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Blood & Whiskey
Fans of The Godfather and HBO's Boardwalk Empire will love this new adult, feminist take on Prohibition gangster history!
1924 Chicago is a turf war: the North Side against the South Side. Booze, guns, money, and blood are all currency here.
Prohibition is a breeding ground for the rise of organized crime in America, and for the ambitious, it means building a fortune. Mia Scalisi, a street-smart showgirl, has big dreams of leaving behind the small-time supper club she performs at night after night. She wants to see her name in lights-and maybe even on the silver screen. And her brother Nick, an ambitious Mafia capo determined to be the next underworld prince, promises to use the spoils of his new liquor deal to make it happen.
With her dream career in her reach, and friends like Al Capone and Johnny Torrio, Mia's future has never looked brighter, and she turns a blind eye to Nick's criminal activities and morally bankrupt ways...until it all catches up with them. Too late, Mia discovers ambition always comes with a price, and that price must be paid-in blood.
When her world implodes, there's only one thing she cares about after the dust settles.
Revenge.
1924 Chicago is a turf war: the North Side against the South Side. Booze, guns, money, and blood are all currency here.
Prohibition is a breeding ground for the rise of organized crime in America, and for the ambitious, it means building a fortune. Mia Scalisi, a street-smart showgirl, has big dreams of leaving behind the small-time supper club she performs at night after night. She wants to see her name in lights-and maybe even on the silver screen. And her brother Nick, an ambitious Mafia capo determined to be the next underworld prince, promises to use the spoils of his new liquor deal to make it happen.
With her dream career in her reach, and friends like Al Capone and Johnny Torrio, Mia's future has never looked brighter, and she turns a blind eye to Nick's criminal activities and morally bankrupt ways...until it all catches up with them. Too late, Mia discovers ambition always comes with a price, and that price must be paid-in blood.
When her world implodes, there's only one thing she cares about after the dust settles.
Revenge.
504 pages, Paperback
Published October 6, 2018
56 people are currently reading
122 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
October 25, 2018
An orphaned brother and sister are trying to make it on their own within the streets of the large cities; New York and Chicago. The way to make money during the late 1920’s was to run with the liquor business which in turn outs you into the world of gangsters. Meredith does a great job of creating a storyline of life during the Prohibition era and learning that no one can be trusted, not even blood. The beginning was a little heavy with character introduction but they are all pieced together throughout the story. I thought it was well written and did not seem over the top even though a lot was happening. It made the story seem more realistic with known gangsters as characters.
October 12, 2018
I absolutely loved this book. The characters are wonderful, Mia, Nick, Gloria, Charlie, and even Sal. I loved the historical setting during the Prohibition era, the splash of the glitz of the stage and singing against the dangerous backdrop of the criminal elements. The bootleggers dreams of money and power. The loyalty of some, the betrayal of others and the closeness of family. Mia fighting against what had to be done and hating that she had to do it. The feeling of her loneliness , I could almost feel it. I could feel the nervousness of Mia as she stepped on the stage at the theater in Chicago and see her eyes light up when she saw her brother in the front row. I admired Nick's love for his sister and his sense of duty as her protector. The book was good from the first page to the last, I wanted to keep reading after it was finished and now I await a sequel . I would recommend this book you will love it.
October 24, 2018
I thought this novel was extremely well written and Meredith blew me away with how well written it was and how thoroughly she laid things out and all the details that were given. I think it started a little slower then I would have liked, but as I really got into it and things started moving along, I couldn't wait to keep reading and find out what was going to happen next and all the details that are given early on play a role/part in how the story unfolds. There are so many details that I actually feel like I learned something as well from this book about prohibition. This book is the story of one family, the Scalisi family and focuses mainly on Nick and his sister Mia. I felt like I really got to know these two characters extremely well as well as Nick's wife Gloria and his best friend Charlie.
March 7, 2022
Blood & Whiskey thrilled me. Meredith Allison uses famous criminals like Al Capone, Dean O’Banion, and Tom Dennison and expertly plays them against dynamic fictional characters of her own creation. It’s a daring and exciting book, filled with all of the adventure and peril of the Roaring Twenties.
May 30, 2019
5 stars
This is more or less a family drama. But it is also so much more. Set in the 1920's during the Prohibition Era we meet Mia Scalisi and her older by four years brother Nick. They are orphaned at an early age and Nick raises Mia.
