Gabriel ValjanRecensioner
Författare till Wasp's Nest
Recensioner
In this installment of the series, Shane is asked to find Sal, the nephew of Mr.B., the mob boss of Boston's Italian North End. There is an undercurrent of a potential territory feud that has it's sights on Boston, and Mr.B. isn't pleased with this development, especially when it involves bringing distrbution of cocaine into the city by the Canadian mob, the Boston Irish Southie Winter Hill Gang, and the NY five families. And if that isn't enough, Jimmy Hoban, a Vietnam veteran and advocate for veterans, the mentally ill, and the homeless, has been found frozen on the street, which draws Shane's attention since he is also an Army Vietnam veteran. And to make matters worse, tension in the city increases when three Boston Police Officers are shot dead, and the Feds show up. Shane has a lot on his plate, but it just gets more intense when an old Vietnam Army buddy shows up, and Shane's memories of Vietnam surface when his buddy Hunter is in town on a personal mission. Shane gets caught up in a dangerous game of Liar's Dice, a game of guesses, bluffs, and deception. Can Shane put the pieces of the puzzle together, and solve the interwining cases that are wrecking havoc in Boston?
Liar's Dice is a riveting crime story that easily draws the reader in from the start. The author provides the reader with a fascinating and richly detailed crime thriller set in 1970s Boston. Told in the first person narrative by Shane, this gritty noir story has enough drama, secrets, deception, tension, greed, murder, and surprising twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing if Shane will be able to uncover enough evidence to solve the various cases that are plaguing Boston. Shane deals with hostility from his ex-police brethren, crooked cops, mobsters, and wealthy individuals who try to hinder his every move. Trouble always seem to find Shane, it's the hazard of his job and it comes with the territory, but it doesn't deter him from finding the truth.
This suspenseful storyline is about intertwining cases that Shane slowly puts the pieces of the puzzle together, uncovering the underlying mafia tension, drug deals, and corruption in Boston that will keep the reader guessing. With an intriguing cast of characters, a great description of Boston and the throwback to the 1970s decade, and flashbacks to Shane's military past, Liar's Dice takes the reader on one heck of a thrilling rollercoaster ride!
Liar's Dice is a well-written, fast paced crime thriller story that left me interested in finding out what Shane's next investigative adventure will be in the continuation of the series.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book from the author / publisher via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Book Tours.
https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2023/03/liars-dice-by-gabriel-valjan-...
The story is set in Boston during the '70s, racial inequalities and differences in Boston run high. Valjan gives a great description of the times, and tensions between the black community and the cops. Even the mob is included in the story along with dirty politics. In his investigation, he enters high society and the lowest of society. The problem is, whatever he may find, would be illegal due to the simple fact of not having a PI license.
He enlists his girlfriend Bonnie, who is a criminal defense attorney, to help him sift through all the evidence. A dangerous endeavor for them both. Like I said, the deeper he digs the more danger they are in. He is determined to get the facts and prove the young man's innocence.
This is a fast-paced story, one written with impeccable research of the times and the city of Boston, with the author's description of the times that brought me back to the turbulent '70s when I was a teenager/young adult. I lived in a different city but the issues were the same. If you enjoy a noirish story about a hardboiled PI then give this book a try. I have read other books by Gabriel Valjan and have never been disappointed.
I give this book 4 stars.
Hush Hush is a riveting crime story that easily draws the reader in from the start. The author provides the reader with a fascinating and richly detailed crime thriller set in 1970s Boston. Told in the first person narrative by Shane, this gritty noir story has enough drama, secrets, deception, tension, and surprising twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing if Shane will be able to uncover enough new evidence to grant an appeal for the case. Shane deals with hostility from his ex-police brethren, crooked cops, mobsters, and wealthy individuals who try to hinder his every move. Trouble always seem to find Shane, it's the hazard of his job and it comes with the territory, but it doesn't deter him from finding the truth.
This suspenseful storyline is about a murder case that Shane slowly puts the pieces of the puzzle together, uncovering the underlying race relations and corruption during that time in Boston that was kept hush hush, it will keep the reader guessing. With an intriguing cast of characters, a great description of Boston and the throwback to the 1970s decade, and flashbacks to Shane's past, Hush Hush takes the reader on one heck of a thrilling rollercoaster ride!
Hush Hush is a well-written, fast paced crime thriller story that left me interested in finding out what Shane's next investigative adventure will be in the continuation of the series.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of the book via the author / publisher in exchange for my honest review and participation in a virtual book tour event hosted by Partners In Crime Virtual Book Tours.
https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2022/04/hush-hush-by-gabriel-valjan-v...
HUSH HUSH by Gabriel Valjan is my first book by this author. Set in the 1970’s in Boston, Valjan gives readers insight of what life was like for many during that Era. The characters were spot on and though most of them were a rough bunch, I did enjoyed the way they grew and developed as the story unfolds. Author Gabriel Valjan is a phenomenal writer. Different than most authors I read, and he does an amazing job with the dialogue, a little rough talk at times but that fits the story well.
I did like Shane Cleary, the unlicensed PI, but a sharp PI that. I found that much of the story is so realistic today, especially on the racial issues. And Valjan doesn’t back off from telling it like it is.
I think you will enjoy this story if you enjoy a good mystery as well as taking a trip back to the good old 1970 and some of the hard core memories of Boston’s streets.
A special thanks to the author/publisher for a copy of this book. I am not required to write a positive review, the opinions here are mine alone. I am disclosing this with my review in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.
Symphony Road is a riveting crime story that easily draws the reader in from the start. The author provides the reader with a fascinating and richly detailed crime thriller set in 1970s Boston. Told in the first person narrative by Shane, this gritty noir story has enough drama, secrets, deception, tension, and surprising twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing if Shane will be able to solve all three cases, while dealing with hostility from his ex-police brethren, crooked cops, mobsters, and a variety of criminal types that try to hinder his every move. Trouble always seem to find Shane, it's the hazard of his job and it comes with the territory, but it doesn't deter him from finding the truth.
With a cast of intriguing characters, a suspenseful storyline consisting of three cases that will keep the reader guessing, a great description of Boston and the throwback to the 1970s decade, and flashbacks to Shane's past, Symphony Road takes the reader on one hell of a thrilling rollercoaster ride!
Symphony Road is a well-written, fast paced crime thriller story that left me interested in finding out what Shane's next investigative adventure will be in the continuation of the series.
https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2021/02/symphony-road-by-gabriel-valj...
Dirty Old Town is a riveting crime story that easily draws the reader in from the start. The author provides the reader with a fascinating and richly detailed crime thriller set in 1970s Boston. Told in the first person narrative by Shane, this gritty story has enough drama, secrets, deception, tension, and surprising twists and turns that keeps the reader guessing if Shane will be able to solve both cases, while dealing with backstabbing old friends, mobsters, and a variety of criminal types that try to hinder his every move. I loved the throwback to the 1970s decade, and I really appreciated reading about Shane's past. Dirty Old Town is a well-written, fast paced story that left me interested in finding out what Shane's next investigative adventure will be in the continuation of the series.
https://jerseygirlbookreviews.blogspot.com/2020/04/dirty-old-town-by-gabriel-val...
Some of those stories have made it into this anthology edited by Liam Sweeny. Published by Joyride Press last year, there is also nonfiction in the form of essay observations, many black and white pictures of customers and staff, and more than a few drink recipes. In fact, because very story is led off by a drink recipe, there are nearly two dozen drink recipes listed in the read. Those same drink recipes contain no amounts regarding ingredients because one is encouraged to “live a little.” That concept of “live a little” is often what happens in these tales with some deadly consequences as well as the resulting biohazardous material messes to clean up.
After a forward from Eryk Pruitt, he also offers a piece on how a drink and a bar experience should be as opposed to how things are these days in many places. That is followed by a piece by Dan Barbour on his real life musical experience in the aforementioned drinking establishment. Then it is on to the twenty-two stories published in the Dark Yonder: Tales and Tabs anthology. As noted before, there is not a bad tale in the bunch. Several can cause laugh out moments. So, grab your favorite beverage and take a few minutes to read this review as each tale is briefly explained. That explanation is done without the use of herbs, bitters, or spoilers. The various illustrative pictures in the read can’t be explained. You just have to see them for yourself. Those pictures have their own tales to tell.
