Set in the mid to late 1980’s in and around Providence, Rhode Island this is an epic mafia story.
Mainly looked at from Danny Ryans prospective the story looks at the relationships within families and factions of gangs.
The Murphy family are Irish, they run the docks and they are old school.
Danny has married into the family, marrying the daughter of the top man John, but he’s never had a proper seat at the table. He’s never really been part of the decision making process. He’s has responsibilities within the “firm” but they are minor in comparison to Johns sons.
There has been a peace amongst the main family’s who run Providence for years.
The Italians and the Irish had been at war for years until the two heads of the families had decided to divide the area equally and live in peace, and it was working until one of Johns sons, Liam, let his dick get in the way of his brain.
A summer cook out, on the beach, members of all the leading families having a party.
Then a hot, beautiful woman appears on the sand. Danny instantly thinks shes going to cause problems, and he’s right.
Pam, the hot woman, is with Paul Moretti, one of the sons of the main man in the Italian mafia in the area.
Liam touches her inappropriately and gets a beating from the Italians, and those are the sparks that lead to a bloody battle which will last for years.
The book looks at the battle from all sides, the tit-for-tat attacks that escalate with beatings moving on to murders and full on executions.
It looks at the ways former friends are pitted against each other, but although some of them want to bring peace back to the streets, there are others who are hell bent on full on war.
The Italians have other mafia families from across New York to bring into the fray, The Irish have the ”Boys” back home to bring over.
The conflict gets bloody, really bloody.
The corrupt cops try to keep the peace but are so far in the pocket of the gangs they only add to the problem.
The politics of the gangs is fascinating. The leader, the elders, having old school attitudes which almost makes them look like gentlemen compared to their younger siblings.
Danny is one of those trying to keep the peace at first. But as the casualties mount, and as Liam spirals deeper into drugs and alcohol abuse he finds himself close to the leadership of the Irish.
Does he continue trying to find a way to peace, or has it gone too far now. Does he need to use the full force of the Irish gangs to finish off the Italians.
This is the first book in a trilogy. It isn’t often I will read a book and go straight to the next, but I am this time.
There is no cliffhanger ending, but I am desperate to see what happens next.
Trigger warnings for this book include violence, it’s not gratuitous, and it is very much in context, in fact the book would not be as good without it, but it’s there.
There’s also a bit of spice but again it’s in context and adds to the story.
So not only is Don Winslow a new author to me, but having read one book he has me hooked into at least another two.
Pages: 356. Publisher: Harper Collins
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