Mia loves to sing and dance and dreams of being in the pictures one day. However life has different plans for her. She and Nick work at a club owned by Sal Belomo who is a volatile man. While Mia does her entertainment, Nick is a wheeler-dealer and is putting together high stakes deals for bootlegged whiskey. He is Sal's Capo. Nick is also a hot head and gets himself in deep trouble.
Mia discovers another side of life and must plumb the depths of her strength of character and determination to rise to the top in what is definitely a man’s world. What matters over all is family – those who can be trusted and those who can't.
I really liked this book. It is well written and plotted. Ms. Allison painted her characters in such vivid colors that this reader was transported to 1920's Chicago with all the attendant sounds and smells. I liked Mia and wished she could have pursued her career in dance rather than turn the way she did. I liked the cameo appearances by such famous crime bosses such as Al Capone and others like him. This is my first Meredith Allison novel and I immediately went to Amazon to look at others of her books.
This is more or less a family drama. But it is also so much more. Set in the 1920's during the Prohibition Era we meet Mia Scalisi and her older by four years brother Nick. They are orphaned at an early age and Nick raises Mia.
Mia loves to sing and dance and dreams of being in the pictures one day. However life has different plans for her. She and Nick work at a club owned by Sal Belomo who is a volatile man. While Mia does her entertainment, Nick is a wheeler-dealer and is putting together high stakes deals for bootlegged whiskey. He is Sal's Capo. Nick is also a hot head and gets himself in deep trouble.
Mia discovers another side of life and must plumb the depths of her strength of character and determination to rise to the top in what is definitely a man’s world. What matters over all is family – those who can be trusted and those who can't.
I really liked this book. It is well written and plotted. Ms. Allison painted her characters in such vivid colors that this reader was transported to 1920's Chicago with all the attendant sounds and smells. I liked Mia and wished she could have pursued her career in dance rather than turn the way she did. I liked the cameo appearances by such famous crime bosses such as Al Capone and others like him. This is my first Meredith Allison novel and I immediately went to Amazon to look at others of her books.
November 15, 2018
She wants more than what she is at the moment. She was to dance and her name in lights and even start in movies. Her brother is in the mafia and she turns a blind eye to what he does as she gets closer to her dreams but life is about to go change for the worse. Now all she has to do is get revenge. Will she get it? See how she gets on
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 31, 2019
“1924 Chicago is a turf war: the North Side against the South Side. Booze, guns, money, and blood are all currency here.
Prohibition is a breeding ground for the rise of organized crime in America, and for the ambitious, it means building a fortune.
Mia Scalisi, a street-smart showgirl, has big dreams of leaving behind the small-time supper club she performs at night after night. She wants to see her name in lights—and maybe even on the silver screen. And her brother Nick, an ambitious Mafia capo determined to be the next underworld prince, promises to use the spoils of his new liquor deal to make it happen.
With a promising career within her reach and friends like Al Capone and Johnny Torrio, Mia’s future has never looked brighter, and she can turn a blind eye to Nick’s criminal activities and morally bankrupt ways…until it all catches up with them.
Too late, Mia discovers ambition always comes with a price, and that price must be paid—in blood.
When her world implodes, there's only one thing she cares about after the dust settles.
Revenge.”
Blood & Whiskey by Meredith Allison was a thrill a minute, drawing the reader into the lost world of intrigue and violence that was Prohibition. Mia Scalisi is the younger sister to Nick. She works at Stems, a supper club owned by Sal Bellomo, who took her and Nick in five years previous. Nick was brought into Sal's criminal operations. He rose to second in command and was working to secure a lucrative liquor deal when things go sideways. Nick is murdered, leaving Mia alone, but with enough knowledge to navigate the criminal underworld. Using her contacts, Mia sets out to avenge her brother. In doing so, she begins to discover the depths of her true self.
Confession: I love stories set in this era, and this was no exception. I'm looking forward to continuing the series! Mia was a fascinating character, and I enjoyed seeing her evolution. What I truly relished, though, was the seeing big name, ruthless gangsters in 'normal’ situations. To see them as… people. Al Capone making tea. Not exactly the fierce image his name usually conjures. We are left with the legends, and it's easy enough to forget that they actually were people, with all the hopes, dreams, and desires of such.
Unsurprisingly, family is a big theme. Mia's tie to Nick, as his sister, is what prompts the whole story. But there's more. These weren't just criminals. They did help people, mostly immigrants. The residents of Torrio's tenement building seem to love him, and Nick. Goldberg treats Mia like family, even when engaging in business negotiations. Beyond that is the notion of the Family, though they'd put the drow families of Menzoberranzan to shame. My biggest hope for the next in the series is that we get to see Luciano. He's a personal interest of mine. He was mentioned once or twice, but never interacted with.
***Many thanks to the author for providing an ecopy in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for Silver Dagger Tours
Prohibition is a breeding ground for the rise of organized crime in America, and for the ambitious, it means building a fortune.
Mia Scalisi, a street-smart showgirl, has big dreams of leaving behind the small-time supper club she performs at night after night. She wants to see her name in lights—and maybe even on the silver screen. And her brother Nick, an ambitious Mafia capo determined to be the next underworld prince, promises to use the spoils of his new liquor deal to make it happen.
With a promising career within her reach and friends like Al Capone and Johnny Torrio, Mia’s future has never looked brighter, and she can turn a blind eye to Nick’s criminal activities and morally bankrupt ways…until it all catches up with them.
Too late, Mia discovers ambition always comes with a price, and that price must be paid—in blood.
When her world implodes, there's only one thing she cares about after the dust settles.
Revenge.”
Blood & Whiskey by Meredith Allison was a thrill a minute, drawing the reader into the lost world of intrigue and violence that was Prohibition. Mia Scalisi is the younger sister to Nick. She works at Stems, a supper club owned by Sal Bellomo, who took her and Nick in five years previous. Nick was brought into Sal's criminal operations. He rose to second in command and was working to secure a lucrative liquor deal when things go sideways. Nick is murdered, leaving Mia alone, but with enough knowledge to navigate the criminal underworld. Using her contacts, Mia sets out to avenge her brother. In doing so, she begins to discover the depths of her true self.
Confession: I love stories set in this era, and this was no exception. I'm looking forward to continuing the series! Mia was a fascinating character, and I enjoyed seeing her evolution. What I truly relished, though, was the seeing big name, ruthless gangsters in 'normal’ situations. To see them as… people. Al Capone making tea. Not exactly the fierce image his name usually conjures. We are left with the legends, and it's easy enough to forget that they actually were people, with all the hopes, dreams, and desires of such.
Unsurprisingly, family is a big theme. Mia's tie to Nick, as his sister, is what prompts the whole story. But there's more. These weren't just criminals. They did help people, mostly immigrants. The residents of Torrio's tenement building seem to love him, and Nick. Goldberg treats Mia like family, even when engaging in business negotiations. Beyond that is the notion of the Family, though they'd put the drow families of Menzoberranzan to shame. My biggest hope for the next in the series is that we get to see Luciano. He's a personal interest of mine. He was mentioned once or twice, but never interacted with.
***Many thanks to the author for providing an ecopy in exchange for a fair and honest review. Reviewed for Silver Dagger Tours
February 12, 2019
You never know how strong you are until you have to be. Which, to me, sums up Mia Scalisi. I absolutely loved this book! I always look forward to a strong, independent female lead with Meredith/Wynter books, and she delivers. Mia being exactly that, -strong, independent and unpredictable- I found myself not knowing Mia's next step. I was always guessing, which had me hooked, of course. And I loved the bond between brother and sister, Nick and Mia. I can't wait until the next book comes out!
July 29, 2022
What a great historical mystery.
Blood & Whiskey: A Sacalisi Family Novel is full of intrigue, suspense, and an unexpected ending.
Meet Mia, an orphan and former gambling-hall hustler who loves nice clothes, loud parties, and high-stakes poker games. But tragedy and betrayal have a way of striking at the worst times, and her Sicilian blood demands three things: omertà, loyalty, and vengeance.
Great character development and storyline, highly recommend.
Blood & Whiskey: A Sacalisi Family Novel is full of intrigue, suspense, and an unexpected ending.
Meet Mia, an orphan and former gambling-hall hustler who loves nice clothes, loud parties, and high-stakes poker games. But tragedy and betrayal have a way of striking at the worst times, and her Sicilian blood demands three things: omertà, loyalty, and vengeance.
