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Dirty 20
Not yet published
Expected 12 May 26
The Sopranos
meets
Dungeons & Dragons
when a crime boss’s son accidentally becomes a crowdfunding superstar and disrupts business on the streets.
Bill Schweigert (The Fatal Folklore Trilogy) game masters a crime fiction novel that will level up your crime game and make you finally get that THACO LIFE abs tattoo.
Despite being son to Don Allesandro Fugue, AKA Big Al, AKA The Al Mighty, AKA King of the Denver streets, Tommy Fugue has never had much interest in the family business. But when his father assigns him the “summer job” of mastering digital money laundering, Tommy figures he can list some fake projects on FunFunder, pledge them with zombie accounts, and clean a dirty $20,000 in time for college in the fall.
Unfortunately, just as he’s about to give a progress report to his father’s capos, the Family sees that a roleplaying game he mocked up using his mom’s old artwork has been funded to the tune of $650,000… and counting.
The only thing scarier than an angry Big Al is a Big Al that smells money and family bonding. Voluntold by their mercurial boss to assist, various criminals and killers in the Family Fugue help playtest and produce Tommy’s 1,000 Blades of Tergivers RPG in the hopes they can truly turn a dirty twenty into legit millions.
At first Tommy sees game sessions with brothel owners, hit women, and a street captain with OCD as yet another example of why he needs to get out from under his father. But when he realizes that being the game master might help him uncover what these criminals know about his mother’s disappearance a year ago, it’s Game On.
Playing a game while making a game is tricky—especially when elements of the fantasy world keep blending into the players’ real lives. So when Tergivers’ influence starts the streets talking about how the Family Fugue is slipping, beware the new game Big Al starts playing, following rules only he knows.
Bill Schweigert (The Fatal Folklore Trilogy) game masters a crime fiction novel that will level up your crime game and make you finally get that THACO LIFE abs tattoo.
Despite being son to Don Allesandro Fugue, AKA Big Al, AKA The Al Mighty, AKA King of the Denver streets, Tommy Fugue has never had much interest in the family business. But when his father assigns him the “summer job” of mastering digital money laundering, Tommy figures he can list some fake projects on FunFunder, pledge them with zombie accounts, and clean a dirty $20,000 in time for college in the fall.
Unfortunately, just as he’s about to give a progress report to his father’s capos, the Family sees that a roleplaying game he mocked up using his mom’s old artwork has been funded to the tune of $650,000… and counting.
The only thing scarier than an angry Big Al is a Big Al that smells money and family bonding. Voluntold by their mercurial boss to assist, various criminals and killers in the Family Fugue help playtest and produce Tommy’s 1,000 Blades of Tergivers RPG in the hopes they can truly turn a dirty twenty into legit millions.
At first Tommy sees game sessions with brothel owners, hit women, and a street captain with OCD as yet another example of why he needs to get out from under his father. But when he realizes that being the game master might help him uncover what these criminals know about his mother’s disappearance a year ago, it’s Game On.
Playing a game while making a game is tricky—especially when elements of the fantasy world keep blending into the players’ real lives. So when Tergivers’ influence starts the streets talking about how the Family Fugue is slipping, beware the new game Big Al starts playing, following rules only he knows.
416 pages, Paperback
Expected publication May 12, 2026
9 people are currently reading
7610 people want to read
About the author
Bill Schweigart
7 books124 followersBill Schweigart is the author of THE GUILTY ONE (3/21/23) and "Women and Children First," a story co-written with James Patterson in THREE DAYS TO LIVE (2/14/23). He is also the author of The Fatal Folklore Trilogy, which includes THE BEAST OF BARCROFT, NORTHWOODS, and THE DEVIL'S COLONY. He is a former Coast Guard officer who drew from his experiences at sea to write the nautical thriller, SLIPPING THE CABLE and the romantic comedy, RUNNING LIGHT. Bill currently lives in Arlington, VA with his wife and daughter, who along with their monstrous Newfoundland and four cats, provide him with all the adventure he can handle.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
March 8, 2026
ARC Review:
This is a really fun story with a great cast of characters that have a lot of variety and personality to them.
Some of it is a little cheesy but in a goofy, nod to the target audience, kind of way.
It may be just slightly longer than was necessary.
Some of the descriptions of scenes could get a little repetitive and too spelled out, but it’s not overly burdensome in that way and it doesn’t detract from the overall story. Just a personal preference to be left a little space to fill in on my own.
I would recommend it to TTRPG players mainly, especially if they have an interest in crime dramas and think a crossover of those worlds would be interesting.
This is a really fun story with a great cast of characters that have a lot of variety and personality to them.
Some of it is a little cheesy but in a goofy, nod to the target audience, kind of way.
