Bosstown: A Novel

Bosstown #1

by Adam Abramowitz

Zesty Meyers is Boston s fastest bike messenger caffeine fueled, wise-cracking and reckless accustomed to hurtling through Boston s kamikaze streets at breakneck speed, always just a bumper or car door away from disaster.

Will Meyers is Zesty s father, Beantown s former backroom poker king and political fixer, who is suffering from Alzheimer s and a growing dread that the Big Dig carving its way through some of Boston s toughest neighborhoods will expose the bodies and secrets he d assumed were buried forever.

When the heist of an armored truck goes violently wrong, Zesty is forced to navigate Beantown s gritty underworld of gangsters and blood money, desperately trying to outrace his family s criminal past and stay alive in a changing city where death loiters on every corner and the odds of survival have narrowed to pulling a straight flush on the river.

"

Genres: Fiction, Mystery Thriller, Mystery, Crime

352 pages, Hardcover

First published August 8, 2017

Reviews

[James Thane · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the tradition of great Boston crime novels by people like Robert B. Parker, Dennis Lehane, et al., now comes Bosstown, the debut novel from Adam Abramowitz. The main protagonist is Zesty Myers who is, by his own admission, Boston's fastest bike messenger. The only thing faster than Zesty's bike is his mouth. He's a major smart-ass, even in circumstances when he should know well enough to stay quiet.

Zesty's father, Will, once ran heavy-duty backroom poker games and was a major behind-the-scenes Boston political fixer. But Will is now old, suffering from Alzheimer's, and in need of constant care. Zesty's brother, Zero, runs a moving service that employs a lot of ex-cons, and their mother, Diane, was a former radical bombmaker, who disappeared years earlier after allegedly helping to rob a bank.

All in all, it's quite the family, and this is quite the story, involving crimes that span two generations. The novel kicks off when Zesty agrees to substitute for another courrier and picks up a package from a record producer's office. But as Zesty races to deliver the package, he's blindsided by a Buick. He and his package go flying; the package bursts open, and all of a sudden, $20,000 in currency is flying through the air.

Passers-by quickly scoop up most of the dough and run off with it, but the cops arrive and it quickly becomes apparent that the remaining money was part of a major bank heist a few days earlier. Zesty soon finds himself in the middle of a huge and dangerous mess, involving sex, drugs, rock and roll, and two major bank robberies that are separated by nearly forty years.

It's a great ride, funny, scary, and compelling, and the reader finds him or herself racing through the pages of this novel at the speed of Zesty's messenger bike, careening through the streets of Beantown. I loved the Zesty Meyers character, and all of the supporting characters are very well drawn and interesting too. Abramowitz has a great voice, and I eagerly await his second novel. 4.5 stars for this one.

[Truman32 · Rating 4 out of 5]

“We don’t need another hero” Tina Turner warbles over the opening credits of ‘80’s masterpiece Mad Max: Beyond Thunderdome. And this is obviously true; we really don’t necessitate another hero. We just want life beyond Thunderdome. Still, after reading Adam Abramowitz’s Bosstown, readers will be more than agreeable to his new hero, bike messenger Zesty Meyers.

Now it is well known that bike messengers hold a celebrated and dear place in the American mythos. These dashing young heroes have won the hearts of many young children and single women throughout the years with their feats of bravery, crime-fighting skills, and courteous (yet speedy) courier service. We have Kevin Bacon’s stirring turn as former Wall Street broker turned bike messenger Jack Casey saving poor Jami Gertz from a malevolent gang in the stunning motion picture Quicksilver. And who can forget the premium rush you had the first time you watched Wilee (Joseph Gordon-Levitt), the disenchanted Columbia law grad battling Chinese loan sharks between quick drop offs in the excellent and aptly titled film Premium Rush? The fact that Marky Ramone, Wu Tang’s GZA, Henry Miller, and Jenifer Aniston have all performed their civic duty as bike couriers make them even more dear and beloved in our current lexicon. Bike messengers have built this glorious country with their cycling skill, dashing speed and spandex shorts that leave absolutely nothing to the imagination. So it’s a no-brainer that one would make a marvelous hero in a mystery novel.