Great character development and storyline, highly recommend.
August 9, 2019
This is a really good book, written with passion and concern. Syntax, diction, grammar - all exemplary. An interesting take on the collateral effect of prohibition on the social and economic conditions of 1920's America.
April 30, 2023
If you like historical fiction, stories about strong women and gangsters, you will love this story about a strong woman who turns gangster to avenge her brother's murder. I was rooting for Mia from the beginning.
November 16, 2018
Wow! This book blew me away!!
It's been a long time since I've read a novel with a historical like setting. I'm glad Blood & Whiskey: A Scalisi Family Novel is the first one to bring me back!! I loved the characters and the setting from the first page!
Mia is a young, ambitious show girl, ready to make it big. You know from the beginning that she's extremely strong.
Nick is her big brother who has always taken care of and protected her, even while going through his own life in less than legal ways.
The story follows their journey to protect each other and their little family.
Things get really dicey when their activities bring them into contact with less than favorable characters and it turns their world upside down! You'll have to read the story to find out more!
Great job Meredith Allison on Blood & Whiskey: A Scalisi Family Novel! I absolutely loved it and I cannot wait for more novels from you!
It's been a long time since I've read a novel with a historical like setting. I'm glad Blood & Whiskey: A Scalisi Family Novel is the first one to bring me back!! I loved the characters and the setting from the first page!
Mia is a young, ambitious show girl, ready to make it big. You know from the beginning that she's extremely strong.
Nick is her big brother who has always taken care of and protected her, even while going through his own life in less than legal ways.
The story follows their journey to protect each other and their little family.
Things get really dicey when their activities bring them into contact with less than favorable characters and it turns their world upside down! You'll have to read the story to find out more!
Great job Meredith Allison on Blood & Whiskey: A Scalisi Family Novel! I absolutely loved it and I cannot wait for more novels from you!
February 26, 2019
Great compelling characters, making there way in the prohibition era.
December 1, 2019
Absolutely brilliant
Fantastic Mafia novel, couldn't put it down! Can't wait for the next chapter of Mia's life in New York and Sicily
Fantastic Mafia novel, couldn't put it down! Can't wait for the next chapter of Mia's life in New York and Sicily
December 4, 2020
Blood And Whiskey is about the time in Chicago during Prohibition with everything from illegal drinking to gangsters ,the Scalisi family,Al Conpone and all their famous friends! This was a teaser book I received,only 3 Chapters of this book, but there's enough there to get you so interesting to finish. Follow the life style of Nick and his sister Mia who get all wrapped up in this way of living and the excitement that goes with that way of living. Just in these three chapters Meredith Allison has you drawn right into this life. I got the rest of the book to finish part one,it's a series of three.. So,off I go into the wild and crazy world of gangsters and the way they lived and how they survived for so long and who is killing who,but..that's just business!! When I finish the whole book I will come back and let you know if it stayed exciting! Dec 3,2020....I did,I did finish the whole book,the way these people lived the things that they did,the things that either you or I would have done would have so been caught ,but not these guys!! So many laws broke,so many killings to advance in the organization as they considered jt, running ilegeal booze and to see who can make the most money,who was the boss and fighting others in different mobs who's territory it belongs to!! I really enjoyed this story of the different people that lived back in this era of time,true and exciting stories for sure.. Watch the rise and fall of Mia and her brother Nick what they did or didn't do and the emotions of these two and many more in their so call circle of friends! Can't trust anyone at least not for long!! Really it's a great read,will read more of Meredith's stories as she brings the characters to life for you and you can tell much research went into this story ..
April 25, 2020
I surprisingly enjoyed "Blood & Whiskey" quite a lot. I normally don't really read Mafia books, but I loved this one. The characters were great and I loved that there weren't any overt romances that took away from the plot. I also liked reading about how intricate these bootlegger ventures were during the prohibition era. I'm definitely reading the next installments in the series.
September 29, 2019
I was unable to finish this book. Maybe some day I will be able to read it all the way through. It sounds like a great book, but when I am reading it, the writing style and characters are not for me. The story was a little confusing (for me) and I was unable to get half way through because it wouldn’t keep my attention.
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews