A novel with an intriguing premise that’s ultimately hampered by awkward execution.
In Paper’s historical crime novel, mobsters hire a retired FBI agent to keep tabs on Jimmy Hoffa.
In 1975, Sam Silver, a former longtime federal agent turned private investigator, lands an unusual assignment to track the movements of Hoffa, the notorious former president of the Teamsters union. His client is Vito Manchetti, a high-ranking soldier for Santo Trafficante Jr., the head of the mob on the west coast of Florida. Sam and Vito became friendly acquaintances when Sam investigated Trafficante for the FBI in the ’60s. Now, after an explosion of violence involving the Mafia and the Teamsters, Vito is concerned Hoffa might disclose sensitive information to the FBI. In this implausible tale by author Paper, Sam’s lack of prudence is astonishing: “Would it be foolish to take an assignment from the mob?” Reluctantly, the ex-agent accepts the assignment—the promised compensation is considerable—but comes to regret it when he sees three men abscond with Hoffa in the back of a car, shortly before he vanishes forever. Sam recognizes the kidnappers as mob associates but decides to keep the information to himself, fearful of retribution from the very people who hired him. Suspiciously, Sam meets his end while sailing on his boat, in what is initially ruled as an accident; a decade later, his only son, Max, receives a letter from him, confessing what he saw—but strangely, he omits the names of the three men, which were apparently recorded in an absent notebook. Max decides to investigate further, and through Bob Doyle, an old colleague of Sam’s, he makes contact with Vito—a dangerous move for both men, evinced by the burglary and murder that ensues.
Over the course of this novel, Paper shows his knowledge of the germane historical material in an impressive manner; in order to creatively reimagine the details behind Hoffa’s mysterious disappearance, he thoroughly establishes his command of the known facts. Also, the novel offers an engaging look into the world of organized crime over the course of a genuinely unpredictable story; the truth behind Sam’s death is indeed revealed to be a tangled web. However, there’s far too much that strains belief, such as the fact that Sam would accept such a sketchy assignment and then confidently declare in a letter to his son that he did nothing that was “questionable.” However, the main flaws of this promising novel have to do with its storytelling; the plot moves at a glacial pace, burdened by too many digressions. The prose, meanwhile, lacks a sense of style that might have maintained readers’ interest. Overall, Paper accomplishes his goal to write a story that “ring[s] with authenticity.” However, it feels more journalistic than novelistic, due to colorless descriptions and mechanical dialogue. The work is likely to appeal to amateur historians who have an interest in the unsolved case of Hoffa’s disappearance, but it won’t attract readers who may be looking for a well-structured story.
A novel with an intriguing premise that’s ultimately hampered by awkward execution.Pub Date: March 18, 2025
ISBN: 9781685127855
Page Count: 292
Publisher: Historia
Review Posted Online: Feb. 4, 2025
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
BOOK REVIEW
Maybe not the most thrilling thriller, but the role of AI in coping with grief gives this novel pathos and interest.
A widowed and disgraced plastic surgeon is drawn into a Russian oligarch’s evil schemes.
Witherspoon’s adult fiction debut, co-authored with thrillermeister Coben, opens as heart surgery performed by Dr. Marc Adams in a North African refugee camp is interrupted by the explosive invasion of armed militants. It's the last we will see of Marc in this dimension. The next chapter jumps ahead one year to a ceremony at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore where his widow, Maggie McCabe, is supposed to be presenting an award in honor of her mother. Miserable and anxious about appearing in public after having lost her medical license, she consults with her late husband on her phone—not via supernatural means, but using a "griefbot," an amazingly lifelike and functional AI app created by her genius sister, Sharon. Once the griefbot coaxes her to brave the sneering masses, she learns she’s been replaced on the podium anyway. But she runs into a former professor, a celebrity plastic surgeon, who requests a meeting with her at his office in New York and won’t take no for an answer. Next thing she knows, there’s $10 million in her bank account and she’s on a private plane heading to a palace outside Moscow where she’s been engaged to perform off-the-record surgery on billionaire Oleg Ragoravich (new face) and his girlfriend, Nadia (new boobs). And…we’re off. A whirl of surgeries, chases, and escapes ensues as Maggie gradually comes to understand who these people are and what they have in mind for her, and how it connects to Marc and their missing friend and business partner, Trace Packer. She is aided by her delightful father-in-law, Porkchop, owner of a biker bar in New York City and a very handy guy to have on your team if you've run afoul of an international criminal organization. From the palace in Rublevka the action moves to Dubai and then Bordeaux, climaxing in a high-stakes illegal heart transplant. But wait—is Marc really dead? What happened to Trace? Who is Nadia really? Though these smoldering questions don’t quite catch fire, it's a good first try for Witherspoon.
Maybe not the most thrilling thriller, but the role of AI in coping with grief gives this novel pathos and interest.Pub Date: Oct. 14, 2025
ISBN: 9781538774700
Page Count: 352
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Review Posted Online: Oct. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Dec. 1, 2025
SEEN & HEARD
SEEN & HEARD
Fast-moving and disturbingly plausible.
Robots may be the future of warfare in this final father-son DeMille collaboration.
In Camp Hayden, Army Maj. Roger Ames is found dead, his skull crushed. Chief Warrant Officers Scott Brodie and Maggie Taylor, special agents of the United States Army Criminal Investigation Division, are sent to the Mojave Desert, “a.k.a. in the middle of nowhere,” to investigate. In this fictional military installation, Army Rangers conduct field training exercises with lethal autonomous weapons. These “dangerous new toys,” nicknamed “tin men,” may become the future of warfare if they can be programmed to distinguish between friend and foe. Anyway, the Rangers’ job is to train the tin men, not the other way around. They are AI-driven robotic prototypes called D-17s, but even prototypes can kill. Did a bot kill the major? And was there criminal liability or intent, or was it a tragic accident? Brodie and Taylor discover that not everyone loves these beasts, and they must find out if humans are programming them for mischief or even trying to set up the program for failure. Meanwhile, the bots have nicknames. Bot number 20 is Bucky, seen on a video as a “seven-foot-tall titanium machine with hands covered in blood and brain matter” that has “a face but no eyes, with hands but no skin, with a body but no soul.” As scary as these beasties are, Brodie and Taylor must also look at the humans at Camp Hayden, because they learn that the “machines don’t have motives….They have inputs and outputs,” which naturally come from human programmers. They have neither brains nor courage nor honor; they do have brute force, speed, and agility. Obviously, plenty goes haywire in this enjoyable yarn. It feels a bit too believable for comfort, and that’s to the DeMilles’ credit as storytellers. Nelson DeMille had begun this project with his son Alex, who had to finish it alone after his father’s death.
Fast-moving and disturbingly plausible.Pub Date: Oct. 28, 2025
ISBN: 9781501101878
Page Count: 384
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: July 19, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Aug. 15, 2025
© Copyright 2025 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
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