Verona

by Jeffery Deaver

When your mob families are at war, what are the risks of giving love a shot?

In this explosive short story, international bestselling author Jeffery Deaver brings readers a classic tale of star-crossed lovers who defy the boundaries of enemy territory. When an underworld kingpin gets taken out, his prime turf is up for grabs. For Irish crime lord Brendon Nagle and archrival John Yung, head of a forty-man tong, it’s war. For Nagle’s son, Andrew, and Yung’s daughter, Loi, it’s love at first sight. But others are watching as their secret love unfolds. Surveilled, suspected of betrayal, and targets of their fathers’ ruthless greed, Andrew and Loi know this story well. They’re doomed. But they have plans of their own. Challenging the violent rules of the mob, they’re rushing headlong toward a fate that few can see coming.

Genres: Short Stories, Fiction, Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Audiobook, Mystery Thriller

70 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 29, 2019

About the author

#1 international bestselling author of over thirty novels and three collections of short stories. His books are sold in 150 countries and translated into 25 languages. His first novel featuring Lincoln Rhyme, The Bone Collector, was made into a major motion picture starring Denzel Washington and Angelina Jolie. He's received or been shortlisted for a number of awards around the world.

Reviews

[Bren fall in love with the sea.]

rating and review to follow.

Romeo and Juliet..Mafia style.

This story was really well written and I can't even say how much I enjoyed it. I read across many Genres but this little book I was not sure about.

I do occasionally enjoy a good Mafia story. The Sopranos is one of my all time favorite television shows. So I decided to go with it and I an sure glad I did as this was excellent.

Andrew and Loi are the children of competing Mafia Kingpins. Only they are not children. They are all grown up. When a chance encounter leads to a lightning fast connection, you can bet their warring families do NOT approve.

This was relatively short but it still managed to have twists (more then one) and was not nearly as brutal as I thought it might be. There are alot of characters for such a short book but they are all fleshed out well.

Andrew and Loi are easy to root for. Both had terribly sad childhoods and the reader wants to see things work out. This is a gr eat pick if you are seeking something short but something that still has depth and intensity. This story does.

I have n ever read anything else by this writer but I will now as I found this book wildly fun to read and has quite a list of books to his credit. Four stars for an exciting and fast paced read.

[BeccaJBooks]

Quick read centered around the mob. The children of two warring sides of the mob conspire to get their fathers put away. Loosely based on the theme of Romeo and Juliet, I found this story a bit boring, even though it was packed with action?! It was fine for a time filler but I probably wouldn't read it again, or necessarily recommend it.

https://thebeautifulbookbreak.com

[Bill]

Jeffery Deaver's latest short story features gangsters, guns & true love. Deaver gives us a fun interpretation on the tale of Romeo & Juliet, & while the twists are perhaps not on the scale of his usual work it's an entertaining diversion nonetheless.

[Deb]

Surprise ending

The plot in this book seemed like old school mafia. Near the end of the book was an unexpected twist.
I rated it a three as it wasn't very original but still enjoyed the story.

[Monica]

Quick re-telling of the classic Romeo & Juliet! I thoroughly enjoyed this story and would have read an entire novel with these characters. Just enough action and intrigue to keep you guessing. Definitely recommend!

[Gary]

This is a novella by author Jeffery Deaver.
I am not a huge fan of short stories but this novella wasn't bad at all. Jeffery Deaver somehow manages to build up both the characters and the plot in so few pages where some other authors fail to do it in a full length novel.
When the children of two warring mob leaders get together the outcome is never going to be straight forward. A story that is very loosely based on Romeo and Juliet, features the children of enemies Brenon Nagle and John Yung. Andrew who is the son of Nagle and Loi, the daughter of Yung are instantly in love but this is never going to go down well with their fathers. The lovers have a plan of their own that will change their lives forever.

