Brotherly Love

by Pete Dexter

In the City of Brotherly Love, a car skids off the ice and ignites a chain of events that changes everything for eight-year-old Peter Flood. Peter’s father is a powerful man, a union boss with mob connections, but all the power in the world is useless to a grieving son. Raised by his uncle, Peter tries to distance himself from the casual brutality of the family business, gravitating instead toward a small South Philly gym. Peter’s cousin Michael—his “brother”—moves in another direction: into small-time intimidation and the trappings of a union prince. Neither, however, can outrun the logic of violence as they’re dragged into a world of bad blood and a chilling cycle of betrayal and retribution.

Praise for Brotherly Love

“A first-rate novel and a masterly evocation of that undercivilized and unfree America . . . The grace and confidence of [Pete Dexter’s] prose conveys absolute authenticity.”—The New York Times Book Review

“Enviably artful work—carefully wrought, canny in its insights, sly in its presentation, sneaky in its revelations.”—Chicago Tribune

“Extraordinarily poignant . . . Brotherly Love is all bulletproof prose and flinty-eyed bravissimo. . . . But the quieter, sadder aspects of the novel are its strongest points.”—The Boston Globe

“Tautly and often exquisitely written.”—Los Angeles Times

Genres: Fiction, Mystery, Crime, Contemporary, Novels, 20th Century, Literary Fiction

288 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1991

About the author

Pete Dexter is the author of the National Book Award-winning novel Paris Trout and five other novels: God's Pocket, Deadwood, Brotherly Love, The Paperboy, and Train. He has been a columnist for the Philadelphia Daily News and the Sacramento Bee, and has contributed to many magazines, including Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Playboy. His screenplays include Rush and Mulholland Falls. Dexter was born in Michigan and raised in Georgia, Illinois, and eastern South Dakota. He lives on an island off the coast of Washington.

See more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Dexter

Reviews

[Guille · Rating 4 out of 5]

Descubrí hace ya algunos años, no muchos, que escribir sobre los libros que iba leyendo me ayudaba a pensar sobre ellos, a entenderlos mejor, era una forma de profundizar en todo aquello que el libro estaba significando para mí, en indagar en la manera y hasta qué punto me estaba afectando su lectura y, por tanto, una forma eficaz de potenciar el placer de la misma. Pero, sobre todo, era una forma de satisfacer esa necesidad que creo común a todos los que amamos este mundo de los libros de compartir lo mucho que nos ha gustado una novela (de las que no me gustan creo que escribo simplemente por cabreo con el autor y/o conmigo mismo).

Bien, pues durante un buen número de páginas de esta creí que no escribiría nada. No me disgustaba, Dexter es un escritor sobresaliente, pero la novela se estaba instalando en ese triste limbo de los libros bien escritos pero carentes de la capacidad de atravesar la piel. No conseguía emocionarme ese aire burocrático que envolvía el relato.

En “Amor fraterno”, Dexter va destacando unos cuantos hechos determinantes en la vida de Peter Flood -hijo, sobrino y primo de mafiosos irlandeses- desde ese momento de su infancia en el que, paralizado por el pánico, presenció cómo a las puertas de su casa atropellaban y mataban a su hermana que en ese momento se encontraba bajo su vigilancia.

No hay muchos escenarios, las frases son cortas y exentas de cualquier tipo de ornamentación, y los acontecimientos se desarrollan en breves escenas que se suceden como formando parte de una pesada cadena cuyo final parece estar presente en cada uno de los eslabones. Sin embargo, su prosa me fue ganando poco a poco a base de sutileza y profundidad. Dexter demuestra aquí nuevamente su maestría en resaltar precisamente aquello que omite, los gestos solo insinuados o interrumpidos, lo que no se dice, los silencios. Todo adquiere relevancia en esta prosa sobria y contenida con la que nos describe la violencia que preside las luchas entre familias mafiosas de Filadelfia entre los años 60 y 80 del pasado siglo. Este escenario de violencia, despiadada y brutal, será el contexto adecuado en el que representar cómo un entorno duro y corrupto es capaz de intensificar hasta lo incomprensible las personalidades perversas, retorcer, hasta hacerlas insoportables, las buenas almas y hacer pedazos la vida de los más débiles.

“Y entonces, encerrado en la quietud, un instante minúsculo, pasajero, se para dentro de él, y luego adquiere forma propia ondeando como el humo, llenándole casi en el momento mismo en que por primera vez repara en él, llenándole hasta que de pronto teme que dentro de él no queda espacio para respirar.”

Por otro lado, también tengo que reconocer que la novela se fue inclinando poco a poco hacia terrenos muy atractivos para mí. Quién me haya leído ya sabrá de mi debilidad por las almas atormentadas necesitadas de un castigo que les alivie del sentimiento de culpa que les tortura (Peter Flood) y de mi “fascinación-aversión” por la MALDAD, por la crueldad en cualquiera de sus formas, máxime cuando esta se ejerce desde el poder y con grandes dosis de gozo personal (Michael Flood).

Una frase se repite en la novela:

“Ha acabado entendiendo demasiadas cosas; y lo que puede entenderlo puede perdonarlo.”

Yo entiendo la crueldad, soy consciente de los niveles a los que puede llegar, y aun así, soy incapaz de perdonar a tipos como Michael Flood. Como dice el poeta, entre esos tipos y yo hay algo personal.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

The ironically named Brotherly Love is a cold, sparse and terrifying, an unrelenting plunge into a nightmare. There is Dexter’s scalpel sharp dissection of character and black humor along the way, but for the most part this the most relentless Dexter I have found yet. A tale of thirty or so years of two mob connected cousins in Philadelphia is told intimately, sparsely, and claustrophobic as opposed to sweeping. Brilliant narrative economy, dialogue, and character and I’m left with question of whether or not Dexter is a realist or a surrealist. Or his ultra magnified exploration of character revealing how much both sides of the coin are the same.

[Deborah Sheldon · Rating 5 out of 5]

You know, I think I'm falling in love with Pete Dexter.

[Ned · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this author, and this book was a treat. I read it during vacation on (or near) the beach, so this was as close to a guilty pleasure as it gets for me. Dexter is an ex-journalist and before that a journeyman, but I love his dialogue and rough and tumble stories set in gritty Philadelphia (this one covered the 1960 to the 1980s). It is the story of corrupt union bosses and feuds between the Irish and Italian factions. The hero loses his parents to the troubles and is a protagonist to admire. Peter is the silent type who is coolly caught in the middle between his crude, corrupt cousin who becomes a malevolent boss. The end erupts in violence (like Crews’ Feast of Snakes, but with a good guy). What I really enjoyed is the pugilist aspect, where the saintly ex-boxer and his quietly powerful son manage a rink above the garage where they earn a living. The boxing technical aspects, such as how a single, well-placed blow from an expert and incapacitate a larger man, fascinated me. It’s allegorical for the American Bandstand, who’s pretty boy star becomes jaded and hopelessly lost. The death of a racehorse is rendered in horrific detail, as is the cruel torture that is exacted during the mob wars. The storyline was strong, and I found my heart racing along with a strong plot. The ironic comments and inciteful observations of our hero were thrilling, somewhat like Chandler’s in deadpan delivery and acute observation.

The ”brothers” are actually cousins, hitched when Peter’s sister is killed in an accident, and the parents are put away & he lives with his aunt, uncle and comes of age with their misanthropic son. Peter stays neutral as long as possible, he has a moral sense, but his “brother” descends into the life. The story is Peter’s divided loyalties as he navigates the violent streets of Philadelphia of small-time hoodlums. It evinced Lehane’s local Boston flavor of “Darkness Take My Hand”, which I read recently, but this was much more believable writing and more authentic. Dexter’s story is also the immigrant conflict in the streets, tinged with tones of racism.

This was Dexter’s 4th, after Deadwood, God’s Pocket and Paris Trout. I first read Train by him and was instantly hooked. To this day I’m not sure if that one hooked me because it was my first of his or because it was truly brilliant (alas, I didn’t review, this was before Goodreads or any serious note-taking on my part).

Women readers may object to the simple caricatures of the female characters – they are merely plot devices and vehicles for male lust (and some fairly explicit pornography). It’s a fair criticism but reflects the male-dominated world and lens through which these tough guys see the world. Our author likely fancies himself like his creations.

Minor flaws aside, this was a delight and more than satisfied my vacation reading mood.

[Liam · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

[Sergio Acera · Rating 5 out of 5]

Como dijo un crítico refiriéndose a otra de las novelas de Dexter, "Train": cumbre del género negro.

[Kaitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dark tale of two brothers (cousins, actually) who are born into Philadelphia mob life. One is reticent to participate in the lifestyle; the other relishes it. The story takes place over about 20 years, from the time when the boys are young until they've grown and have pretty much decided who they are going to be.