Travis Richardson gets things started with “Them’s Fighting Words.” Grady Edwards just wanted to be left alone. Then Eryk Pruitt and Drew showed up asking questions about the murder of Jessica Talbert. Wesley Winston spent twenty years of his life in prison until that damn DNA test cleared him. If that had not happened, Grady Edwards would not be dealing with this porch problem.
He knew she wanted to be left alone when she came into the bar by herself. He’s seen her before, usually with a bunch of coworkers, and knows that her name is Alana. He also knows she has a problem of some sort in “Run Its Course” by Frank Zafiro.
A late meeting at Yonder: Southern Cocktails & Brew is planned between a reporter and the man known to all as “Popcorn.” The legendary moonshiner might or might not show up for the meeting. If he does and does wish to tell it, he has quite the story to tell in “Popcorn” by Gabriel Valjan.
Will Viharo is up next with the short story, “Living Proof (A Vic Valentine Vignette).” The private investigator in from San Francisco is a long way from home as he walks into the North Carolina bar. This is a case that will get stranger by the minute as Vic Valentine quickly learns he is far from home in more than just the physical sense and is way out of his depth.
It has been a hard two years for Jewel since the FBI shut down the family law firm. She is skittish and she has good reason to be so in “Off-Label” by Terri Lynn Coop. Even with Max Geno present and her favorite adult beverage available, she knows this is not a social meeting.
Freddie the Cripple has a certain reputation and one that he likes to exploit here and there. In “Yonder There’s aMargarita” by Matt Phillips, he also likes a decent margarita. He likes the bar, Yonder: Southern Cocktails & Brew, as well and really does not want to do the job he has been hired to complete.
Gordon has been working on being a regular at Yonder: Southern Cocktails & Brew. Part of that process is always sitting on the same stool and therefore claiming it as his own. Tonight is starting off wrong from the get go in “The Regular” by Eric Beetner. As often happens in bars, making your claim for respect can result in violence.
Why the customer brought a ventriloquist dummy into the bar no one really knows. If the guy would just drink his drink and do it quietly, things would probably okay. But, he won’t. Before long the dummy, Slappy Sacramento, is talking way too much in running’s its mouth way too much in Todd Morr’s short story, “Slappy Sacramento.”
When your insides are making like explosive lava, it is nearly impossibly hard to be a quiet criminal. “Huey and the Burrito of Doom” by Nick Kolakowski need little explanation. The tale is dark, twisted, messy, and more than a little funny.
She may be beautiful, but she is cold too in “The Door in the Floor” by Allison A. Davis. She also knows exactly how her drink should be made. She also seems to know far more than she should about a lot of things. It is past time to get the boss, Eryk Pruitt, on scene to deal with her.
Technology is wonderful until it isn’t. Everything started off innocently enough in “Close Your Laptop” by Judy Wilkinson. One little thing lead to another and now, thanks to technology, she knows far too much.
The plan is to recue Darlene’s little sister in “They Have Fancy Drinks Named After Famous Writers” by S. A. Cosby. Give the pimp some money that is more than it seems. The plan is to fool him just long enough to get him out back of Yonder: Southern Cocktails & Brew and then give him the beat down he deserves to find sixteen year old Julie.
Editor Liam Sweeny is next with the short story, “Legs Diamond.” Life has been hard and Rory is doing the best he can. He’s figured out Eryk Pruitt is a good man. Finding the body proved the point.
Being a salesman is a tough gig in “The Proposition” by Phillip Kimbrough. He still has one more deal to clinch before the night is through.
Bob Dinkerman got himself murdered behind the bar known as Yonder: Southern Cocktails & Brew. According to the officer testifying in court in “Llama Juice” by Stacie Leininger he had it coming. For good reason as is made clear.