It may be just slightly longer than was necessary.
Some of the descriptions of scenes could get a little repetitive and too spelled out, but it’s not overly burdensome in that way and it doesn’t detract from the overall story. Just a personal preference to be left a little space to fill in on my own.
I would recommend it to TTRPG players mainly, especially if they have an interest in crime dramas and think a crossover of those worlds would be interesting.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
thank you netgalley for the arc in exchange for review!
A CRITICAL HIT!!!!
a fledgling d&d player myself, i was instantly intrigued when i saw this title come across the dashboard. even so, the premise is a little outside of what im usually drawn to, so i wasnt sure if i was more interested in the idea of the book than the reality.
ive never been more pleased to be proven wrong in my life.
this is the ultimate hero's journey with the loveable and relatable tommy fugue at the helm. the humor and geeky delight breathe life into the book from the first page and serve as a poignant, palpable contrast to the later emotional depth of tommy's endeavors. additionally, the world-within-the-world of tergivers is such a compelling storytelling device. i wasn't sure what to expect when approaching a story centered around a d&d campaign, but this was so cleverly and wonderfully done that i'm sure i'll have a massive book hangover for the foreseeable future.
mark your calendars for may 12! i cant wait to recommend this book to everyone who breathes in my direction.
A CRITICAL HIT!!!!
a fledgling d&d player myself, i was instantly intrigued when i saw this title come across the dashboard. even so, the premise is a little outside of what im usually drawn to, so i wasnt sure if i was more interested in the idea of the book than the reality.
ive never been more pleased to be proven wrong in my life.
this is the ultimate hero's journey with the loveable and relatable tommy fugue at the helm. the humor and geeky delight breathe life into the book from the first page and serve as a poignant, palpable contrast to the later emotional depth of tommy's endeavors. additionally, the world-within-the-world of tergivers is such a compelling storytelling device. i wasn't sure what to expect when approaching a story centered around a d&d campaign, but this was so cleverly and wonderfully done that i'm sure i'll have a massive book hangover for the foreseeable future.
mark your calendars for may 12! i cant wait to recommend this book to everyone who breathes in my direction.
December 21, 2025
ARC Review of Dirty 20 by Bill Schweigart from Hyperion Avenue Publishing
This was a read where I often found myself thinking “just one more chapter” as I was reading. This is a fresh take on crime fiction, where the story unfolds due to the creation of a dungeons and dragons style RPG, created by the prince of a mob-controlled Colorado.
Although Tommy’s father could be considered basically abusive during parts of this story, the importance of family still shines bright from the whole of the book. I was constantly having to juggle my own sense of morality when it came to certain choices in the story due to its mob-influenced nature.
The characters were well thought out and memorable, and the resolve definitely surprised me at the end. I see good potential for more books!
This was a read where I often found myself thinking “just one more chapter” as I was reading. This is a fresh take on crime fiction, where the story unfolds due to the creation of a dungeons and dragons style RPG, created by the prince of a mob-controlled Colorado.
Although Tommy’s father could be considered basically abusive during parts of this story, the importance of family still shines bright from the whole of the book. I was constantly having to juggle my own sense of morality when it came to certain choices in the story due to its mob-influenced nature.
The characters were well thought out and memorable, and the resolve definitely surprised me at the end. I see good potential for more books!
January 5, 2026
I received this one as an ARC from NetGalley. Thank you, NetGalley for this opportunity! Dirty 20 was a fun ride. Take mob boss crime, dark humor, and a little TTRPG, and you get Dirty 20. Overall, I enjoyed it. The characters were interesting, and I liked the plot. My biggest complaint is the info dump at the end of the book. Even so, the rest of the book was enjoyable enough that I didn’t mind. I recommend for those who enjoy Dungeons and Dragons, mob stories, and sarcasm.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Book Review: Dirty 20 by Bill Schweigart
Dirty 20 is essentially organized crime meets tabletop RPGs, and the combination works better than you might expect. Tommy Fugue is the son of a Denver crime boss who wants nothing to do with the family business. Unfortunately, his father decides Tommy needs a crash course before leaving for college and assigns him a task: launder $20,000 online. Tommy’s solution is to create a fake crowdfunding campaign on FunFunder for a tabletop role-playing game he invents called 1,000 Blades of Tergivers. The plan is simple: quietly move the money through the campaign and move on. Instead, the internet loves the idea and the project spirals into a viral success.
Part of the campaign’s popularity comes from the artwork. Tommy recruits a talented illustrator who also happens to be the daughter of a rival Denver crime boss, which is about as safe a decision as it sounds. Between the art, the detailed fantasy world, and enthusiastic gamers online, the campaign explodes and eventually raises around $1.6 million. What started as a quick laundering scheme suddenly becomes a legitimate project with thousands of backers expecting a real game.