[Richard]

A very clever modern re-evaluation of the world of organised crime. When two rival crime syndicates vi for the spoils of the mobster’s territory when he is retired they hadn’t planned that their hostile takeover would be undermined by their own children. The Godfather meets a Shakespearean tragedy as things unravel beyond their own imaginations.
You will enjoy the careful plotting that surrounds at face value a simple tale of greed and family loyalties.
Basically the old fashioned story is of two tribes going to war over the territory that is without clear control. The author shows the range of moves and disregard for life as the two opposing bosses challenge for the profitable rackets and operations mafia style organisations can exact. There is no sense of a split; it is winner takes all.
I liked the fact that this became an up to date novella that goes beyond Peaky Blinders and The Sopranos. Gangsters are still bad and want to shoot one another, run drugs, prostitutes and gambling rackets. But the short story is a breath of fresh thinking; the air we are exposed to is invigorating, hopeful and perhaps a wind of change.
Through twists and turns Deaver plays around with ideas and concepts to ensure we are never sure of the final outcome. There is a sense of adventure and new blood but perhaps he suggests that an apple never falls far from the tree. Some horrifying set pieces but this is a crime thriller. One that will delight and interest the casual reader and have all fans of Jeffrey Deaver sharing a smile. A must read.

[Nola]

This book was a free Amazon Prime short story (70 pages). As you might imagine, it was fast paced. The plot and characters were well developed for such a short read. I enjoyed it immensely, and felt it really could have been developed into a full length novel.

[Matt]

Wanting to fill my summer with a mix of novels and short stories, I came upon some stuff by Jeffrey Deaver. I have read some of his short works before and have promised to delve into the full-length stuff. For now, this short piece captured my attention. This surely a story of star-crossed lover who are forbidden from being together. The adult children of two underworld leaders, Andrew and Loi, know that their fathers would never permit them to be together. As the elders fight for territory, the youngers find their lives intertwined, headed down a path that is sure to have disastrous outcomes. Deaver impresses with this different type of story.

In a story that appears to be a modern retelling of Romeo and Juliet, Jeffrey Deaver explores lovers who cross into the realm of enemy territory. After Andrew Nagle saw Loi Yung in a bar, he knew this was a woman he wanted to love. Their connection is immediate and the intensity is something neither can deny. However, both are adult children to two underworld kingpins who are vying for a patch of land that is up for grabs. The bloodletting is guaranteed in order to secure the territory, meaning there is no time for collateral damage in the form of children. While Andrew and Loi know their fate is destined for disaster, they cannot deny their feelings. Both set out to chart a new path or die trying. Jeffrey Deaver delivers a great story that keeps the reader guessing!

I enjoy short stories that entertain and layer events that will eventually come together. Jeffrey Deaver does well with a narrative that puts a modern twist on one from literature. There is some character development, tracing familial roots and centred on the clash between families. The plot heats up as the piece progresses, culminating in a final fallout. Deaver handles it all with grace and a peppering of excitement.

Kudos, Mr. Deaver, for breathing your own life into this classic piece.

Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/

[Alan (The Lone Librarian) Teder]

Two Households... in Not So Fair Verona
Review of the Amazon Original audiobook simultaneously released with the Amazon Kindle eBook (August 29, 2019)

Jeffery Deaver's Verona takes Shakespeare's star-crossed lovers from Romeo and Juliet as its inspiration. Andrew Nagle and Loi Yung have no plans to suffer the same fates as their precursors. Deaver first portrays them as the apparent innocent pawns of their respective crime families. Behind the scenes there is a whole other game being played out which isn't revealed until the flashback conclusion to this crime novella. The story takes place in an otherwise anonymous USA city.

I listened to the audiobook edition as narrated by Scott Merriman who was fine in all voices without exaggerating any ethnic characteristics.

Verona is one of the short stories/novellas in the occasional series of Amazon Original Kindle eBooks/Audible Audio audiobooks released on August 29, 2019 as part of the Jeffery Deaver Short Stories Collection.

Trivia and Link
You can watch for current and past Amazon Original Kindle short stories which are usually paired with their Audible Original narrations at an Amazon page here (link goes to Amazon US, adjust for your own country or region).

[Dean]

Two big criminal families at war with each other..
Like "The Godfather" by Mario Puzo..

Two young people in love to each other..
Like "Rome and Juliet" meet "Bonny and Clyde"..

But, dont let the no chance situation deceived you..
Who is the victim, and who the predator..

Read for yourself my friend..
But be prepared for some unexpected and sudden turns..

As always by Jeffery Deaver you'll find here a flawless character development even for a short story..
The writting excels in vivid descriptions and the flow of the narrative is smooth and delightful as the first embrace of a lover..

Happy reading
Dean;)

[Laura]

Well written short story. Unfortunately the characters were very unlikeable.

[Ed]

Outstanding!

[Kay]

It was an okay short story, JD has written better ones.

[Klare]

An enjoyable read with a clever twist.

[Bronwyn]

Can't best Deaver

Never assume you know where this story is going. Everyone has multiple sides to their personalities. And parents don't forget you do influence your children.

[Becs]

This story wasn't really for me; it's heavy on the dialogue and has a large cast of relatively superficial characters in terms of understanding who they are. The story is quite dry, as two kids from rival families fall in love and are subsequently used as pawns in their parents game - it just felt a bit unoriginal and unsurprising compared to Deaver's usual standard.

I like that the story weaves in a number of subtle parallels between Shakespeare's,"Romeo and Juliet" and that it does so really well - only those versed in the tale will pick up on some of the more discreet connections but the overarching theme is cleverly handled. Unfortunately, on the flip side, if you do know the story you're likely to know how this story is going to unfold.

The characters let the story down, because there are so many and very little time to form a connection with any of them; I guess I just didn't care what happened to them. Unfortunately this just isn't a story I'll revisit anytime soon.

[CYIReadBooks (Claire)]

All I can say is wow! An unexpected surprise with several jaw-dropping moments.

[Janie Squier]

Shakepeare's Crime Boss 101

Don't read the other reviews. (One of them tipped me off) And yet the thing is rip roaringly good and satisfyingly devious. It's how "To Be Or Not To Be" a big fish in a small pond, so you can take over the ocean- or several. Just when you think it's all over and done, the plot thickens. Loved that!
Well done indeed sir, well played, as all the world's a stage.

[Nica's Musings]

Nice shirt entertaining read

I've enjoyed this short read from Jeffrey Deaver. It is "Shakespeare meets Bonnie and Clyde." There are several twists. Lots of betrayals. A new and modern syndicate is formed.

[Rajesh]

A nice present day Romeo and Juliet tale.

[Karen]

A great short story, good twist.

[Kieran McAndrew]

A modern day Romeo and Juliet try to change their fate when their gangland fathers go to war.

A slick short story from Deaver, who catapults readers into a believable criminal underworld.

[Roger]

Verona is a modern retelling of (you guessed it) Romeo and Juliet. Only in Jeffrey Deaver‘s version there is a preponderance of gangsters, violence, and killing– plus a really nice plot twist that proves to be a lot of fun. Everyone in the “Deaver-verse” is a planner and a schemer and that is certainly on display here-enjoy.

[Denny Howard]

Twisted, turned, and timed perfectly to “Romeo and Juliet” without much ado about nothing. Too funny by half. Well done!

[Sara]

He’s no Romeo

I really enjoy short stories, and Jeffrey Deaver delivers every time. This is a quick fun read. I highly recommend.

[books_over_bs]

Nah

This storyline wasn’t very interesting nor believable. There were a lot of references to Romeo & Juliette throughout the story. I guess it was meant to be a modern retelling. It just felt silly. The way they easily took over two mob family businesses didn’t add up. I expect better from an author like Deaver.

[Lucinda]

A short story with a new take on Romeo & Juliet

[Darcy]

I liked this one, but liked it more when the twist was revealed. I thought that Andrew and Loi were very smart indeed, it's too bad their fathers couldn't see it.

[Tracy Challis]

Clever little short story with a connection to Romeo and Juliet. I enjoyed this much more than I expected. It would make a good movie.