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Grayduck
Running from the mob is deadly. But running from your past… that’s impossible.
For twenty years, adoptive gangster Jimmy the Grayduck has become the best bag man for the Chicago Polish mob. He’s earned the trust of Boss Vikk Korsack and is engaged to his youngest daughter Melina.
The envy of every wiseguy in the Windy City, Jimmy’s secret, runaway past still haunts the cursed satchel he and his childhood friends unearthed from an Ojibwe burial mound. It destroyed his family and childhood but helped him clean up after the mob and make a name for himself. But when Vikk retires and appoints the Grayduck his successor, Jimmy’s past kicks back.
His last job is to dispose of a hooded woman locked in a storage unit. A woman who threatens to topple everything he built in Chicago and force him to confront his past. Can Jimmy have the best of both worlds? Or will he be forced to cash out and run from the mob?
Why readers can’t stop turning High-stakes tension in a gritty, mob Catch up with Jimmy the Grayduck as he navigates the Chicago underworld filled with wiseguys, mob hits, evidence disposal, and the panic-induced anxiety it takes to survive, when one misstep can kill you.A past that won’t stay buried and secrets that could Uncover the dark truths of Jimmy’s past in Minnesota as a teen, that left a community, and its people, traumatized before he took matters into his own hands and ran away from home.Rekindled romance amid desperation and Witness a couple tackle the danger of trying to escape the mob, while rekindling the deep romance they thought died years ago.Midwestern escape with hitmen, safe houses, and second Journey with our couple as they make their way to Alaska, avoiding the hitters on their tail, but making one last stop back home, before they erase themselves from the world forever.A slightly supernatural mob Take Goodfellas and smash it up with Stranger Things in a story that pairs real-world mob threats with supernatural ones, that lead to a nail-biting, on-the-road romance, with a backstory so dark, you may not recover.
If you need a dark love story told against a mob backdrop, bone-chilling tension, and a trauma-filled childhood, then step across the line and venture into the gray!
For twenty years, adoptive gangster Jimmy the Grayduck has become the best bag man for the Chicago Polish mob. He’s earned the trust of Boss Vikk Korsack and is engaged to his youngest daughter Melina.
The envy of every wiseguy in the Windy City, Jimmy’s secret, runaway past still haunts the cursed satchel he and his childhood friends unearthed from an Ojibwe burial mound. It destroyed his family and childhood but helped him clean up after the mob and make a name for himself. But when Vikk retires and appoints the Grayduck his successor, Jimmy’s past kicks back.
His last job is to dispose of a hooded woman locked in a storage unit. A woman who threatens to topple everything he built in Chicago and force him to confront his past. Can Jimmy have the best of both worlds? Or will he be forced to cash out and run from the mob?
Why readers can’t stop turning High-stakes tension in a gritty, mob Catch up with Jimmy the Grayduck as he navigates the Chicago underworld filled with wiseguys, mob hits, evidence disposal, and the panic-induced anxiety it takes to survive, when one misstep can kill you.A past that won’t stay buried and secrets that could Uncover the dark truths of Jimmy’s past in Minnesota as a teen, that left a community, and its people, traumatized before he took matters into his own hands and ran away from home.Rekindled romance amid desperation and Witness a couple tackle the danger of trying to escape the mob, while rekindling the deep romance they thought died years ago.Midwestern escape with hitmen, safe houses, and second Journey with our couple as they make their way to Alaska, avoiding the hitters on their tail, but making one last stop back home, before they erase themselves from the world forever.A slightly supernatural mob Take Goodfellas and smash it up with Stranger Things in a story that pairs real-world mob threats with supernatural ones, that lead to a nail-biting, on-the-road romance, with a backstory so dark, you may not recover.
If you need a dark love story told against a mob backdrop, bone-chilling tension, and a trauma-filled childhood, then step across the line and venture into the gray!
- GenresAmazon
246 pages, Hardcover
Published May 15, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
May 12, 2026
⭐ ARC Review ⭐
Firstly I would like to thank Flat Sole, Scott R. Welvaert and Net Galley for providing me with a copy of Grayduck.