The humor leans heavily into the absurdity of the situation. At one point Tommy’s extremely new girlfriend sends him to the hospital with anaphylaxis from her chili-pepper lip plumper, and while he’s recovering she casually reveals that Tommy’s father’s gang killed her own father years earlier after he kidnapped Tommy as a child. Meanwhile, members of the Fugue crime family end up helping playtest the RPG, leading to the surreal image of hardened criminals sitting around a table arguing about character builds and fantasy quests.
Alongside the comedy, the story also carries a mystery about Tommy’s mother, who disappeared the year before the novel begins. As the game sessions continue and tensions rise within the family, Tommy slowly uncovers the truth: his mother was not simply a victim who vanished, but had been involved in the family’s operations and ultimately disappeared as an accomplice. When someone connected to the tabletop campaign is killed in real life, the book reminds you that beneath the jokes and dice rolls these are still dangerous people. I’m currently landing at 4 stars. The premise is strange in the best way, and the mix of crime drama and gaming culture makes for a creative and entertaining read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.
Dirty 20 is essentially organized crime meets tabletop RPGs, and the combination works better than you might expect. Tommy Fugue is the son of a Denver crime boss who wants nothing to do with the family business. Unfortunately, his father decides Tommy needs a crash course before leaving for college and assigns him a task: launder $20,000 online. Tommy’s solution is to create a fake crowdfunding campaign on FunFunder for a tabletop role-playing game he invents called 1,000 Blades of Tergivers. The plan is simple: quietly move the money through the campaign and move on. Instead, the internet loves the idea and the project spirals into a viral success.
Part of the campaign’s popularity comes from the artwork. Tommy recruits a talented illustrator who also happens to be the daughter of a rival Denver crime boss, which is about as safe a decision as it sounds. Between the art, the detailed fantasy world, and enthusiastic gamers online, the campaign explodes and eventually raises around $1.6 million. What started as a quick laundering scheme suddenly becomes a legitimate project with thousands of backers expecting a real game.
The humor leans heavily into the absurdity of the situation. At one point Tommy’s extremely new girlfriend sends him to the hospital with anaphylaxis from her chili-pepper lip plumper, and while he’s recovering she casually reveals that Tommy’s father’s gang killed her own father years earlier after he kidnapped Tommy as a child. Meanwhile, members of the Fugue crime family end up helping playtest the RPG, leading to the surreal image of hardened criminals sitting around a table arguing about character builds and fantasy quests.
Alongside the comedy, the story also carries a mystery about Tommy’s mother, who disappeared the year before the novel begins. As the game sessions continue and tensions rise within the family, Tommy slowly uncovers the truth: his mother was not simply a victim who vanished, but had been involved in the family’s operations and ultimately disappeared as an accomplice. When someone connected to the tabletop campaign is killed in real life, the book reminds you that beneath the jokes and dice rolls these are still dangerous people. I’m currently landing at 4 stars. The premise is strange in the best way, and the mix of crime drama and gaming culture makes for a creative and entertaining read.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books
Dark and brutal, enchanting and immersive, Dirty 20 is a masterfully crafted crime/fantasy novel blend with a cutthroat game of loyalty, betrayal and survival at the center. Bill Schweigart delivers an epic tale that combines the criminal underworld with role-playing games, resulting in a thriller that promises to be unlike anything else you’ve ever read.
Dirty 20 is billed as The Sopranos meets Dungeons & Dragons, which is a perfect description of this book. It dives deep into an organized crime family and what it takes to survive and thrive in that environment...and it also does a fantastic job of developing the fantasy world of the game Tommy is developing, going into depth in a way that makes you want to play the game. But...at its core this is a coming-of-age story for young Tommy who’s at a crossroads in his life that forces him to choose between cowering from and kowtowing to his dominant father or deciding to get out and forge his own path.
Filled with great characters, dark storylines, and shocking twists – of which there are several that will hit you like a pair of brass knuckles to the temple – Dirty 20 is a captivating and engaging novel you won’t be able to put down. Bill Schwiegart knocks this one out of the park, further showcasing his literary versatility as he adds an epic fantasy and crime crossover thriller to his previous works in unfiltered dark crime and folklore-themed thrillers.
Dark and brutal, enchanting and immersive, Dirty 20 is a masterfully crafted crime/fantasy novel blend with a cutthroat game of loyalty, betrayal and survival at the center. Bill Schweigart delivers an epic tale that combines the criminal underworld with role-playing games, resulting in a thriller that promises to be unlike anything else you’ve ever read.