Bosstown is surprisingly not about a neighborhood consisting solely of managers, supervisors, and other leaders performing organizational tasks and strategizing on how to increase the bottom line. Instead Abramowitz’s tale revolves around intrepid bike messenger, Zesty Meyers as he navigates through the dangerous and bloody streets of Boston. While performing a special delivery, Zesty is struck by a speeding Buick. As he slumps bleeding and in agony to the hot asphalt, he sees that his delivery package has split open--$50k in hot cash from a recent Wells Fargo bank heist litters the highway. Zesty will need to drill down to see where this money came from. The cops think he knows more then he’s telling, and bizarrely the evidence he uncovers seem to point back to his father’s past. Dad was an old-time Boston poker player and political fixer working for notorious mob boss Devlin McKenna (a stand-in for Whitey Bulger) but now struggles with the effects from Alzheimer’s. Dangerous types emerge from all shadows and they demand answers. Soon Zesty is speeding downhill without breaks to uncover the truth before he is forced to take a two-wheeled trip to the graveyard!

There is a lot to like in this debut. It takes place in Boston. The characters are engaging and the incessant action is gripping. The backstory is absorbing and the mystery difficult to crack. Abramowitz is a strong writer, and while it is apparent he loves bending words and performing fancy tricks with his grammar, his wordplay gymnastics only occasionally take away from the drama of the story.

Yes, maybe Tina Turner, the Queen of Rock, doesn’t need another hero, though let’s be honest—those dystopian feral kids definitely needed another hero to defeat Master Blaster in the gladiatorial cage of Thunderdome and help them escape the clutches of crooked Aunty Entity from Bartertown, but I digress. Anyone who relishes a compelling and dramatic story will welcome Bosstown and it’s hero Zesty Meyers.

[Ed · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Boston's "Big Dig" era, Zesty Meyers bills himself as the fastest bike messenger in the city. He's also an incredibly entertaining protagonist who rides the city armed with a sarcastic wit investigating who ran him down with a Buick and why. This is a very funny and very literate debut mystery by a seriously talented author who has recreated a time in Boston's somewhat shady history before the "Big Dig" urban renewal made the city safe for wealthy Yuppie arrivals. Interestingly, the urban renewal Zesty battles has actually been so successful that traffic now, in and around Boston, is worse that before the 14 billion dollar public works project was completed in the 1990's. Unfortunately, Boston now sports Los Angeles style gridlock and out of sight rents, parking, cocktails, etc. but I digress. This book is notable for it's plot complexity, characters that leap off the pages and razor sharp dialogue. I hope I have just read the future of crime fiction while I wait patiently for the next book by Mr. Abramowitz who is so talented that, if he recopies the phone book, I'm buying it!

[Charles · Rating 2 out of 5]

I picked this up after hearing an author interview on the radio for his latest book . Not wanting to fall victim to a lack of backstory, I decided to read the author’s debut novel and first in the series. The story hit several of my hot buttons. It was: contemporary noir-ish, hipster-ish, set in Metro-Boston (a city I’m familiar with), had a musical sub-plot and was technically well edited. I particularly liked the rendering of 1990’s Boston. After a strong start, my interest waned two-thirds through. The author handled his protagonists well. However, the usual suspects were a stew that failed to support a solid plot and adversely affected the novel’s pacing.

My dead tree copy was a slender 350-pages with a 2017 copyright. The first half went quickly, the last 90-pages were through sheer force-of-will.

Prose was good. Dialog and descriptive prose were both well done. It was moderately dark, but not really gritty. Dialog contains profane and lascivious language. I found it artful and amusing. The author achieved atmosphere, a noir requirement with his descriptions. In places, the hip, ironic prose drew a snort—but no belly laughs. Naughty bits were a bit choppy. In general, the author did a good job at evoking a noir-ish, pulp atmosphere. The book was written with dual POVs, major and minor. They were well handled, which showed some technical skill. I did not find any technical errors.

The story contains sex, drugs and rock ‘n roll. There was: graphic heteronormative sex, discussion of gay sex, both hard and soft-core drug usage, and modest alcohol consumption for the bibulous noir genre. Remember the The Bosstown Sound ? There was a superb collection of Boston punk-era and 70’s music references. Violence was physical, and firearms related. It’s moderately graphic. Body count was modest.

There were two POVs in the story, Zesty Meyers and his father Will. Both protagonists were well done. Zesty (whose name I really liked), was a mainstream drop-out, living communally and making ends meet as a bike messenger. The book contains a lot of urban biking edutainment. A counterculture hero like this is typically an insta-win with me. Zesty also provided (then) contemporary music references. His badinage checked the smart taking, noir PI box, although it became annoying to me as the rest the book faltered. His co-protagonist was his father Will. Will was an ex-Boston fixer and gambler from the 60’s-70’s. He knew where all the bodies were buried in the Metro-Boston city halls and demimonde--if he could remember. In a nice twist, Will had senile dementia. He was artfully not lucid when it would have been convenient plot-wise. I particularly liked the use of his memories as flashbacks. Will provided ‘70’s rock, Jazz and R&B references.