Some books hook you with action. Others hook you with atmosphere. Grayduck manages to do both. At its core, this is a gritty crime story about Jimmy “the Grayduck,” a trusted mob bag man whose carefully built life begins to unravel when buried secrets from his childhood resurface. But layered beneath the organised crime storyline is something darker and far more unsettling — a supernatural thread tied to a discovery made years earlier that continues to haunt him long into adulthood.
What I appreciated most is that the fantasy/paranormal element never felt forced or out of place. Instead, it’s woven naturally into the story in a way that adds tension and unease rather than taking away from the realism of the mob narrative. The book manages to balance crime thriller, psychological tension, and supernatural horror surprisingly well without losing its identity.
There’s a heaviness running throughout the novel that I found really immersive. The atmosphere feels bleak, tense, and emotionally charged almost from the beginning.
Jimmy himself is a compelling protagonist because he constantly feels caught between two worlds: the life he’s built and the past he can never fully escape. The story explores guilt, loyalty, trauma, and identity in a way that gives it more emotional depth than I expected going in.
The pacing is more of a steady burn than nonstop action, but I actually think that works in the book’s favour. It allows the tension to build naturally and gives the darker moments more impact when they arrive. The writing is vivid and cinematic at times, particularly in the way the author handles atmosphere and violence.
This is definitely a darker read at times, and I’d recommend checking content warnings beforehand. Themes and scenes involving graphic violence, child abuse/sexual assault, murder, death, suicide, and animal abuse are all present and may be difficult for some readers.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. It feels different from a standard crime thriller because of the supernatural edge, but it never loses the emotional core of the story. Dark, unsettling, and immersive, Grayduck is the kind of book that quietly gets under your skin and stays there.
A unique blend of organised crime, psychological tension, and supernatural horror that I’d definitely recommend — especially if you enjoy darker stories that blur genre lines.
Firstly I would like to thank Flat Sole, Scott R. Welvaert and Net Galley for providing me with a copy of Grayduck.
Some books hook you with action. Others hook you with atmosphere. Grayduck manages to do both. At its core, this is a gritty crime story about Jimmy “the Grayduck,” a trusted mob bag man whose carefully built life begins to unravel when buried secrets from his childhood resurface. But layered beneath the organised crime storyline is something darker and far more unsettling — a supernatural thread tied to a discovery made years earlier that continues to haunt him long into adulthood.
What I appreciated most is that the fantasy/paranormal element never felt forced or out of place. Instead, it’s woven naturally into the story in a way that adds tension and unease rather than taking away from the realism of the mob narrative. The book manages to balance crime thriller, psychological tension, and supernatural horror surprisingly well without losing its identity.
There’s a heaviness running throughout the novel that I found really immersive. The atmosphere feels bleak, tense, and emotionally charged almost from the beginning.
Jimmy himself is a compelling protagonist because he constantly feels caught between two worlds: the life he’s built and the past he can never fully escape. The story explores guilt, loyalty, trauma, and identity in a way that gives it more emotional depth than I expected going in.
The pacing is more of a steady burn than nonstop action, but I actually think that works in the book’s favour. It allows the tension to build naturally and gives the darker moments more impact when they arrive. The writing is vivid and cinematic at times, particularly in the way the author handles atmosphere and violence.
This is definitely a darker read at times, and I’d recommend checking content warnings beforehand. Themes and scenes involving graphic violence, child abuse/sexual assault, murder, death, suicide, and animal abuse are all present and may be difficult for some readers.
Overall, I really enjoyed this. It feels different from a standard crime thriller because of the supernatural edge, but it never loses the emotional core of the story. Dark, unsettling, and immersive, Grayduck is the kind of book that quietly gets under your skin and stays there.
A unique blend of organised crime, psychological tension, and supernatural horror that I’d definitely recommend — especially if you enjoy darker stories that blur genre lines.
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May 13, 2026I found some of the themes in the book very triggering and there was nothing noted anywhere that the book would include CSA, Death by Stangulation and Staged suicide, if any of these themes trigger you please rhink carefully if rhis book is for you. To the author, please consider putting a trigger warning at the beginning of the book as these are very heavy themes and are not expected from the blurb!
