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Brink City #1
Pack Rats
In Brink City life is cheap. It just seems valuable.
When mob boss Paul Gallo sends two of his guys out of town to make a delivery, a chance encounter sows the seeds of an escalating blood feud with a disgruntled local rival, legitimate businessman Mitch Caxton. Caxton’s clean image and fame as a charity giver complicate the issue – even as pressure builds from Gallo’s scheming underboss, Kenny Donato, to whack Caxton for the sake of the crew.
In Book One of the Brink City crime saga, the clock is ticking for Paul Gallo as he juggles the fallout from a crew vendetta, a power struggle within his own empire, and new danger from an old enemy.
Pack Rats...
Business.
As usual.
This novel, made up of five sprawling novellas, is a vast, dark and bloody mob saga for people who like The Godfather, Goodfellas, and The Sopranos.
Pack Rats is a hard-edged depiction of mob life, and contains strong language and violence.
When mob boss Paul Gallo sends two of his guys out of town to make a delivery, a chance encounter sows the seeds of an escalating blood feud with a disgruntled local rival, legitimate businessman Mitch Caxton. Caxton’s clean image and fame as a charity giver complicate the issue – even as pressure builds from Gallo’s scheming underboss, Kenny Donato, to whack Caxton for the sake of the crew.
In Book One of the Brink City crime saga, the clock is ticking for Paul Gallo as he juggles the fallout from a crew vendetta, a power struggle within his own empire, and new danger from an old enemy.
Pack Rats...
Business.
As usual.
This novel, made up of five sprawling novellas, is a vast, dark and bloody mob saga for people who like The Godfather, Goodfellas, and The Sopranos.
Pack Rats is a hard-edged depiction of mob life, and contains strong language and violence.
453 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 10, 2019
1 person is currently reading
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
May 7, 2019
“ ‘Look at us,’ Gertz said. ‘Remember when this was all new?’ ‘Like we knew what the hell we were doing,’ Gallo said. ”
This gritty mob saga, comprised of 5 novellas, pulls no punches and is not for the faint-hearted. It is, however, for those who appreciate exceptional writing and an in-depth understanding of the sordid underbelly of crime. The same as any reputable mob book, there is extreme violence and strong language in this book. That being said, there are also parts of the story which display the humanity of the criminals and how their actions affect their families.
This book portrays how a mob boss can take control of parts of a city, but can only keep control by having a respectful, non-adversarial relationship with other bosses. It also helps to have the Chief of Police on your side and in your pocket.
A vendetta starts when two of Paul Gallo’s crew are beaten and robbed while on a job for their boss. The warring factions blame each other for the resultant killings, and Paul’s crew don’t know if they can depend on Paul to have their backs since Gallo has to contend with the feud, while also dealing with the city commission and others over a two-acre parcel of land Gallo needs to complete his legitimate business dealings.
You will want to make sure you leave yourself plenty of time before starting this book because you won’t want to put it down.
I voluntarily reviewed a preview copy of this book.
This gritty mob saga, comprised of 5 novellas, pulls no punches and is not for the faint-hearted. It is, however, for those who appreciate exceptional writing and an in-depth understanding of the sordid underbelly of crime. The same as any reputable mob book, there is extreme violence and strong language in this book. That being said, there are also parts of the story which display the humanity of the criminals and how their actions affect their families.
This book portrays how a mob boss can take control of parts of a city, but can only keep control by having a respectful, non-adversarial relationship with other bosses. It also helps to have the Chief of Police on your side and in your pocket.
A vendetta starts when two of Paul Gallo’s crew are beaten and robbed while on a job for their boss. The warring factions blame each other for the resultant killings, and Paul’s crew don’t know if they can depend on Paul to have their backs since Gallo has to contend with the feud, while also dealing with the city commission and others over a two-acre parcel of land Gallo needs to complete his legitimate business dealings.
You will want to make sure you leave yourself plenty of time before starting this book because you won’t want to put it down.
I voluntarily reviewed a preview copy of this book.
May 10, 2019
Very high intensity!
I really enjoy seeing how gritty this book is, Ian Quarry really knows how to bring life into the story and doesn’t shy away from the darker side. One of the things I enjoy most though is actually seeing the more human side of the characters, family is very important and that really shines through. There is profanity which is not at all out of place, it is effectively utilized giving the setting and even some wiseguy humor.
The characters are all multi-dimensional. They are well written and even relatable. We get to see that even in the mob not everything has to be a bloody mess when you are cunning.
This story takes place in the same universe created for Brink City. If this is your first experience reading Ian Quarry I would recommend those books as well. You do not need to read them to enjoy this series but would gain a stronger understanding when there is overlap.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I really enjoy seeing how gritty this book is, Ian Quarry really knows how to bring life into the story and doesn’t shy away from the darker side. One of the things I enjoy most though is actually seeing the more human side of the characters, family is very important and that really shines through. There is profanity which is not at all out of place, it is effectively utilized giving the setting and even some wiseguy humor.
The characters are all multi-dimensional. They are well written and even relatable. We get to see that even in the mob not everything has to be a bloody mess when you are cunning.
This story takes place in the same universe created for Brink City. If this is your first experience reading Ian Quarry I would recommend those books as well. You do not need to read them to enjoy this series but would gain a stronger understanding when there is overlap.
I received an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.
May 8, 2019
Lots'a action, tension and an exciting story.
May 13, 2019
Exciting! Addictive! Thrilling! Suspenseful! Everything you could want in a crime drama. I'm now a confirmed fan!
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews