Wet Work

Dominick Candiotti #2

by Les Roberts

Dominick Candiotti is a paid assassin employed by the shadowy Brownstone Agency. After one too many assignments, weary of the violence and a life of temporary identities, he wants to leave the profession. His anonymous boss, code-named "Og," isn't happy with the decision; he turns the tables on his employee and assigns fellow agents to eliminate him. Now on the run, Candiotti fights for his life, trying to stay one step ahead of deadly pursuers while he tracks down his nemesis boss and uncovers secrets from his own past. It's a gripping tale about the struggle for power and a suspenseful game of cat-and-mouse that leads through several U.S. cities. This is the second suspense novel featuring Domninick Candiotti by Les Roberts. He first appeared in "The Strange Death of Father Candy."

Genres: Mystery, Mystery Thriller

256 pages, Paperback

First published August 29, 2014

About the author

Les Roberts is the author of 15 mystery novels featuring Cleveland detective Milan Jacovich, as well as 9 other books of fiction. The past president of both the Private Eye Writers of America and the American Crime Writer's League, he came to mystery writing after a 24-year career in Hollywood. He was the first producer and head writer of the Hollywood Squares and wrote for the Andy Griffith Show, the Jackie Gleason Show, and the Man from U.N.C.L.E., among others. He has been a professional actor, a singer, a jazz musician, and a teacher. In 2003 he received the Sherwood Anderson Literary Award. A native of Chicago, he now lives in Northeast Ohio and is a film and literary critic."

Reviews

[Ferne (Enthusiastic Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

You might want to have a clear understanding of the definition of "Wet Work" prior to selection of this title.

"Wet Work" - Covert assassination performed by government operatives. [Wiktionary]

Dominick Candiotti's line of work is not for the faint of heart and Dominick begins to question the purpose of his "assignments". Is Dominick truly performing 'wet work' on behalf of the U.S. Government or has Dominick been committing murder plotted by a devious man he only knows as "Og" that calls with each new assignment?

This is not your ordinary 'spy' novel and though I can't classify this novel as an espionage thriller, I did enjoy it. It seemed easy to imagine the man that Dominick Candiotti becomes and in the midst of an assignment the life-altering decision he makes for his own future. For all the news media's lofty thoughts that they keep the public informed with accuracy and ethics, I do not believe in their accuracy nor their myths. This story could easily occur without the news media and/or the public having the slightest clue.

I cannot comment on this novel as described as the second suspense novel featuring Dominick Candiotti as I did not yet read his first appearance in "The Strange Death of Father Candy". However, I am always delighted when opportunity presents itself to not necessarily read a series in order nor to have need to read earlier novels to understand the current story. It is also pleasing that the current story doesn't pause in limbo as the author presents a segment of earlier character description.

I was lucky enough to receive a pre-publication copy of this title as an “Early Reviewer” from Library Thing.

[Shelly Donaghey · Rating 4 out of 5]

WET WORK by Les Roberts is the second Dominick Candiotti assassin novel but it is also a complete stand-alone story. The book is set in the mid-west of the 1980s, which makes it a fun change of pace when featured against the “Jason Bourne” style, international killer genre. All the action is here, the femme fatale is to die for, literally, and the hero is troubled and in trouble.
Candiotti is something of a chameleon, altering his looks to fit the situation, blending in and then killing without mercy. This is something he learned while an Army Major and member of the Phoenix team in Vietnam. There he did sanction work for the government. Now, in his early forties, he has been recruited for the same ends by the Brownstone Agency, a government group who targets those outside the grasp of the law and serves a rough justice to them. And Candiotti is the best they have for this purpose.
But what happens when he starts to question the choice of his targets. Was that priest really a pedophile or a human rights activist? And his latest mission, an Ohio State Supreme Court Justice who, after some research, appears to be just what he is: an honest man and a good husband and father.
Our killer has been having doubts about what he has been doing for some time, but when he aborts this kill at the last possible second, his organization turns on him. Out in the cold with fellow hunters after him, his bank accounts stolen from him and on the run, Dominick has to stay alive long enough to figure out what is going on, who he really worked for and what he can do to stop it.
This is a steamroller with no safety features whatsoever, driving headlong and smashing through everything in its way. The hero’s story is well played and his journey along the highways of mid-America both fascinating and frightening. A winner from page one with a finish that might have you cheering or wishing for a different kind of retribution. Some of the heroes we are taught to look up to show their tarnish and you might read the news with a greater understanding.
I heartily recommend this book that I won through Goodreads.