Dexter does a great job developing characters, as he did in Train. Though there's plenty of violence here, he's subtle and handles a complicated subject well. I thought the inclusion of non-mob-affiliated characters was really well done, and the ending was perfect. It was not at all what I expected, but when I thought on it, I'm not sure any other ending would've been right.

I plan to read Paris Trout and anything else Dexter has to offer.

[Mark Bishop · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my third Pete Dexter book. Although I liked the other two better, this book sealed the deal. I’m going to read everything he’s written. He’s just that good. This would’ve been an average book if written by an average writer. It’s about mobsters doing typical mob stuff. Dexter’s writing and character development take it to a different level. The story is just a vehicle for Dexter’s writing. There’s very few authors that I’m aware of that can pull this off. I think Dexter could write an instructional manual for a blender and it would be riveting.

[Tom · Rating 2 out of 5]

This novel, based on a true crime in Philadelphia, follows two Irish cousins from boyhood to their early 30s as they become involved in corrupt union politics in an uneasy partnership with Mafia types. The story is told through Pete, an introverted orphan growing up in the shadow of Michael, a spoiled bully who becomes a minor gangster. Offsetting Michael's negative influence is Nick, a substitute father figure who runs a neighborhood boxing club and helps Peter gain self-confidence. I found the relationship between the cousins to be vague and confusing, becoming murkier as they reach adulthood. Are they buddies or enemies, or both? Much of the plot and dialogue is Mafia cliche, with characters frequently lapsing into euphemistic understatement to tell of hit jobs. All in all, a disappointment.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dexter's fourth novel begins by telling us the fate of the protagonist: Peter Flood and his cousin Michael, members of the Pennsylvania Trade Union council, are killed in a mob hit. Then, the novel travels back in time, to when the lives of the sensitive, decent Peter and his brutal cousin become entwined. In the rough Philadelphia neighborhoods, each does his best to survive in the way he is more suited for. Other memorable characters, such as Jimmy Measles, pining for his youthful glory days on the "Bandstand" and Nick Di Maggio, owner of a boxing gym and an auto shop, provide insights into morality and courage. Dexter's tale has its share of horror and misery, and an elegiac element of early loss lingers on every page. As his other novels do, I expect this one to stay with me.

[Thomas Tyrer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've now read all but one of Pete Dexter's books and have been working backward rather than chronologically. With "Brotherly Love," you see all the hallmarks of later work, but perhaps a little less developed. A good book to be sure, but arguably not the greatness that Dexter achieves later with "Paris Trout" or "Deadwood." One of the reasons I read this book at this particular time was the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and the feelings of powerlessness that currently pervade the nation. Dexter's work is always about quiet -- what some would call "manly" -- accountability where the protagonist must often take responsibility amid often too-troublesome circumstances to stand for what is truly right - no matter the personal consequences. And this novel achieves that in spades.

[leviathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

After reading Paris Trout, I was excited to read more from its a author. Brotherly Love did not let me down, and though it was less impactful in its message, it was generally more thrilling, which is what a good mob story should be. I felt like I was watching Goodfellas or Scarface but was twice as emotionally invested in the characters as either of those films could ever allow me to be. The tragedies in this story are hard to stomach at times, and the sheer brutality of the mob is equally so. I’d highly recommend this to anyone who enjoys mob movies like the ones mentioned before, because this is even better.

[Kaethe · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would not normally be a fan of a book about boxers, but Dexter writes amazingly well, and drew me in despite my lack of interest in the subject. That said, I haven't felt the slightest desire to revisit it.

[Ana Esteban · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bien escrito. Duro pero sin recrearse en la sordidez. Pero un poco lento.

[Ken Oder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of Dexter's first five books, this is the only one that didn't garner a national book award of some sort. It's at least as well written as Deadwood and a more cohesive story than Gods Pocket, but the explanation for its freeze-out may be the dark, oppressive world it depicts. Dexter returns to the Philadelphia mob scene, but unlike God's Pocket, the main characters are higher up in the underworld, corrupt union leaders with Mafia connections. Peter and Michael are cousins, raised in the same home like brothers by Michael's father. The implication from the outset is that Michael's father killed, or at least allowed the Mafia to kill, his brother, Peter's father, and assumed the top spot in the Roofer's Union, giving him control over its pension fund and a cadre of goons and thugs. It's not clear that Peter is sure of his uncle's role in the murder. It's not even clear he suspects it, but it seems clear to the reader, or to me at least. Michael is much like his father. He's a heartless sociopath. When his father is also murdered by the Mafia, Michael takes over the union. The source of frustration throughout the book is that Peter seems to be a good guy caught up in Michael's depraved world but neutralized by the blood connection to act against him. With Peter unwilling to stand up to Michael and no one there to restrain him, he commits cruel atrocities against everyone around him, ever more sadistic and abhorrent as the story progresses. Peter wages a losing war inside himself but can't, or won't, take action to abate the growing evil.
Very few stories cause my stomach to roll with tension. This one did, from early on all the way to the end. While the stomach rolling was a bane to me, it's a testament to Dexter's art. He drew me in to the point that I felt Peter's repression of his disgust with Michael's sadism, his hatred for him, and his fear of him as though they were my own. I became a nervous wreck, but couldn't stop reading. At the end of the story I knew without question that I wanted to do, and that given the same choices I would have done, exactly what Peter ended up doing.
This was a very hard book to read and it made me miserable at times, but God, it was worth it. One of the most powerful stories I've ever encountered.

[Dave Volpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 4.25⭐️

Two cousins, brought up like brothers after one gets taken in by his uncle, navigate life together over the next twenty years. Peter’s a good hearted kid, goes with the flow, doesn’t want any trouble. Michael is a cruel kid, an armor forged from insecurity. Michael wants to take over the family business after his father’s gone, expects Peter to fall in line right by his side. Peter knows Michael wouldn’t make a good leader in any setting, but it is what it is and they’re family after all. There lies our story…

Sparse, cold, violent, direct—all fitting the story and characters like a glove.

I grew up in Philly. So did my parents. Around where this book was written. I’ve been in these streets. I know guys like these—Real tough guys, fake tough guys, good guys, bad guys, connected guys, cops, criminals, straight up rotten to the core guys, addicts, down trodden do-gooders, honest blue-collar guys who build themselves a living, and also guys who take what other people have for a living. Nothing in Philly is black and white. Everything is gray, especially morality and the weather for six months a year. Which is why the bleak tone of this book works so well.

I really enjoyed the book and Dexter’s writing style. You can tell he was a journalist. Story itself developed nicely. Dialogue is gritty, dark, funny, and realistic. Characters were great. The women weren’t too fleshed but their roles aren’t too paramount either so it’s all good. Quick read. Kept me hooked. Saw the ending coming from the beginning but it was good, only one that made sense for the story. No complaints.

[Ned Andrew Solomon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two of my favorite writers are Pete Dexter and Richard Price. Although not exclusively, they both write books in the crime genre. Unlike many mystery writers who prioritize solving a crime, these two are interested in the personalities and motivations that inhabit the protagonists and the antagonists, and the frequently blurred lines between those two sides.

Like several of Price's books, the plot is launched by a murder. In the case of Brotherly Love, it's the accidental death of a little girl by a police officer. His "connected" neighbor can't let it go, even though his associates beg him to. This leads to another murder, and then several more over the years as Italian and Irish mobsters fight to gain, and hold on to, supremacy in Philadelphia.

The main character is the little girl's brother, Peter, who grows up with a sense of morals unlike his cousin, Micheal, who assumes the role of mob boss. Peter is never involved in Micheal's more nefarious activities, but he also can't fully extract himself from the family and its sordid business dealings.

The book was a terrific read, but I was disappointed by the quick jumps in time to eight years ahead, or 14 years ahead. I would have preferred Dexter take his time and give us a 500- or 600-page book. Although the ending was satisfying, I kept hoping that Peter would somehow escape the "ties that bind", and that his motivation for staying with Michael would be more adequately justified.

[Dragonave · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a somewhat funny book to review, and I decided to do so given all the high-rated top reviews. At around 25% into the book I knew it wouldn't surpass 3 stars (a good book following Goodreads standard), but it also wouldn't fall below 2 stars (an average book). I ended up settling for 2 stars. This book is very average, and apart from a few parts, mostly forgettable. The following excerpt from the author's preface to my edition helps to shed light into the main problem of the book.

"[...] half way through Brotherly Love, you may notice a scene which takes place on the roof of a warehouse. The words you read here were once the beginning of this book [...]"

Dexter basically wrote the second half first, noticed that something was missing, and went back to write the first half. And that's the main problem with the book: the first half is substantially different and feels disconnected from the second half, and that's evident from the kind of events taking place in each part. While the first part is basically a (very boring) background story of Peter and Nick to complement the rest of the book, the second part is where the main events happen and we follow Michael becoming more and more unhinged, especially toward Jimmy, while Peter just observes it. Even the main characters of each half don't match: Nick is devoted several pages in the first part but is just a small side character later on, while Michael and Jimmy barely show up in the first half. Dexter must have noticed that several characters and their motivations weren't fully developed and unsuccessfully attempted to rectify the issue by writing a (sometimes rushed) coming-of-age introduction.

Another big problem with the book is Dexter's writing style, which is very dry and, in a way, superficial. It is not a problem to be dry and direct, Hemingway is a great example that it can work, but I am not sure that Dexter manages to pull it off. What annoyed me greatly is that, paradoxically, while the events are described in a superficial way, in that we don't get to fully grasp the emotional level experienced by the characters (I have Dostoevsky in mind as a good counterexample), Dexter overly describes some odd details belonging to a scene. I am not that interested if, while a character drinks, there is a small "umbrella" inside the glass that floats in between partially melted ice, or that a waiter's bow tie is authentic and no clip-on. I get it that these are supposed to submerge the reader into the story, but are so overly used that these descriptions actually take me farther from the main action and add to the superficiality. The reader becomes simply a far-away observer to the scenes and doesn't get to fully experience them with the characters.

As a consequence of the superficial writing style, the characters feel shallow. They are not one-dimensional, mind you. There is some level of complexity to them, but then again, in a superficial way. And that's probably the main reason why Dexter decided to write the first half, to add a backstory. Unfortunately this backstory is extremely boring and feels somewhat detached from the second half. I wouldn't say I got to know the characters. They simply operate, going from one violent event to another, like a machine you don't get to open or understand. This is mostly problematic regarding Peter for two reasons: the end of the book and his passivity. Peter is a passive character and barely reacts to the events. He only observes them, following Michael's illegal activities. Dexter actually wants us to believe that Peter has some moral code (he won't lie), but his passivity speaks otherwise. In a way, he is a surrogate for the author, especially in the second half where most events happen when he is present. You could argue that this is the story of Peter waking up and taking action for once, but can a machine you don't get to understand react? And is it logical if it does? Because Peter is passive throughout the story and superficially explored, there is little motivation to his final and main action. We get the feeling that it was due to Nick, and that's probably the reason why Nick was explored in more detailed in the first half. Dexter realised that it just didn't make sense why Peter should care about him since he is a small character in the second half. Still, Peter's action didn't leave an impact because there was no build-up and I clearly saw it coming not because it made sense, but because it was the easy finale.

Also, some explicit sexual parts where completely unnecessary. No need to add a line telling us that Peter masturbated in a public phone booth over a call. It is just to add shock value and be "edgy", a staple of most books since the 70s.

[Alan Gerstle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What is the theme of Brotherly Love. Read it and find out. However, you could read it and never find out. First, though, the book is brilliant; the author is able to mine the interstices of the cognitive life of its characters, and show how environment, experience, and subculture develops us, shapes us, inevitably determines to a very large degree, not just who we appear to be, but the thrust of our life through life. In this case, the violent world of some South Philadelphia union bosses and co., demonstrate the intergenerational influence of a narrowly focused world and how it implicates those in that world and those on its periphery. Brotherly love is an apt title, because it shows the nature of dependence and a brutal sort of misplaced love (the kind that sends a 12 year old to a prostitute to 'break him in.' It is a world that ends in doom; for those that manage to extricate themselves, life is a painful affair--physically, mentally, psychically. What this summary lacks in specificity is complemented by the macroanalysis of gesture, sign, word, action, accessory, and interiority that exists like a perverse fish tank where the water is polluted and the only way out is to jump out, flop around, and find peace in death.

[Susan Chow-Dukhan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Peter Flood and his cousin Michael are murdered in 1986. This novella touches on the life of Peter Flood from 1961, when the eight year old witnesses the death of his baby sister in a car accident and the subsequent disappearance of his father, to his death in 1986. The narrative hints that the Peter's father, who is in charge of the Roofers' Union in Philadelphia has a working relationship with the mob.
The earlier chapters makes the reader sympathetic to Peter, as events show that he is a stoic, hardworking individual, in comparison to his cousin, who is lazy, cruel and sadistic. After the murder of his uncle in 1974, the novel jumps to 1986, where Michael is now the Southeastern Pennsylania Trade Union Council President. Peter is portrayed as being the neutral observer of his cousin's actions that involves manipulation of people, selfishness, cruelty, beatings and murders. The book emphasizes the differences between the two men, but the credibility of Peter's goodness in the face of the behaviour of his cousin is under minded by the thought we are not told of Peter's role in the business, and while he is not as bad as Michael, he may have done his share of dirty deeds over the years, as he has stayed with his cousin.

[Nick Vanderwal · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easy four stars but can't give it five. Not sure of my reason(s) but they include being hard to follow at times and especially the ending. Maybe I should have been left hanging but still doesn't feel good. To me not so much a story about boxing but this is certainly a part of it and was a learning experience. Rather a sick, sorry to say certainly true, account of life in the mob and it's very ugly affect those near it's edge. My second Dexter and will continue until finished. Sorry for not giving you five because you just might deserve it here. Some folks would ding you because of the insensitive truth. They have their own problems. Putting one's head in the sand will not find answers for ugliness. But they can simply read something else.

[Howard G · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read 200 pages the first day (OK, I'm retired), but still, that says a lot.
I read The Paperboy before, so I already like Pete Dexter's writing.
This one is sort of a cross between On The Waterfront and Rocky. And I mean that in the best way. Involves a boy who is raised by his uncle. The family is involved in some mob stuff and union stuff in Philadelphia. I really enjoy reading this. After finishing it I still loved it. I would also point out that there are elements of Sopranos in there too, especially the horse thread that reminds one of the Pie-O-My story line from Sopranos. I'm guessing one of the Soprano writers must have read this because Brother Love pre-dates it by about 10 years.

[Tim O'Leary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not to take away anything from this real crime novel in South Philly, am totally a fan, but it took way too long to finish it. That's what happens when a Jeep you've owned since driving it off the lot 45 years ago is over-heating and you think you screwed-up and have maybe blown a head gasket. But it's been a month-long project and thankfully the problem (the overheating one, others still yet to be attended to) is solved not having to deal--thank God--with a major DIY engine overhaul...and so back to reading...where Dexter had me up until 2 a.m. and my dog was reminding me it was well past her bed time. Up next: "The Paperboy" and that will complete my binge of reading all his books. Grease-monkey diversions aside.

[Patrick Barry · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm not wild about books about the mob, but I hung in with this and really liked it at the end. It concerns a boy orphaned by grief, depression and revenge. His family is part of a mob that controls the unions in Philadelphia. After he is orphaned he is taken in by his uncle and is raised with his cousin. Both relatives are psychopaths. He tries to escape the sins of the family seeking punishment in a boxing gym, so the protagonists has issues of his own. In the end he must make a decision, support his family or go against it. Either choice seems a dead end road. The ending of this book is really good, enough for me to push it to four stars.

[Craig Amason · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having lived and worked as a journalist in Philadelphia, Pete Dexter probably has some laser sharp insights into the violent world of the union mobs in the city during the last half of the 20th century. This story spans several decades and puts the reader down at the street level of the shady deals, corruption, revenge, and deceit where organized crime and labor intersect. But as with all of Dexter's novels, there are subthemes and gritty human emotions and conflicts that weave the story together and make it more than just entertainment. He never fails to deliver the gut punch, and in the case of this novel, we experience it literally and figuratively. Nice work.

[Paula Uría Macías · Rating 4 out of 5]

Narra la historia de vida de una familia de origen irlandés en Boston dedicada en los años 60 70 a los tejemanejes de los sindicatos y tonteando con la mafia italiana. Cuenta los sucesos que acontecieron a lo largo de sus vidas en esta familia: enfrentamientos, rivalidades, negocios, violencia, mujeres, boxeo. Vale la pena ver porque ahonda en las personalidades de cada uno de los protagonistas

[Robert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have to say that I really like how Pete Dexter writes. He reminds me of Dennis Lehane who is naturally a great writer. This may have been more like a 3.5 rating. This would have been a 4.5 but I just could not relate to the main character. He barely spoke and was basically weird. And I still have no idea what he looked like. But still worth the read.

[David Gagen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another fine novel from this great writer. I did feel however that this cdve been a much bigger story delving into these characters lives in more detail. The character of Peter is more of a quiet observer....he could have been shaped more fully I think. The writing of course is wonderful...I just wanted more time with these interesting characters.

[Robert Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book by a great writer. Read Pete Dexter articles in the Philadelphia Daily News (along with Larry McMullen and a great staff of Sports Writers) fr9n Day One. I lived the times depicted in the book and remember well those violent days.

[KathleenW · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Quick read. Sparse and a good bit of violence but really great character development and captured the mood/let me imagine a mood that was pretty intense. Philly mob life. But portrays the human side of it, a few sympathetic characters. Recommend. Pete Dexter is one of the best.