There were a slew of supporting, noir, Boston-flavored characters: politicians, rich men, music producers, musicians, activists, bent and straight cops, Feds, gangsters, hangers-on (male and female), ex-cons and con artists, drug dealers and the homeless. It was with these supporting characters where the story failed me. There were too many of them. They were too equally weighted description-wise. They also appeared too briefly and too conveniently. They were there to prop-up the moment in the story.

For example, the femme fatale had a great description on introduction. Then, she’s gone for most of the book. She made an unlikely re-appearance late in the story. There, she had a credible contribution to the story’s naughty bits and provided the reveal of a major sub-plot, before never being seen again.

Plot was a noir chestnut, two major seemingly unrelated sub-plots that spiral into each other to meet at the end. In this case, it’s the entanglement of the protagonists in two large robberies one current (Zesty’s) and one historical (Will’s). Both the sub-plots were of the find-the-money trope. Zesty’s story got a heavier weighting than Will’s, but I was fine with that.

World building was a high point for me. Reading this book was a bit of a walk down Memory Lane. The author was raised in metro-Boston. I’m familiar with Boston, and knew some of the scene locations. I used to regularly pass the Bow and Arrow streets intersection where Will and his wife Diane first lived together before Zesty was born. The reviled gentrification that was a theme in the book has since progressed quite a bit from the book’s setting. However, the background scenery of the book was either realistic or very credible.

I did have an issue with the author’s police procedure. In the real world, the Zesty character would never receive the information he did from the police and FBI.

The book was a debut novel. It had merit. It contained several good ideas. The prose was hip, ironic and well edited. It hewed closely to the tropes of the noir genre. Its protagonists were two really good characters. I particularly liked the riff on the Amnesia trope provided by Will’s dementia and Zesty’s quest across metro-Boston to find the money. However, the book failed in its other character implementation. The author had a fetish for creating minor characters and then throwing them away. In particular, the author failed to create either antagonists or supporting characters with the longevity to take the story credibly to its conclusion. I liked this book mostly, but thought the minor characters were seriously mishandled. It could have been a lot better.

I’m currently undecided, if I’m going to read the second book in the series, A Town Called Malice: A Novel.

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a conundrum for me. A great plot, featuring a very engaging protagonist, one Zesty Meyers, who apparently is Boston's fastest bike messenger and world-class wise-ass. He's also got a way of charming female receptionists with whom he regularly interacts in his job. That is, until a package he picks up turns out to be filled with $25K of ill-gotten gains, and the chaotic and complicated plot accelerates from there.

The problem for me was Abramowitz's writing style. I just found it over the top and difficult to wade through. Sometimes, less is more, and authors who go to extraordinary lengths to describe a scene or person, using 20 words when 3 would suffice, drive me a little nuts. There are times when the author's elaborate way with words is downright beautiful, and at first, I was excited to read more. But as the pages and story wore on, I began to wear out. It seemed like work getting through some of his descriptions and I felt distracted from the plot.

Also, the alternating POV between Zesty and what's happening to him, and his dementia-disabled dad's memories often caused me some confusion. Perhaps it was just me, but these little time-swaps occasionally clouded, rather than enlightened the storyline.

In all, it's a great plot stuck in good, but not great book. A 3 star rating that could have been higher with, in my opinion, better editing or somewhat different writing style. But, for others, it might be just perfect. If you love Boston or are familiar with it at all, you'll probably have a great ride along with Zesty. Just be sure to wear your bike-helmet.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zesty is just trying to live his life as a bike messenger. While he is aware of the history that he carries with him (bank robber mother on the lamb, father who was active in criminal activities, and a brother who runs a questionable moving company) Zesty doesn't let it get in the way of his speedy job and kick back lifestyle. Except this world won't let him loose and when he mistakenly takes a fellow messenger's job, Zesty is thrown into the middle of a bank robbery and history coming back to settle several scores. Sometimes the writing seems scattered, but in the end all the various lines come together to form a compelling story that includes several surprising story lines including Alzheimers and adoption.

A copy of this book was provided by NetGalley and St. Martin's Press in exchange for an honest review.

[Dale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bosstown is the explosion of an extraordinary new talent, a debut novel that rocks the reader in all the right ways. The heart of it is the detailed Boston love letter, like the work of Dennis Lehane, Robert B. Parker, and Ray Daniel, but it's grittier, streetwise, and pumped with the power of rock and roll. It's an adrenaline rush from start to finish, with hard smacks of action and a chemical-fueled undertone. The dialogue and frenetic pace are razor-edged and brilliant, never slowing, like a caffeinated bike messenger delivering a critical package of literature to you, as the one absorbing all of this. Put on your helmet and prepare for a heart-pumping ride you won't forget, and watch for the surprises and twists waiting for you like suddenly-opening parked car doors.

