Bastard: A gripping, darkly funny vigilante thriller with fists, wit and zero morals

by Damiano Polcaro

“Dark, funny and impossible to put down.”

Gritty, twisted and darkly hilarious, Bastard is a relentless crime thriller about justice, violence and what happens when one man takes it on himself to put the world straight – one beating at a time.
Meet our narrator. He’s rich. He’s bored. He’s addicted to people-watching. And he’s an unapologetic bastard. But when this sharp-eyed loner starts spotting even bigger bastards – the abusive, the violent, the racist – he doesn’t just watch. He acts. With fists. With fury. With lessons no one forgets.

Then he makes one mistake. He kills the wrong man, a prick in a suit with connections. Deadly ones. Suddenly he’s caught in a criminal web that stretches from gang bosses to cartel players to corrupt corridors of power.

Forced into a game where everyone’s lying, everyone’s watching and the only rule is survival, he has to decide what kind of bastard he really is.

A vigilante thriller with Reacher's fists, Ritchie's wit and absolutely no morals.

279 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 8, 2025

About the author

Damiano Polcaro is a Creative Director with over 20 years’ experience in the comms/branding world. After co-founding the agency Mixed Up Makes Better, Damiano used the opportunity to explore creative projects time previously denied. A few screenplays later he was brave enough to write Bastard, his debut novel. Time will tell if this bravery was foolish or not…

A mixed up background, curious nature and creative mind has filled Damiano’s head with all sorts of nonsense, drama and plot twists. He looks forward to sharing these with you in the near future.

Damiano lives in Surrey, England with his amazing wife, two teenage sons and demanding cat.

Reviews

[Nikki Houghton · Rating 5 out of 5]

What the f***?
This book finished. It ended. No warning, no hint, no excuses, no explanation - no nothing.
To say it was gripping, entertaining, wonderful, sometimes hilarious, often heartbreaking, surprising and too bloody short is an understatement-author, where is the rest of this fabulous stuff?
That ending - WOW I didn’t see that coming and I pride myself on my prescient intellect (or I read the end first but hey ho everyone has a wee psychopath tucked inside).
I recommend this “novel” novel to anyone without morals who enjoys wit, mayhem and a hero who, against all odds, survives at least until the final paragraph…. More please, and immediately.

[Louise · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a great read – gripping from start to finish. I stormed through it but I’m honestly gutted it’s over! I got so invested in the characters, and the story took me on a real emotional rollercoaster – laughing one minute, crying the next and wincing for most of it. It’s pretty relentless – think Ozark-type chaos, where the narrator keeps getting pulled deeper and deeper in, and you just can’t see how on earth he’s going to get out. Such a brilliant book – highly recommend!

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn’t sure what to expect with Bastard but it completely pulled me in. The story is tense and full of surprises. The characters are complex and messy in a way that feels real, and the mix of dark humour with unexpected turns made it impossible to put down. It’s clever, gripping and one of those books that stays with you after you finish.

[Oluwatimilehin David · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bastard is a gritty, darkly funny thrill ride that grabs you by the throat and doesn’t let go. Polcaro’s narrator is outrageous yet strangely relatable, a sharp-eyed bastard who turns people-watching into vigilante justice. The humor bites, the violence shocks, and the pacing is relentless. It’s Guy Ritchie meets Lee Child, but with its own twisted, unforgettable voice. An absolute page-turner.

[Tom · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good fun read! (And yes gripping!) heck of a pace, and loved most of the characters.

Found the beginning a wee bit too short in character / plot development and the ending too abrupt and a bit unsatisfactory but I guess that’s what sequels are for.

Well done though , great debut 👍

[Kevin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was enjoyable but the author's style of writing was a bit jarring to me. Nobody used I, he, she, they. Weird.