[Judie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve eagerly read all of Les Robert’s books and have rarely been disappointed. WET WORK is among his best. It’s well-written, fast-paced, and, with some exaggeration, sounds like things that have been going on in the US for awhile.
Dominick Candiotti makes his second appearance. This time his US military training has led him to a very well-paid career assassinating Americans whose actions are detrimental to the US. He was recruited for the Brownstone Group by Og, a man he has never met but who contacts him by telephone.
Soon after he executes a priest in a confessional, he is sent on his next mission. He finds the target but while planning the kill and the right time to act, he decides to research the target and comes across an article by the priest he killed. The article makes him question whether he is really working for a US government agency or if he is being fed a line to help someone get rid of his own enemies.
WET WORK chronicles Dominick’s actions as he learns more about the Brownstone Group and tries to identify Og.
Les Roberts proves that books do not have to be gory or sexy to tell their stories. Dominick recalls some of his earlier executions but not in gruesome detail. The sex scenes are not graphic, so the reader is not turned the reader into a voyeur.
Les’s viewpoints on several social issues are worked into the plot and fit very well. Examples: “God is perfectly capable of fighting His own battles. Anyone with the power to smite with locusts or hurl down thunderbolts doesn’t need to put guns in the hands of unbalanced people loony enough to believe that they and He are on intimate speaking terms.” “But God doesn’t answer prayers by making deals. Is there a place in heaven for you if you go out and blow away everyone who happens to disagree with your point off view? I don’t think so.”
I spotted only one contradiction, one repetition, and one geographical error. Not bad. Unfortunately, the book does have one of my pet peeves: some unnecessarily short chapters. I think they insult the reader’s intelligence. I always deduct one star for that.

[Irene Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as an ebook free from the author through LibraryThing in exchange for an honest review. According to Wikipedia “wet work is a euphemism for murder or assassination, alluding to spilling blood.” Therefore the title of this book tells me that this story may be harsh in places and the characters may use rough language. The main character, a paid assassin, is becoming weary and disillusioned with his work and tells his boss he is retiring. Retiring from being an assassin will not be allowed without repercussions. This book is full of action and danger with lots of twists and turns. I enjoyed this book and couldn’t put it down until I reached the end and found out the identity of the boss and what happened to the assassin. Although this book probably isn’t for everyone I found it well worth reading and enjoyed it as much as the other books I’ve read by Les Roberts.

[Linda Roush · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this book as a Goodread's First Reads giveaway. I've read most of Les Roberts books but I must say this was my favorite. It was so good I couldn't put it down and read it in one day! This book is about a paid assassin who finds out things are not what they seem. He ends up being on the run and there were many twists and turns to the story. I hope there is another book following this one. I love Dominick Candiotti.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is very detailed. The first couple chapters bored me a bit. After that though I couldn't put the book down and finished it! The beginning was a slow set up up for the thrilling adventures that were to come. I was very shocked with all the twist and turns in the book that made it great. I recommend this book and am interested in reading more of his work. I thought it was as good as a James Patterson or John Grisham novel.

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a Goodreads giveaway. This is a very well written book with lots of twist and unexpected turns. The premise is new and the characters are very believable. This was another book I did not want to put down until I finished it and another author to add to my favorite list. This is a must read.

[Doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this book for free through Goodreads First Reads.

I really enjoyed this book: good story line, good action, and well written. Thanks to Gray and Company, and Mr. Roberts.

[Karen Stromberg · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this book through Goodreads. I did enjoy it. It was hard initially to like the main character but eventually found myself in his corner.

[Mike · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good book. Constant action, a good story line. The characters were easy to follow. Great job! I would recommend to anyone looking for an action filled book!

[Sean McGurr · Rating 3 out of 5]

Another well-written book by Les Roberts that continues to highlight cities in his adopted area of Northeast Ohio and environs. The focus is on Dominick Candiotti, a hitman who may be having a change of heart about his line of work after his latest kill, a priest. The novel focuses on Candiotti's search for answers and flashbacks to some of his previous "sanctions." This is a follow up to The Strange Death of Father Candy. While it was a good read, the reveal of the nature of who Candiotti is working for was a bit much for me (the politics and the scope of the group). I prefer Roberts more grounded Milan Jacovich novels.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

WET WORK by Les Roberts

Note: I received this book from Goodreads.