[Blake Voss · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky to get my hands on an advance copy of this fun and fast thriller that brings to mind some other great Boston crime writers like Dennis Lehane and Robert Parker. If you've ever spent any time in Boston or been a fan of the great local music that came out of the Boston scene in the last four decades, this story will bring you right back to the heart of it. It's fast paced, funny, and you can practically hear the music. Sly, humorous, with sharp dialogue and colorful descriptions, this book rocks.

[Terry Pearson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was fortunate enough to receive an arc from the publisher in exchance for my home nest review.

Ths is my first Adam Abramowitz novel. I hear he has others.

This book is loaded with:

Humor
Great selection of music
Scenic Boston ( descriptive, which was nice considering I've never been to Boston)


What more day you need?

Unlike any other thriller I've read, this one isn't all bang 'em up and shoot 'em dead. And, that's refreshing. Who says athrillers shouldn't contain bits of humor?

I know this is short but it's after midnght. Will add to it later.

I gave it 3.8 stars

[Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful first book. I felt as if I were riding along with Zesty. The description of every block, of every character, was excellent. The novel took me back to the days when I was living in Boston. Can't wait for the next one. Bravo!

[Kim · Rating 3 out of 5]

Life for Boston bike messenger Zesty Meyer is a long line of deliveries and witty one-liners fueled alternately by copious amounts of caffeine and pot. When he agrees to pick up a delivery at another messenger’s account, he doesn’t realize the mess he is getting himself into. A simple pick up and a bit of flirtation with the vanilla vampire at Black Vinyl Records turns into a collision with a gold Buick, a cascade of twenty-dollar bills on Boylston Street, and numerous lacerations and contusions. Next thing he knows, he is in the hospital being quizzed by a couple of Boston homicide detectives about an armored car heist, a dead guard, and his brother’s moving company. Zesty knows his brother Zero is no Boy Scout, but he draws the line at murder. When the detectives ask about his long-missing mother and former fixer father, Zesty knows there is much more to their investigation than they are saying. In typical Zesty fashion, he checks himself out of the hospital, collects his second-best bike, and sets out to learn what a record label, drug dealers, and old news Boston mobsters have to do with his father, who doesn’t remember much thanks to the Alzheimer’s eating away at his brain, and his mother, who disappeared when Zesty was just a boy. Bosstown is the debut novel by Adam Abramowitz, and a fast-paced ride through Boston’s most interesting neighborhoods filled with flamboyant characters, colorful language reminiscent of Robert B. Parker and Dennis Lehane.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of good things going for this book, but I also found it bit difficult to follow at times. Zesty Meyers is bike messenger in Boston who picks up a package at a recording studio and gets promptly run down by a car. The package bursts open, scattering money everywhere; money that is apparently from a recent armored car robbery. Homicide detectives are suddenly hot on his trail. Meanwhile, we learn of Zesty's background. His father Will was a poker shark and political fixer, connected to an assortment of crime bosses back in the day. Zesty's mother was an activist, and set off more than a few bombs back in her day. Will is suffering the effects of Alzheimer's, and his sections of the book are written in italic, to differentiate from the main story. It becomes apparent to the reader that there may be a connection between the recent events and Will's past.

The story is told in a modern, rapid fire style that reminded me of the recent movie Baby Driver. A good strategy by the author, but several times I was a little confused, and felt that certain plot elements needed a little more explanation. The Boston settings are described in great detail and should appeal to anyone that knows the city (although like Lehane's Kenzie-Gennaro novels, Boston is often portrayed as pretty scary and crime-ridden). Overall, this book is worth checking out.

[Bill · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book because I originally picked up the sequel, which was highly rated, and then learned that there a "backstory". Reluctantly I returned A Town Called Malice and put my name in for Bosstown. I will not lie, at times I felt that it kind of whirred without generating heat, although I loved that it was my town (Dorchester-bred, child protection social worker who worked every project in the town). But......Mr Abramowitz brought it all together. a winnah!
BTW, folks, a lot of it is based on Whitey Burger....I know, duh.
I got nothin' more to say on that, if you know what I mean....

[Glen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trite and, is it possible at the same time, absurd. This is a commercial effort made to capitalize on some class project discussing what does "America" want to read about? Boston Irish gangsters and every other fairly stereo-typed ethnicity in Mass. Really, the name is bad enough but it should have given me a clue as to how contrived this book would be. And the ending, I won't give it away but it is one of those sad affairs where everyone gets to give a speech explaining everything in case you didn't understand it in the story development. Which is easy to do as the plot is full of incredible coincidences and impossible escapes. Sorry I finished it all, actually.