Dirty 20 is billed as The Sopranos meets Dungeons & Dragons, which is a perfect description of this book. It dives deep into an organized crime family and what it takes to survive and thrive in that environment...and it also does a fantastic job of developing the fantasy world of the game Tommy is developing, going into depth in a way that makes you want to play the game. But...at its core this is a coming-of-age story for young Tommy who’s at a crossroads in his life that forces him to choose between cowering from and kowtowing to his dominant father or deciding to get out and forge his own path.
Filled with great characters, dark storylines, and shocking twists – of which there are several that will hit you like a pair of brass knuckles to the temple – Dirty 20 is a captivating and engaging novel you won’t be able to put down. Bill Schwiegart knocks this one out of the park, further showcasing his literary versatility as he adds an epic fantasy and crime crossover thriller to his previous works in unfiltered dark crime and folklore-themed thrillers.
Review of advance copy
3.75 out of 5 stars (rounded up to 4)
Dirty 20 is a fun and unique fusion of two genres that’s I didn’t think would work together: crime drama and tabletop RPG. The book balances the humor without making it too “nerdy” and is able to play with a few deeper themes (although the pay off varies per theme).
While the characters are lively and memorable, the RPG storyline within the story is the real gem of the book. The author does a good job of interweaving fantasy lingo into the story and going deep into the TTRPG elements that I enjoyed as a DnD fan.
As quickly as I was flying through the pages, I kept finding myself losing focus and putting the book down. I didn’t get sucked into the book as I would have liked. That being said, the pace of the book started to increase halfway through and I read the entire second half of the book in one day.
Another small criticism is that the story leans heavily on the mob family plot, with D&D sessions popping up occasionally, so if you were expecting more gameplay or TTRPG content based on the title and cover, it might feel a bit light.
Still, I really enjoyed the story, characters, and the unique concept overall. I would definitely recommend it!
Dirty 20 is a fun and unique fusion of two genres that’s I didn’t think would work together: crime drama and tabletop RPG. The book balances the humor without making it too “nerdy” and is able to play with a few deeper themes (although the pay off varies per theme).
While the characters are lively and memorable, the RPG storyline within the story is the real gem of the book. The author does a good job of interweaving fantasy lingo into the story and going deep into the TTRPG elements that I enjoyed as a DnD fan.
As quickly as I was flying through the pages, I kept finding myself losing focus and putting the book down. I didn’t get sucked into the book as I would have liked. That being said, the pace of the book started to increase halfway through and I read the entire second half of the book in one day.
Another small criticism is that the story leans heavily on the mob family plot, with D&D sessions popping up occasionally, so if you were expecting more gameplay or TTRPG content based on the title and cover, it might feel a bit light.
Still, I really enjoyed the story, characters, and the unique concept overall. I would definitely recommend it!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
“Dirty 20” by Bill Schweigart is a fun, fast-paced blend of crime fiction and tabletop gaming that feels fresh and different. Following Tommy Fugue, the reluctant son of a mob boss, the story takes a sharp turn when a joking RPG idea explodes into a lucrative and dangerous business. The characters are quirky, the humor lands well, and the plot balances absurdity with real emotional stakes. If you enjoy crime stories with a unique twist and a playful sense of humor, this one is a great time, especially for DND players.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This was certainly a unique concept! I love a good mob story, and this did not disappoint. The concept of intertwining an RPG into the story was genius. I was very skeptical at first, but once the story started to develop I was hooked! There were so many humorous bits too - I could FEEL the characters sarcasm and laughter. The last 2/3 of the book flew by for me as I just couldn't stop reading. Definitely recommend this!
Thank you to Hyperion Avenue and Net Galley for this ARC! #Dirty20 #NetGalley
Thank you to Hyperion Avenue and Net Galley for this ARC! #Dirty20 #NetGalley
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Sopranos meets D&D. I'm hooked!
I'm 38 chapters in and I'm loving it. It's a perfect blend of my love of mob movies and my slight addiction to TTRPGs. If you're a TTRPG player, you'll get a kick out of the familiar scenarios this group get into. Schweigart does a great job of clearly transitioning from "in game" story, to the actual players. The wide variety of characters are well done and given enough backstory to give each of them depth.
I'm 38 chapters in and I'm loving it. It's a perfect blend of my love of mob movies and my slight addiction to TTRPGs. If you're a TTRPG player, you'll get a kick out of the familiar scenarios this group get into. Schweigart does a great job of clearly transitioning from "in game" story, to the actual players. The wide variety of characters are well done and given enough backstory to give each of them depth.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Readable cross between the Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight and a fantasy game. Didn't work for me, but pretty sure I'm not the target audience. Read an advance copy, forthcoming May 2026
Review of advance copy received from Goodreads Giveaways
I received an advanced copy from the publisher in a goodreads giveaway. The characters in the book are well thought out. Very good writing and the story flowed well. Recommend!
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews