BLACK CORDITE, WHITE SNOW

In Granzow’s novel, a pair of immigrant brothers get more than they bargained for when they attempt to do business with the mob in Prohibition-era Minnesota.

This first installment of the Crooks’ Haven series introduces Niklas and Kessler Kristofferson, recent Danish immigrants who have settled in St. Paul. It’s the early 20th century, and they’re looking to sell their impressive cache of machine guns…for the right price. They seem to find a buyer in Barbieri, a Sicilian mobster with ties to the Chicago crime syndicate. But the Kristofferson brothers run into various roadblocks on their way toward sealing the deal, including getting tossed in jail before being swiftly bailed out by their contemptuous uncle. They must also continuously dodge the watchful eyes of Stauss, a (mostly) honest detective whose affinity for drag balls could threaten his career. After plenty of double-crossings and backend deals along the way (corruption appears to be unavoidable within the city, with even the chief of police himself enjoying the illicit pleasures of a speakeasy), the narrative builds to a bloody showdown with the ending expertly setting up the next book in the series. Unsurprisingly in a historical fiction novel featuring gangsters, fairly graphic violence and foul language appear consistently throughout. Despite some over-the-top dialogue (“Stop, damn you. You cruel bastard”), and the occasional ostentatious word choice (“his usual insouciant grin…”; “the amaroidal brew…”), Granzow creates a compelling and naturalistic world evoking a time of unprecedented violence and crime. Brief appearances by real persons provide further historical context as well as some occasional humor—such as when, after Niklas asks whether the hungover “local novelist” sitting at the bar (who turns out to be F. Scott Fitzgerald) is any good, Stauss replies, “Depends on your tastes. I find him a bit incoherent with plot, but he has potential.”

An exciting, testosterone-fueled gangster tale brimming with shootouts, shady characters, and clever historical nods.