[Fayola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Finally, a Boston crime novel that captures the city in all its rock and roll glory! Zesty Meyers is Boston's fastest bike messenger, wired to the gills on coffee and weed, a trash-talking noir tinged slacker trying to survive in a city that's as alive as any other character in this fast-paced thriller. This book offers a different view of Boston, blurred by speed, danger and beating with a rock and roll heart. Abramowitz gets it! I already ordered a copy of the sequel "A Town Called Malice" (and I'm hoping somebody makes Bosstown into a show sooner rather than later).

[Martha Pitts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat down with Bosstown and it wasn't long before I realized I had something special on my hands and a unique voice in crime fiction. It's not often you hear from the marginalized in this genre without resorting to stereotypes (drug addicts, recovering alcoholics, the deeply psychological wounded), but Abramowitz gives us just that: A fast talking, live-for-today, enigmatic hero that will make you laugh and who paint the city in all its rock and roll pre-corporate glory. This book is a stylish winner!

[Kaye · Rating 3 out of 5]

Extremely hip urban noir with fast pace and electric dialogue. Alternative music presence so strong it was like a full character. Kept asking myself as I read: Is this a 21st-century, east-coast heir to Elmore Leonard? By the end, though, I missed the heart that always populated Leonard's books. This is glib, facile and ultra-ironic with a glittery surface and no depth. (I was provided a free reader's copy in exchange for a candid review.)

[Kathleen Gray · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a page turning thriller with a good "hero" in Zesty, who is more than you expect. The Boston setting is fun and the alternative music scene added quite a bit to what could have been a fairly conventional caper novel. Abramowitz is talented with dialogue (snappy!). and his plotting is precise; this one doesn't wander. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. Try this for a different take on a kid dealing with his father's messes, up to and including organized crime and politicians.

[Art · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zesty Meyers is Boston's fastest bicycle messenger and he has the trophies to prove it.

But he also has an aging poker-playing father, a missing radical-bomber mother and a brother who hires ex-cons for his moving company.

When Zesty takes an early morning delivery from a local record company, it sets off a series of inter-related plots that move with the speed of his bicycle after an hour's worth of coffee.

The resulting rock-and-roll portrait of Boston is well worth your time.

[Don Gorman · Rating 3 out of 5]

(2 1/2). How can you not be immediately drawn in by a book where the protagonist's name is Zesty? This book is about as hip and cool as the name. With a wonderful Boston background this story is a little bit all over the place and deals with past, present and future, but keeps you turning pages all the way. A couple of mildly confusing situations keep you trying to figure things out but the interaction of a whole raft of crazy characters really makes this one spin. A nice read.

[Joyce · Rating 3 out of 5]

Since I am from the Boston area the references, people depicted and scenarios were very easy to relate. I found myself chuckling as I continued reading. The twists and turns were confusing until the characters seemed to pull the story together. Difficult to follow in the beginning but as the plot thickened the flow was easier. Interesting read.

[MWardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book was great. Had the right amount of engagement from the beginning that made me not want to stop reading. Had the moments where it puzzled me into having to read more to figure it out. Only downfall in my opinion, the back and forth between past and present. All I can say without spoiling, but it was rather confusing at times. Great book overall.

[Catalina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh—2.5. There were some issues with character and plot development. At times it tried too hard to be The Departed-y. The dialogues were of good quality, though, if maybe too smooth and consistent for the main character and the situations he was in (unnaturally so).

[William · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book has a complex plot. It is hard to follow what is going on and not very satisfactory. The location, Boston, was not very intriguing as well. I pursued it and the story came together in the end. For me, two stars was generous.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laugh-out loud funny. Lots of local Boston references - the setting itself is practically a character. If you like Sara Paretsky’s V. I. Warshawski, you may like this series starter - it has a similar feel in the convoluted plotting and strong city presence.

[Liza · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF !!! well written !!!! terrible reader on the audio book basically ruined the story !!!!! However, by chapter ,,5 no new ground covered by mystery standards!!
Good writing can't be overcome by a mediocre storyline and bad reader!!!
Sorry

[Rhonda Lomazow · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun urban noir book Zesty is a real character&the music is a great addition.Fast read well written really enjoyed.Thanks to Net Galley .

[Debra · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great ride through Boston. The voices are so authentic with a compelling story as well. Favorite book of the summer!

[RSS · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed this book. I'm not much for writing reviews, but I do think this is a really good read.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

For me, it was hard to follow; but Zesty (love that name) is a funny guy & I liked the music references.