I Got Lost in a Book
It is said that once you have seen the city of Naples, you can die peacefully since nothing else can match its beauty. Well, that is not the case in this book! Yes, the characters face death head-on, but there is not a lot of beauty in the underworld that is ruled by powerful organised crime syndicates. And hence we have the setting for The Alcoholic Mercenary by Phil Hughes.
I thought this story was wonderfully narrated. At times it felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. It has all the ingredients of a bestselling crime thriller. The author has captured the era as well, the late 1970s may not seem that long ago to some, but so much has changed since then and it was interesting to read about a familiar world without all the bells and whistles that come with the modern-day. I especially enjoyed reading about Agent Rachel Welch and how she navigated a world where men dominated.
Although I enjoyed reading about Rachel I found it more difficult to connect with Boccone. He is one complex individual and as soon as I thought I had got a handle on his character he goes off and does something else. I guess his unpredictability helped move the story forward, but I did not care for him the way I did Rachel and I am not sure if the author wanted me to care for him. He is a loose cannon that can go off at any moment.
I think this book would certainly appeal to those who like historical crime fiction. It was certainly a good read and one I enjoyed very much.
PerchedCrowPress 