WET WORK is a workman- like thriller from an author new to me, although he has a long list of published novels in the front paper of this book.

I say " workman-like" because Mr. Roberts hits all the hot buttons in his novel of an assassin for what he thinks is a super-secret agency. The agent, Dominick Candiotti, who has used so many aliases that he no longer is sure who he is supposed to be on any particular mission, is tasked with killing a priest. This priest , Candiotti was told, a vicious pedophile, and needs to be stopped. The job is done with dispatch, but the killer feels that he was misled. His next target is a state judge, a man, Candiotti's research shows, of impeccable character, respected in his profession and loved by his many friends. The killer suspects his control, know only as Og, is using him, killing not enemies who threaten America, but men who are threats to someone or something pulling strings behind the scene.

Candiotti sends in his resignation from the agency, but, of course, " once in never out." A contract is put out on him. The book becomes a cross-country run between him and the agents out to kill him. Bodies litter the landscape in one exciting confrontation after the other. The end comes in a seaside gated villa where the ex-agent meets his manipulative ex-boss.

So, you have a cynical, world- weary secret agent, a mysterious "black" agency, a Babe who may be more than she appears, secluded fortress villas and car chases in the dark. All the ingredients in the Bourne generic formula are in the mix.The plot flowed right along and the writing was good,with the right mix of background and action.
You have read it all before, but that does not mean it can't be fun.

Some quibbles:
The hero's near invulnerability and super " Spidey "senses are a bit much, as are the way bad guys seemingly can't help themselves from walking into a punch out. As usual, the other side, once they have the drop on Mr. C keep talking long enough too flub the opportunity. This secret agent man , suspicious of everything and everybody, allows the Babe into his life-and bed- without a qualm, not even a quick check on the Internet? The book is set about ten years post VietNam, so electronic surveillance is minimal, but the hero can be tracked through his cell phone and credit cards? If so, the secret agent hero should br aware of this, but continues to use both his agency- issued cell and credit cards. In fact, I think he mentions that in a scene in the book, so why does he continue using them if he is trying to be off the grid?

And Why is every Mr. Big Shot Behind the Scenes a right- wing wacko, multi hater? Aren't there any left- wing rich elites who want to take over the government and save the world for the snail darter?
Oh, wait, we already have that now.

[Rhonda Keith · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wet Work is the latest thriller by Cleveland author Les Roberts. The first half is suspenseful and enjoyable partly because of his usual regional road signs. Roberts must have driven all over the Midwest and takes us along for the ride with his assassin Dominick Candiotti who is undergoing a crisis of conscience after years of working as a highly paid hit man for an unknown employer, for what he thinks of as patriotic reasons till he is shocked! shocked! to realize he has been a murderer all along. One of his victims was supposed to be a pedophile so there’s a victim everyone is relieved to see dead (Getting in digs at the Catholic church is always a crowd pleaser). But needless to say things aren’t always so simple for Candiotti. In the second half of the book, Dominick discovers the political intrigue behind the shadow organization that orders the hits. But Roberts’ politics are stuck in the ‘60s or maybe the ‘70s or even an earlier century and the political framework of the story takes on a cartoonish quality compared to the comparatively nuanced portrait of Dominick Candiotti. There’s a huge gaping blunder in his landscape that perfectly parallels the unreality of the political landscape of the second half of the book. where Liberals and Dems are good, Republicans are rich, bad, greedy, and racist, opposed to women’s suffrage and they hate gays. It’s just that simple.

Dominick Candiotti chases down the major bad guy in Florida (who is also more or less a pedophile and who wants to fund a right-wing presidency.
Candiotti finds the rich man’s luxurious estate overlooking the Atlantic on a bluff on the coast of Florida. Being the flattest state in the U.S., Florida actually has no cliffs or bluffs

Candiotti’s war is still the Vietnam war. It’s as if the Middle East doesn’t exist and the jihadist kindling of what looks like World War III has never happened. Obama and his shadowy sponsors don’t exist. Time for another road trip, Mr. Roberts.

I look forward to going back to Cleveland with Milan Jacovich.