The story starts with an adult Jimmy working for the Mafia as a cleaner, he is being primed to take over and marry the bosses daughter, its not the life he wants but he knows runners don't survive, a chance encounter with someone he is sent to clean up changes this. The book is written in two timelines, adult Jimmy Grayduck and teenager Jerry, you witness that fateful summer that everything turned dark and led to the life Jimmy now leads.There is a supernatural element to the story which adds an interesting dimension to the book and a theme of can knowing the future help you change it. The story is interesting and the characters well developed, however for me I didn't really enjoy the book, I went into the book expecting mafia, coning of age, goodfellas meets stand by me, but the Danny story line just made me feel so uncomfortable.
The story starts with an adult Jimmy working for the Mafia as a cleaner, he is being primed to take over and marry the bosses daughter, its not the life he wants but he knows runners don't survive, a chance encounter with someone he is sent to clean up changes this. The book is written in two timelines, adult Jimmy Grayduck and teenager Jerry, you witness that fateful summer that everything turned dark and led to the life Jimmy now leads.There is a supernatural element to the story which adds an interesting dimension to the book and a theme of can knowing the future help you change it. The story is interesting and the characters well developed, however for me I didn't really enjoy the book, I went into the book expecting mafia, coning of age, goodfellas meets stand by me, but the Danny story line just made me feel so uncomfortable.
June 6, 2026
Grayduck by Scott Welvaert is a gripping thriller mixing mob crime, romance and supernatural elements. The novel follows Jimmy/Jerry the fix it man for the Chicago Polish mob. The story alternates between Jimmy’s present day mob life and his adolescence, revealing how trauma and friendship shaped who he became as an adult. While it has mob crime, violence and suspense at its core, the story is really driven by its characters and their past. The characters felt interesting, and the plot kept moving at a steady pace without becoming confusing. Gray Duck is a well written book, and days after finishing I am still thinking about it.
May 10, 2026
4.25
🩸 ARC Review 🩸
In this thriller that's a bit mysterious and a bit magical, we meet Jimmy (err...Jerry?) who is a hitman for a mafioso in Chicago.
Flashing back to his childhood alternating between yesteryear stories and present day, we begin to learn more about who Jerry is and why he's found himself in his current line of work.
Just when his adult life seems to be falling into place, a chance encounter with someone from his past changes everything.
This book was gritty in the best way! I immediately thought of this as a very Mafia murder mystery that feels like The Godfather.
But, the thriller aspect came in strong and there was even a fantasy component which I LOVED!!
There were so many layers to this book - it's definitely not just a Mafia hitman book. It was mysterious and creepy and kept me guessing.
The flashbacks and current day storylines melded beautifully! 🤩
If you like magical realism, psychological thrillers, or puzzle mysteries, you may like this book.
Triggers: Death, Violence, Gore
🩸 ARC Review 🩸
In this thriller that's a bit mysterious and a bit magical, we meet Jimmy (err...Jerry?) who is a hitman for a mafioso in Chicago.
Flashing back to his childhood alternating between yesteryear stories and present day, we begin to learn more about who Jerry is and why he's found himself in his current line of work.
Just when his adult life seems to be falling into place, a chance encounter with someone from his past changes everything.
This book was gritty in the best way! I immediately thought of this as a very Mafia murder mystery that feels like The Godfather.
But, the thriller aspect came in strong and there was even a fantasy component which I LOVED!!
There were so many layers to this book - it's definitely not just a Mafia hitman book. It was mysterious and creepy and kept me guessing.
The flashbacks and current day storylines melded beautifully! 🤩
If you like magical realism, psychological thrillers, or puzzle mysteries, you may like this book.
Triggers: Death, Violence, Gore
May 2, 2026
This book started off promising. I was intrigued and so curious about what was happening. However, it fell flat for me towards to middle/end. I feel like we never got any answers to the questions that should have been answered.
March 29, 2026
*ARC received from the author*
I usually do not read crime fiction so this one took me out of my comfort zone. I really liked the switching between past and present and how the past gave more insight on the present with each new chapter.
The paranormal twist was also intriguing, and the social interactions, relationships and life struggles recounted throughout the story (which mainly picked up after the first 40%) were very interesting. I honestly did not see the end coming.
Overall this was a good read!
I usually do not read crime fiction so this one took me out of my comfort zone. I really liked the switching between past and present and how the past gave more insight on the present with each new chapter.
The paranormal twist was also intriguing, and the social interactions, relationships and life struggles recounted throughout the story (which mainly picked up after the first 40%) were very interesting. I honestly did not see the end coming.
Overall this was a good read!
May 9, 2026
4.2/5
I enjoyed Grayduck a lot more than I ever expected, considering I don't usually chase after mob stories... but this is so much more than that.
Grayduck follows Jimmy the Grayduck, a gangster who has become one of the right hand men of the leader of the Chicago Polish mob. When Jimmy goes to complete yet another job of disposing of a body for his boss, he discovers a woman from his past that changes everything.
The highlight of Grayduck are the scenes from "Jimmy"/Jerry's childhood. His relationship with his friends is innocent in that childlike way we all long for, and reminds me of Stephen King's talent for writing stories about kids.
Jimmy is a complicated character because he has kind of turned off all emotion in regard to his life and job. He just sort of works like a machine and you don't get a whole lot of insight into how he's feeling about things. However, once Amber comes into the picture, it's like it wakes him up and he's back to being that kid you read about for half the story.
Jimmy as a kid, or Jerry, is a likable, but real teenager. He sometimes picks on one of his best friends, but also feels guilt over it and protects him the rest of the time. He's navigating the difficult time of puberty while having to deal with some extremely serious things in a natural, believable way. He doesn't always handle things wonderfully, but he does his best and sometimes is a little turd. At his core, he's just a kid trying to have fun and figure things out.
Amber, both as an adult and a child, is the smart one, who has a lot of integrity. She wants to do the right thing, but as an adult gets so sidelined by everything they go through as a child that it's sad to see. You grow to love her so much as a teenager, that it's heartbreaking to know she goes through so much as an adult. She's a really likable character and I think her character arc is also very natural.
Danny has my heart. I think he's the character a lot of us will see parts of ourselves in and I think he's written to be so innocent, yet complex at the same time. I don't want to say too much about his character arc, but I'll say it's one I won't forget any time soon.
My favorite parts of the book were clearly the ones where Jimmy is a kid. I think it's such a beautiful coming-of-age story in the beginning and then becomes so tragic and striking as it continues. The mob part of the story is kind of understated in some ways. It doesn't overwhelm the other parts of the novel, which I really appreciate.
Overall, the story really thrilled me and I was intrigued from the moment it started. It's the kind of story I found myself telling to friends and family because I couldn't help but talk about it.
I enjoyed Grayduck a lot more than I ever expected, considering I don't usually chase after mob stories... but this is so much more than that.
Grayduck follows Jimmy the Grayduck, a gangster who has become one of the right hand men of the leader of the Chicago Polish mob. When Jimmy goes to complete yet another job of disposing of a body for his boss, he discovers a woman from his past that changes everything.
The highlight of Grayduck are the scenes from "Jimmy"/Jerry's childhood. His relationship with his friends is innocent in that childlike way we all long for, and reminds me of Stephen King's talent for writing stories about kids.
Jimmy is a complicated character because he has kind of turned off all emotion in regard to his life and job. He just sort of works like a machine and you don't get a whole lot of insight into how he's feeling about things. However, once Amber comes into the picture, it's like it wakes him up and he's back to being that kid you read about for half the story.
Jimmy as a kid, or Jerry, is a likable, but real teenager. He sometimes picks on one of his best friends, but also feels guilt over it and protects him the rest of the time. He's navigating the difficult time of puberty while having to deal with some extremely serious things in a natural, believable way. He doesn't always handle things wonderfully, but he does his best and sometimes is a little turd. At his core, he's just a kid trying to have fun and figure things out.
Amber, both as an adult and a child, is the smart one, who has a lot of integrity. She wants to do the right thing, but as an adult gets so sidelined by everything they go through as a child that it's sad to see. You grow to love her so much as a teenager, that it's heartbreaking to know she goes through so much as an adult. She's a really likable character and I think her character arc is also very natural.
Danny has my heart. I think he's the character a lot of us will see parts of ourselves in and I think he's written to be so innocent, yet complex at the same time. I don't want to say too much about his character arc, but I'll say it's one I won't forget any time soon.
My favorite parts of the book were clearly the ones where Jimmy is a kid. I think it's such a beautiful coming-of-age story in the beginning and then becomes so tragic and striking as it continues. The mob part of the story is kind of understated in some ways. It doesn't overwhelm the other parts of the novel, which I really appreciate.
Overall, the story really thrilled me and I was intrigued from the moment it started. It's the kind of story I found myself telling to friends and family because I couldn't help but talk about it.
May 14, 2026
What really makes Grayduck stand out to me is the collision between mob fiction and something older, stranger, and more psychological lurking underneath it. The crime world alone already gives the story tension, but tying Jimmy’s rise in the Chicago Polish mob to a cursed object from his childhood changes the entire emotional atmosphere of the book.
Jimmy doesn’t sound like someone simply trying to outrun enemies. He sounds haunted in every sense of the word. The idea that the satchel both destroyed his past and helped build his future gives the story a tragic edge that feels darker than a standard gangster thriller. There’s a sense that every success he’s had may have come attached to something poisonous.
I also really like the contrast between the brutal mob setting and the deeply personal emotional core involving memory, guilt, love, and identity. A lot of crime novels focus purely on survival or power, but this sounds more interested in the cost of reinvention — whether someone can ever truly separate themselves from the worst thing that happened to them.
The supernatural angle also feels restrained in a good way. From the description, it doesn’t seem like the story abandons realism for horror, but instead lets the supernatural bleed slowly into an already dangerous world. That combination can be incredibly effective because the emotional dread starts feeling just as threatening as the physical violence.
And honestly, the idea of a mob fugitive road story stretching toward Alaska while hitmen and buried trauma close in from behind feels like the kind of premise that naturally pulls readers through chapter after chapter.
Readers who enjoy darker crime fiction, emotionally damaged protagonists, supernatural noir, morally complicated love stories, and stories where the past feels alive and dangerous will probably get hooked by this one fast.
Jimmy doesn’t sound like someone simply trying to outrun enemies. He sounds haunted in every sense of the word. The idea that the satchel both destroyed his past and helped build his future gives the story a tragic edge that feels darker than a standard gangster thriller. There’s a sense that every success he’s had may have come attached to something poisonous.
I also really like the contrast between the brutal mob setting and the deeply personal emotional core involving memory, guilt, love, and identity. A lot of crime novels focus purely on survival or power, but this sounds more interested in the cost of reinvention — whether someone can ever truly separate themselves from the worst thing that happened to them.
The supernatural angle also feels restrained in a good way. From the description, it doesn’t seem like the story abandons realism for horror, but instead lets the supernatural bleed slowly into an already dangerous world. That combination can be incredibly effective because the emotional dread starts feeling just as threatening as the physical violence.
And honestly, the idea of a mob fugitive road story stretching toward Alaska while hitmen and buried trauma close in from behind feels like the kind of premise that naturally pulls readers through chapter after chapter.
Readers who enjoy darker crime fiction, emotionally damaged protagonists, supernatural noir, morally complicated love stories, and stories where the past feels alive and dangerous will probably get hooked by this one fast.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Scott Welvaert’s Grayduck is equal parts gritty and soul, with a scooch of supernatural mixed in. Think Stand By Me meets Snatch, with a few mysterious artifacts thrown into the mix. The result is a novel that tells the story of three friends—Danny, Amber, and Jimmy—in in 1988, the discovery they make, the realities of growing up in the late 80s, the way trauma bonds you for life, and then their adult versions in 2010 who can’t shake the past. The parallel timelines work well together, revealing characters and clues, as the reader pieces it all together.
While adult Jimmy—the star of the show—is now a gangster in Chicago, he has a code of ethics (and secrets) that keep him from becoming an unfeeling thug. Welvaert tempers the gritty reality of mob-thuggery with humor and a beating heart that complicates the story and Jimmy’s work and life. Grayduck is a novel that can feel funny one moment, brutal the next, and constantly driven by the sense that the past is never as buried as we hope it is. While mob-novel-purists might initially frown at the inclusion of the small dose of supernatural, the items (and the story behind them) really do serve to make the novel unique and, while important to the plot, are used sparingly.
If Stand by Me is about the bonds that shape us and Snatch is about the reckless momentum of the criminal underworld, Grayduck sits somewhere between them, adding its own darkly Midwestern, slightly mystical spin. It is a tough, engaging read with real heart under the bruises.
While adult Jimmy—the star of the show—is now a gangster in Chicago, he has a code of ethics (and secrets) that keep him from becoming an unfeeling thug. Welvaert tempers the gritty reality of mob-thuggery with humor and a beating heart that complicates the story and Jimmy’s work and life. Grayduck is a novel that can feel funny one moment, brutal the next, and constantly driven by the sense that the past is never as buried as we hope it is. While mob-novel-purists might initially frown at the inclusion of the small dose of supernatural, the items (and the story behind them) really do serve to make the novel unique and, while important to the plot, are used sparingly.
If Stand by Me is about the bonds that shape us and Snatch is about the reckless momentum of the criminal underworld, Grayduck sits somewhere between them, adding its own darkly Midwestern, slightly mystical spin. It is a tough, engaging read with real heart under the bruises.
Review of advance copy
I don't know what it was about Jerry, but I was so invested in that character and his friends, that I quickly became one of the gang and going on all those adventures. What kept coming back to me was 360-- how everything comes full circle.
I cried as I wrote this, to say it s sadly true in this case too. I weep for what was, and what could have been, for Jerry 's sad lonely hero Dad!!! The ending plainly and simply gutted me. It left me with a raw open wound.
I rest easy knowing two lovers meant to be from time beginning to times end are together.
So absolutely torn up over this ending. Impactful, riveting, and gutwrenching.
Author, you broke me. I voluntarily read a free copy of this book provided by book sirens and am giving an honest review.
I cried as I wrote this, to say it s sadly true in this case too. I weep for what was, and what could have been, for Jerry 's sad lonely hero Dad!!! The ending plainly and simply gutted me. It left me with a raw open wound.
I rest easy knowing two lovers meant to be from time beginning to times end are together.
So absolutely torn up over this ending. Impactful, riveting, and gutwrenching.
Author, you broke me. I voluntarily read a free copy of this book provided by book sirens and am giving an honest review.
Review of advance copy
This was an absolute wild ride from start to finish. The constant twists and shocking moments kept me hooked and flipping pages, I genuinely never knew what was coming next.
That said, I finished the book feeling more confused than satisfied. A lot of questions were left unanswered, especially around the “why” behind everything that happened. It felt like two different worlds or ideas were pushed together, but neither was fully explored or resolved.
If you enjoy chaotic, unpredictable stories, this might work for you, but if you’re looking for clear answers and a neatly wrapped ending, this one may leave you frustrated.
That said, I finished the book feeling more confused than satisfied. A lot of questions were left unanswered, especially around the “why” behind everything that happened. It felt like two different worlds or ideas were pushed together, but neither was fully explored or resolved.
If you enjoy chaotic, unpredictable stories, this might work for you, but if you’re looking for clear answers and a neatly wrapped ending, this one may leave you frustrated.
Review of advance copy received from Author
I enjoyed Gray Duck. Going back and forth between the past and present it took a few chapters to catch the story, but once it caught it was hard to put it down. One plot twist I expected but not the ending that's for sure!
Set between Chicago and Walker, MN there is a little bit for everyone in both locations. Love, intrigue, a little violence, and a little mystical.
Set between Chicago and Walker, MN there is a little bit for everyone in both locations. Love, intrigue, a little violence, and a little mystical.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Can a book give both Goodfellas and Stranger Things vibes? This one does, and it’s a perfect blend. Grayduck is a crime novel at heart — a heart formed of a tragic love story pumping blood injected with magical realism.
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