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A Bricks and Cam Job #1
The Backlist
When the mob finds itself on hard times and has to lay people off, the boss decides to give two different hitters separate lists of “overdue accounts”—a backlist—to see who distinguishes themselves enough to remain on the payroll. The sharp-tongued Bricks and the hapless, eager to please Cam find themselves faced with challenges they never imagined when they got into the business. But there’s no other choice than to settle out the names on...The Backlist. Eric Beetner and Frank Zafiro are behind the voices of Cam and Bricks, and bring you a fast-paced crime novel full of action, twists, verbal jabs, and mayhem. Lots of mayhem. ***Praise for THE BACKLIST*** “Zafiro and Beetner partnering up is as sure a bet you’re going to get. The Backlist was a must read for me, and it should be on the top of your list, too. Bricks and Cameron are going to light you up!” —Jim Wilsky, author of Blood on Blood, Queen of Diamonds and Closing the Circle “ Prepare to become oxygen-deprived when reading Eric Beetner’s and Frank Zafiro’s tag-team masterpiece, The Backlist...from holding your breath on just about every page. Before you begin, make sure you’re in tip-top physical shape. Prepare to get blisters on your fingers and papercuts from turning pages—this is breakneck warp-speed cinema, that twist within twist kind of plot that snaps necks. Some readers will end up in the ER...” —Les Edgerton, The Genuine, Imitation, Plastic Kidnapping, The Rapist, The Bitch and others “Wry, dark-humored, a trip down the rabbit hole of killers with more smarts than healthy and a competition so fierce it’ll make your knees buckle. The Backlist is a fast-paced read that keeps you grinning and aghast from page to page.” —Gary Phillips, author of Hollis, P.I.
232 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 7, 2015
9 people are currently reading
40 people want to read
About the author
Eric Beetner
105 books120 followersBIO:
Eric Beetner has been hailed as “the new maestro of noir,” by Ken Bruen and “The 21st Century’s answer to Jim Thompson” by LitReactor.
He has written more than 2 dozen novels and his short stories has been featured in over 30 anthologies and along the way he’s been nominated for an ITW award, a Shamus, Derringer and three Anthony awards. He’s won none of them.
Novels include There and Back, All The Way Down, Two In The Head, Rumrunners, The Devil Doesn't Want Me and many more.
For more visit ericbeetner.com
Eric Beetner has been hailed as “the new maestro of noir,” by Ken Bruen and “The 21st Century’s answer to Jim Thompson” by LitReactor.
He has written more than 2 dozen novels and his short stories has been featured in over 30 anthologies and along the way he’s been nominated for an ITW award, a Shamus, Derringer and three Anthony awards. He’s won none of them.
Novels include There and Back, All The Way Down, Two In The Head, Rumrunners, The Devil Doesn't Want Me and many more.
For more visit ericbeetner.com
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
October 12, 2016
Seeing how Eric Beetner is one hell of a prolific author, it is a bit tough to keep up with all his new books. But that’s okay right now, because I find myself in the enviable position of being able to read The Backlist and soon thereafter, jump into its sequel. Both this offering and its sequel are coauthored with Frank Zafiro, who is a new author to me. Some authors just seem to have a knack…no matter what book you pick up from their library you recognize that their books are always fun to read, the books flow with a natural pace, the characters come to life, and the reader always feels satisfied. Beetner is one such author and I was anticipating this being a worthwhile read and it sure was.
The Backlist, coauthored with Frank Zafiro, has alternating chapters, narrated by two hitmen; Bricks, a woman who finds herself fighting for a spot in a man’s world, and Cam, a hitman who can’t seem to keep a simple job simple. The two hitmen find themselves each taking orders that are simple…eliminate some loose ends for their handlers, or find themselves eliminated. Knowing they must keep their handlers happy to keep their jobs, and maybe their lives, each are put to the test. But when their handlers push them into jobs that set them on a collision course, they need to determine if a friend can really be an enemy, does it stand to reason that an enemy can be a friend?
I thought the alternating chapters were seamless and I was left wondering who wrote which parts. But in the end it doesn’t matter because the book was a fun, engaging read that begs for a sequel…isn’t it great that I have it locked and loaded and I am ready to jump in.
The Backlist, coauthored with Frank Zafiro, has alternating chapters, narrated by two hitmen; Bricks, a woman who finds herself fighting for a spot in a man’s world, and Cam, a hitman who can’t seem to keep a simple job simple. The two hitmen find themselves each taking orders that are simple…eliminate some loose ends for their handlers, or find themselves eliminated. Knowing they must keep their handlers happy to keep their jobs, and maybe their lives, each are put to the test. But when their handlers push them into jobs that set them on a collision course, they need to determine if a friend can really be an enemy, does it stand to reason that an enemy can be a friend?
I thought the alternating chapters were seamless and I was left wondering who wrote which parts. But in the end it doesn’t matter because the book was a fun, engaging read that begs for a sequel…isn’t it great that I have it locked and loaded and I am ready to jump in.
April 27, 2016
Paula “Bricks” Brickey is a mafia legacy. Her father, Antonio, served long and faithfully, even going so far as to do a stretch in prison rather than rat out the family. It’s why even as a woman she was able to get a foot in the door to do more than answer phones, though her skill and efficiency more than earned her a place as a button (wo)man once she got a chance to show her stuff.
Cameron Lowe is also a mafia legacy, though with not nearly the skill, polish or prestige as Bricks—hell, he doesn’t even have a cool nickname. Cameron grew up hanging around his uncle Rocco’s crew, happy to run whatever errands they sent him on. And though he’s now a grown man, he never really grew beyond his role as a glorified errand boy. Until now.
Seems not even the mafia is immune to a severe downturn in the economy, and when several high-ranking capos decide to head south with part of the family business things get critical financially for the boss Bricks and Cameron work for—downsizing is in order.
As there will only be room for one button man on the payroll in the family’s future, the boss decides to have a competition: both Bricks and Cameron will be given a list of “overdue accounts” to settle, and whoever turns in the most impressive performance will get the job. For Bricks it means proving she deserves to stay. For Cameron it’s a chance to prove he’s ready to step up.
And with that setup, The Backlist, a wickedly dark-humored offering from co-authors Frank Zafiro and Eric Beetner, is off and running. Bricks and Cameron are both given a list of three “accounts” to settle, and each becomes increasingly more challenging. In some cases the challenge is literal—Bricks walks into a hit having been given bad intel and is caught severely off guard; Cameron finds an intimate hit suddenly taking place in a crowded pool hall—but it’s the emotionally challenging ones that take the real toll. Along the way, Bricks begins to question what legacy and loyalty are really good for, as Cameron begins to wonder if fulfilling his lifelong dream of finally becoming a “made man” and full insider is really worth the price of admission.
And while the subject matter is at times quite serious—the way Bricks handles one particular assignment is actually downright touching—as is the violence, matters are tempered with well-timed bits of dark humor, both physical and verbal. Bricks has never met a one-liner she didn’t like, and Cameron’s lack of polish makes for some incredibly awkward, and darkly amusing, settling of accounts—so much so, he finally earns a dubious nickname: Slaughterhouse. By the time their final auditions are cued up, a surprise fourth account for each, Bricks and Cameron have reached a point where they’re ready to question everything, and everyone.
Co-authored ventures are tricky, as it can be quite jarring if the two authors’ writing styles don’t mesh well. Not only is that not a problem in The Backlist but, quite the opposite, Zafiro’s and Beetner’s styles compliment each other exquisitely. While Bricks and Cameron each have distinct voices when telling their portion of the story, their alternating chapters come together like the teeth of perfectly synced gears, moving the plot along smoothly and seamlessly to a satisfying, and explosive, conclusion.
Not that everything is wrapped up with a bow on top—that wouldn’t leave anything for Bricks and Cameron to tackle in the already announced sequel, The Shortlist.
Cameron Lowe is also a mafia legacy, though with not nearly the skill, polish or prestige as Bricks—hell, he doesn’t even have a cool nickname. Cameron grew up hanging around his uncle Rocco’s crew, happy to run whatever errands they sent him on. And though he’s now a grown man, he never really grew beyond his role as a glorified errand boy. Until now.
Seems not even the mafia is immune to a severe downturn in the economy, and when several high-ranking capos decide to head south with part of the family business things get critical financially for the boss Bricks and Cameron work for—downsizing is in order.
As there will only be room for one button man on the payroll in the family’s future, the boss decides to have a competition: both Bricks and Cameron will be given a list of “overdue accounts” to settle, and whoever turns in the most impressive performance will get the job. For Bricks it means proving she deserves to stay. For Cameron it’s a chance to prove he’s ready to step up.
And with that setup, The Backlist, a wickedly dark-humored offering from co-authors Frank Zafiro and Eric Beetner, is off and running. Bricks and Cameron are both given a list of three “accounts” to settle, and each becomes increasingly more challenging. In some cases the challenge is literal—Bricks walks into a hit having been given bad intel and is caught severely off guard; Cameron finds an intimate hit suddenly taking place in a crowded pool hall—but it’s the emotionally challenging ones that take the real toll. Along the way, Bricks begins to question what legacy and loyalty are really good for, as Cameron begins to wonder if fulfilling his lifelong dream of finally becoming a “made man” and full insider is really worth the price of admission.
And while the subject matter is at times quite serious—the way Bricks handles one particular assignment is actually downright touching—as is the violence, matters are tempered with well-timed bits of dark humor, both physical and verbal. Bricks has never met a one-liner she didn’t like, and Cameron’s lack of polish makes for some incredibly awkward, and darkly amusing, settling of accounts—so much so, he finally earns a dubious nickname: Slaughterhouse. By the time their final auditions are cued up, a surprise fourth account for each, Bricks and Cameron have reached a point where they’re ready to question everything, and everyone.
Co-authored ventures are tricky, as it can be quite jarring if the two authors’ writing styles don’t mesh well. Not only is that not a problem in The Backlist but, quite the opposite, Zafiro’s and Beetner’s styles compliment each other exquisitely. While Bricks and Cameron each have distinct voices when telling their portion of the story, their alternating chapters come together like the teeth of perfectly synced gears, moving the plot along smoothly and seamlessly to a satisfying, and explosive, conclusion.
Not that everything is wrapped up with a bow on top—that wouldn’t leave anything for Bricks and Cameron to tackle in the already announced sequel, The Shortlist.
June 28, 2018
Really enjoyed the lob-and-volley of this one. Not sure who wrote what, don't care. And I see a Vision Quest-era Linda Fiorentio as Bricks in the movie. Dave Coulie as Cam.
March 8, 2022
A fun crime story- the POV swapping was used to great effect, and I like seeing the parallel arcs of the two main characters. A blast to read, and excited to see there are two more in the series.
May 30, 2016
With their mob button men Bricks and Cam, Frank Zafiro and Eric Beetner give readers a straight ahead, blood soaked, no apologies action story dressed up in traditional mob tropes. The zingers fly as fast and furious as the bullets, leaving readers hungry for more.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews