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4.08 AVERAGE
4.08 AVERAGE
dark
tense
medium-paced
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Very solid 4, perfect for your dad, uncle or anyone interested in Chicago crime/mob history. Covers a very specific period/window in 1978 that I wasn't even aware happened. Story ends in a restaurant/club that I went to when I lived in Chicago so that was a fun easter egg for me.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
tense
medium-paced
Who else loved The Town? Or mobster movies and books in general? If you need recommendations, I got you. Ever since watching Goodfellas at 11 with my dad I’ve been in love with the genre. Fun fact: Jeremy had me pick movies for our first date and I picked Goodfellas and Gangs of New York. This book did not disappoint. Based on the true story of Tony Accardo (the longest reigning mob capo in history) this was everything you could want from this kind of book. Suspense, mystery, some historical elements and true crime vibes, and the writing was addictive. I need more from
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
tense
fast-paced
Gangland mixes the true story of various mobsters, including Accardo, with a fictional story of Nicky Pins. This is not a crazy action packed book with constant shoot outs or dramatic encounters but feels more like The Sopranos. It's a book that focuses on the relationships between characters and the need to keep up appearances of honesty, loyalty, and power. It feels like a complicated story without being hard to follow which made it a really enjoyable read.
Nicky is such an interesting character to read about because despite being a bad guy he's not a 'bad' guy...well that's not entirely true. He's a likeable less bad bad guy and while knowing it's wrong to root for a mobster I still did. That's what made this book work for me. None of the main players in this story are innocent, they are all deceitful and willing to put their interest above the lives of others. And creating a character that despite that you want the best for is really impressive.
Nicky is such an interesting character to read about because despite being a bad guy he's not a 'bad' guy...well that's not entirely true. He's a likeable less bad bad guy and while knowing it's wrong to root for a mobster I still did. That's what made this book work for me. None of the main players in this story are innocent, they are all deceitful and willing to put their interest above the lives of others. And creating a character that despite that you want the best for is really impressive.
dark
tense
medium-paced
Always love books that have people in gangs/the mafia. This was the first Chuck Hogan book I've read. Will definitely be reading more of his books.
dark
tense
medium-paced