[April Helms · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this one with a bit of trepidation, because this is a sequel to The Strange Death of Father Candy, which I felt lukewarm towards at best. I'm glad I gave this followup, which brings back Dominick Candiotti, a chance. Indeed, I found it hard to put down. Dominick has been working for a shadow agency, his boss only known to his as Og. Dominick is a hired assassin, something he is imminently qualified for due to the nature of his work in the military. Dominick is contracted to take care of threats to the country. However, he starts getting suspicious about his assignments once he starts ferreting information about those he was asked to take care of, and one day Dominick decides he has had enough and wants to quit. He find out very quickly that Og does not let people just walk away, and soon Dominick is running for his life while trying to piece together what The Brownstone Group really is. For readers who like a good action-adventure, Wet Work won't disappoint. It's pedal to the metal from start to finish.

[Katharine Ott · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Wet Work" - written by Les Roberts and published in 2014 by Gray & Company. Roberts is a local author and colors his books with a solid mid-Western patina. It was fun to recognize streets, restaurants and other locations in Cleveland where some of the story took place. His protagonist, Dominick Candiotti (or one of his many alias'), is a gun-for-hire and, since the Vietnam War, has accepted contract jobs - "Most objects of Douglas's sanctions had been wealthy or prominent, escaping the consequences of their traitorous actions only to become exercises in the administration of chillingly efficient justice, Brownstone Group style."

Roberts has a "man's man" style of writing and "Wet Work" is a fairly straightforward, predictable assassin story with the requisite beautiful dame, elaborate killing methods and lonely hotel rooms. The plot has enough twists and turns to keep you reading and lots of action. Candiotti previously appeared in "The Strange Death of Father Candy."

[Gail Ofterdinger-Ledgister · Rating 4 out of 5]

An military-trained assassin finds that he is unsuited to a civilian career. A representative from a super top secret governmental agency contacts him by phone to recruit him to join the Brownstone Group based on his military training. He knows this voice on the phone only as "Og." The reader is taken through the scenarios of several of the hits performed by the assassin. He prides himself on being able to kill each by a different method. One day it begins to dawn on him that all is not on the up and up with this supposed government agency. This is a quick and exciting read for fans of crime novels and thrillers. My thanks to the author and LibraryThing for a complimentary copy of this book.

[Misun · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received the book for free through Goodreads First Reads

My 2nd First Reads book. So far, both I read were good. I have 3 more and hopefully are all just as good :)
It was slow going at first but finished strong. I really started to like Dominic's character. His pain and guilt were described well and I definitely felt bad for him. It ended exactly as I pictured except for Annette's involvement. But I liked the ending better due to her involvement. So even the cold assassin has a conscience and wants to make thing right. Granted it was money motivated but still.
All and all, I'm glad I finished and didn't give up on reading this one .

[Elaine · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won a copy from Goodreads First Reads.

This is the first book I've read by Les Roberts and I was pleasantly surprised. I generally dislike books with plot elements that center around war and/or politics because if I wanted to read about war or politics, I'd just turn on the television or check out the newsfeed.

But Mr. Roberts added just enough background of Dominic's past to flesh out his motivation, to explain why he does what he does and how his conscience developed. The writing was good, fast paced, no superfluous words or details hampering the action and I liked Dominic, more so than I thought I would.

[Victor · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprised to see mostly positive reviews on this book. I was interested since I enjoyed the first Candiotti book but I found this one to be very flawed. I'm ok with unbelievable circumstances but I didn't buy into any of it. I truly feel Roberts was on deadline with this one and submitted a yet rough draft. Transitions were bleak and one is left to read on with skepticism.

[Tym · Rating 4 out of 5]

A more realistic and political Jason Bourne, this was a great read. The chapters flowed by easily and the story was gripping. It was a fun thrill ride through the states and a few more exotic locales. I was worried that the book's plot would turn formulaic, but instead it took several unexpected though realistic turns.

[Mark Levandoski · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story.Quick read.A Goodreads giveaway contest win for me.

[Jordan Quesada · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a nice refreshing adult spyeque story. It reminded me of the Bourne series, and was predictable. Good read for those who enjoy espionage thrillers.

[Franco]

Quick read, decent crime novel.

[Barbara · Rating 2 out of 5]

quick escapist short
liked the character even tho he was a murderer