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
Recommended reading for every paranoid suburbanite who’s considering a move to the city, or to the Arctic wilds.
Character assassination reigns supreme, if not uncontested, in a Long Island suburb.
April Masterson loves her husband, corporate attorney Elliott; their 7-year-old, Bobby; and her YouTube channel, “April’s Sweet Secrets.” What she doesn’t love is whoever’s texting her warnings about how Bobby isn’t really in their backyard while she’s busy filming her videos or withering critiques of her baking show or veiled accusations about her past and threats about her present. Her best friend, former prosecutor Julie Bressler, may be bossy and opinionated, but surely she’d never turn on April this way. Who else might know enough to send April goodies like a picture of her kissing Mark Tanner, Bobby’s soccer coach? Though April struggles to get Elliot to take her ordeal seriously, even when she shows up at his office for a lunch date, he’s protected by his receptionist, Brianna Anderson, whose attachment to her boss goes far beyond loyalty. Then Julie turns on her; Maria Cooper, her friendly new next-door neighbor, turns on her; and in the most mind-boggling scene, Doris Kirkland, April’s mother, whose dementia has brought her to a nursing home, turns on her. McFadden releases an escalating series of toxins so deftly into the suburban atmosphere that it’s practically an anticlimax when someone gets killed and April instantly becomes the prime suspect. But that’s only a setup for the tale’s boldest move: switching its narrator from April to a fair-weather friend who frames the whole nightmare in dramatically different terms. As a special gift to her savviest fans, the author throws in an even more jolting epilogue that’s as hard to forget as it is to believe.
Recommended reading for every paranoid suburbanite who’s considering a move to the city, or to the Arctic wilds.Pub Date: March 3, 2026
ISBN: 9781464249600
Page Count: 368
Publisher: Poisoned Pen
Review Posted Online: Dec. 6, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Jan. 15, 2026
Amateurish, with a twist savvy readers will see coming from a mile away.
A woman accused of shooting her husband six times in the face refuses to speak.
"Alicia Berenson was thirty-three years old when she killed her husband. They had been married for seven years. They were both artists—Alicia was a painter, and Gabriel was a well-known fashion photographer." Michaelides' debut is narrated in the voice of psychotherapist Theo Faber, who applies for a job at the institution where Alicia is incarcerated because he's fascinated with her case and believes he will be able to get her to talk. The narration of the increasingly unrealistic events that follow is interwoven with excerpts from Alicia's diary. Ah, yes, the old interwoven diary trick. When you read Alicia's diary you'll conclude the woman could well have been a novelist instead of a painter because it contains page after page of detailed dialogue, scenes, and conversations quite unlike those in any journal you've ever seen. " 'What's the matter?' 'I can't talk about it on the phone, I need to see you.' 'It's just—I'm not sure I can make it up to Cambridge at the minute.' 'I'll come to you. This afternoon. Okay?' Something in Paul's voice made me agree without thinking about it. He sounded desperate. 'Okay. Are you sure you can't tell me about it now?' 'I'll see you later.' Paul hung up." Wouldn't all this appear in a diary as "Paul wouldn't tell me what was wrong"? An even more improbable entry is the one that pins the tail on the killer. While much of the book is clumsy, contrived, and silly, it is while reading passages of the diary that one may actually find oneself laughing out loud.
Amateurish, with a twist savvy readers will see coming from a mile away.Pub Date: Feb. 5, 2019
ISBN: 978-1-250-30169-7
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Nov. 3, 2018
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 15, 2018
BOOK REVIEW
BOOK REVIEW
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