The Devil's Mambo

by Jerry A. Rodriguez

Have you ever wondered, Mister Esperanza, about the nature of evil . . . Nicholas Esperanza couldn't believe his luck. A winning $30 million lotto ticket took him out of NYPD Homicide and bought him Sueno Latino, a popular salsa club on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Dancing, drinking, partying, women-every day was a good day. The nights with his girlfriend, Legs, are even hotter. But now, Legs needs Esperanza to do her a find her missing 14-year-old niece, Alina. With that, Esperanza's luck is about to change. Before he knows it, Esperanza's plunged into a dangerous sexual underground of S&M clubs, fetishists, pornography, and murder. Anything can be bought and sold, especially innocence. The most beautiful faces mask the most vicious predators. As the quest gets more personal, and the lines between good and evil blur, Esperanza spirals into the darkest recesses of his soul, to places he never wanted to see. He's in so deep that turning back is not an option. With The Devil's Mambo, Jerry A. Rodriguez delivers a gritty, wholly original urban noir-an adrenaline-charged, erotic thriller that's as twisted as it is addictive. "Follow Nick Esperanza on his descent into the artfully portrayed dark and . . . seamy underbelly of the big, bad city" -Gary Phillips, Bangers "A wild ride on the wild side. Rodriguez pulls no punches" -Rick Mofina, The Dying Hour "The Devil's Mambo is dark, bad and gave me a case of the serious creeps. Heavy, tough stuff but also unputdownable. Rodriguez is working mean streets that haven't been worked before. He's the real thing. Dig this book" -Robert Ward, author of "Four Kinds of Rain" Jerry A. Rodriguez is a writer-director who has staged dozens of plays Off Broadway and has conducted film-making workshops for such places as the Film Society of Lincoln Center. He wrote and directed the critically acclaimed short film, El Deseo, which was heralded by the Village Voice as "a Syd

292 pages, Paperback

First published May 1, 2007

Reviews

[Michael Gonzales]

Partners in Crime: The Life, Loves & Nuyorican Noir of Jerry Rodriguez
https://longreads.com/2018/11/09/part...

[Documenting Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Devil's Mambo-Jerry Rodriguez

Nicholas Esperanza couldn't believe his luck. A winning $30 million lotto ticket took him out of NYPD Homicide and bought him Sueno Latino, a popular salsa club on Manhattan's Upper West Side. However, Esperanza's luck is about to change. Before he knows it, Esperanza's plunged into a dangerous sexual underground of S&M clubs, fetishists, pornography, and murder. With The Devil's Mambo, Jerry A. Rodriguez delivers a gritty, wholly original urban noir-an adrenaline-charged, erotic thriller that's as twisted as it is addictive.

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t02wo...
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[Sonia Sein · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is excellent. I was not able to put it down. The author brought New York back to the 70’s. He actually wrote this book to allow the reader to become part of the story. I will strongly recommend everyone to read this book.

[Chris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very compelling protagonist, sexually charged energy throughout the novel, and a tone that is different than I've read in crime fiction in a long time. I really loved having a Latino protagonist, the Spanish written throughout as well was fresh. I will be checking out the sequel, Revenge Tango.

[Ice · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nicholas Esperanza couldn't believe his luck. A winning $30 million lotto ticket took him out of NYPD Homicide and bought him Sueño Latino, a popular salsa club on Manhattan's Upper West Side. Dancing, drinking, partying, women--every day was a good day. The nights with his girlfriend, Legs, are even hotter. But now, Legs needs Esperanza to do her a solid: find her missing 14-year-old niece, Alina. With that, Esperanza's luck is about to change.

Before he knows it, Esperanza's plunged into a dangerous sexual underground of S&M clubs, fetishists, pornography, and murder. Anything can be bought and sold, especially innocence. The most beautiful faces mask the most vicious predators. As the quest gets more personal, and the lines between good and evil blur, Esperanza spirals into the darkest recesses of his soul, to places he never wanted to see. He's in so deep that turning back is not an option.

[Rabab Elshazly · Rating 3 out of 5]

Raw, heart gripping, page turner. one of the most graphic novels that i have read. but it's like u saw a fast action movie.

[Mark]

Pretty much a by-the-numbers quasi-PI novel, written in the style of a Hollywood thriller. Enjoyable enough read, and notable for the Latino protagonist and lots of local NYC color. There's also a good deal of quite graphic sex (perhaps this book's part of a sub-genre I wasn't aware of), which potential readers ought to be aware of--didn't really make a difference to me either way.