thing.

[Dave · Rating 5 out of 5]

n "Felony Fists," readers were introduced to Patrick "Felony" Flynn, the fighting LAPD officer, and it was noted that he had a brother Mick off in the merchant marine. Here, Odom tells a tale about the battling Mick Flynn. Mick's ship just put into port in Havana, old Havana run by Lucky Luciano and Meyer Lansky. It's a Cuba of gambling and dives and zesty Cuban ladies. It's a Havana where a crew of sailors on shore leave can't help but run into trouble.

Mick is a great guy to have along in a bar fight, but can he stand up to Italian hoods who think they run the waterfront?

This book is just chunk full of sailors on leave, fist battles, all out brawls, a fiery romance, and the deadliest killing machine ever to set foot in a ring.

[Jack Tunney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Havana, Cuba. 1954

Mickey Flynn is an ex-Korean War vet turned merchant marine. He was born in the ghettos of Chicago and raised in an orphanage with his younger brother, Patrick. He was one of several young men who received an education from the nuns at St. Vincent's.

But he was also taught the "sweet science" by Father Tim, a Golden Gloves boxer and retired police officer who only knew one way to bring a troubled boy to manhood. Father Tim worked with his young charges, taught them how to jab and punch and throw a hook that seemed to come out of nowhere. When the young men left St. Vincent's (Our Lady of the Glass Jaw), they were changed, fit and ready to take on the troubles the encountered around the world, no matter where they found them.

Now Mick's in Havana, working on WIDE BERTHA, his ship. After surviving a fierce storm at sea, the last thing Mick and the crew need to do is get crossways with the Italian organized crime flooding Havana, but it doesn't take much to put him in the cross hairs of a vengeful mob boss working for Lucky Luciano.
Unable to get free of bad luck and unfortunate circumstance, Mick ends up in the ring in an illegal boxing match fighting a human killing machine.

[ABC Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the 2nd installment in the Fightcard series and the leading contender thus far. The Cutman picks up where Patrick "Felony" Flynn left off. This time we're in Havana, Cuba, where Patrick's brother Mickey Flynn is wrapped up in having take on Italian mobsters and their prizefighter.

There's nothin' fancy about these books. Straight up pulpy fight fiction at its best. I really enjoyed this book and look forward to other installments in this series. Some of the best crime writers out there participate in this series under the pen name Jack Tunney. If you're looking for an entertaining reprieve, enjoy opening a can of whoop-ass, and want exposure to a host of different authors, you need to get in on Fightcard.

[Randy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Latest entry in the new series. Mickey Flynn grew up in an orphanage where his brother learned the boxing game from the Catholic Father. His brother grew up to be a cop in Los Angeles(and is the star of the other entry in the series). Mickey, after the Korean War, wanted to see the world and joined a merchant ship.

But he can't get away from the fight game.

!954 Havana is the setting for this one. Mickey's ship is in port and the crew gets into a brawl that gets the notice of the Italian mobsters with their own fighter.

Mickey ends up in a fight, more of a brawl with the illusion of a straight up fight, with the Italian champion.

Nice tight story with plenty of pulpy action.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fun read! Spending a little time in the head of a brawler is not as bad as it sounds. It's a decent and clean place to find yourself in the case of this particular story teller. And the story comes with a little joke in the end.

[Peter Cimino · Rating 4 out of 5]

Extremely well written - especially the lingo of that era - great character build and story.