Not all battles are fought overseas. Some are fought here at home every single day as one does what one has to do to survive while desperately trying to forget the past. That works until the past is again right in front of you in “Moist Money” by Greg Herren.
Unlike that Gordon dude mentioned earlier, Belle is a regular and very much welcomed. She always sits at her place at one end of the bar in Yonder: Southern Cocktails & Brew. A classy lady, she likes her drinks in a certain way in “Old Fashioned” by Bruce Robert Coffin. She, like the place itself, is a throwback to the past and history.
It is hard to breathe when somebody holds you under whether it is water or whiskey. He really should not have caused Fat Phil an issue. He did. Now he is in a really bad spot as “The Big Splash” by Renato Bratkovicͮ begins.
When you get a bunch of crime writers to read at the bar things can escalate. A fight could break out. More than just about anyone else, crime writers know to and will use any weapon necessary. “Noir at the Bar Fight” by Dana King is a tale that will not be explained further other to say it is funny as all get out.
The suited men were clearly out of place when they walked into Yonder: Southern Cocktails & Brew. Frank Smith and Eryk Pruitt know that there is going to be a problem in “Two Clowns Walk into a Bar” by Jim Shaffer. The suits work for a certain loan shark and he wants his money now one way or another.
David Nemeth’s short story, “Retribution” comes next. An early close should have meant a peaceful evening. It didn’t. Now Heppy has arrived and he is most definitely a problem.
The regulars call her “Hazel” and for good reason In “Not Enough to Drink” by Rob Pierce. Hawthorne is not a regular so he does not know anything when he sees her in the bar. He also has been without sleep for over 36 hours. He has a plan and intends to get what he wants from her the easy way or the hard way. She just wants to drink in peace in this final story of the read.
Edited by Liam Sweeny, Dark Yonder: Tales and Tabs is a solidly good crime fiction anthology. Violence and mayhem make a frequent appearance in these tales where everything may not be as it seems at first glance. There are secrets at work and the bartender many know just a few of them.
I’m pretty sure this is one of those reads where a lot of insider style jokes went right by me because I am not a part of the right crowd. I have never been to the bar in question and have only been to two “Noir at the Bar” style events. Many of the authors in the book I have never met. A few of them I did very ͮͮͮbriefly meet at the recent Bouchercon in Dallas. I am also sure there are some insider stories behind the many black and white pictures from inside the bar that show various folks involved in the book. I am also sure that I picked up the main stuff that made Dark Yonder: Tales and Tabs a mighty good read.
My reading copy came because Johnny Wesner put in a word and my address with Eryk Pruitt who I had met briefly at his “Noir at the Bar” event at Bouchercon 2019. Because of the efforts of the man who markets himself as “Sweet Johnny,” Eryk then sent me a signed paperback copy with no expectation of a review.
Kevin R. Tipple ©2020
Received as a gift from the author, all opinions are voluntary and 100% my own
https://bookfare.blogspot.com/2019/01/foodfic-please-welcome-gabriel-valjan.html
Jack Marshall and Walker served together during the war and now work in Vienna. Along with fellow spy Leslie they are taking on the task to find the killer and bring former Nazis to their side. The problem is that in this new post war world, no one is who they appear and everyone has something to hide.
The Company Files: The Good Man by Gabriel Valjan is an old fashion Noir spy thriller set in the early days of the cold war. The story is what you would expect from a spy novel, It's complex with twists, turns and surprises along the way. What really makes it a great read is how it gives you a history lesson by way of realistic characters that feel like they were really there. For example in the beginning you see the Russians as villains but as you get to know the characters you see that they are shades of grey and they don't trust Americans. any more than Americans trust them. We meet Russians that are doing what they need to do to keep the communist government off there backs. We have one fleeing from the government and another who just wants to live a normal life and not be involved in the cold war or politics. There are no real villains in this book, instead everyone is just doing what they need to do to survive. Right and wrong is in the eye of the reader.
As much as I loved the story in this book I loved the use of the time period and the character's backstories even more. You feel for Walker as he keeps having flashbacks of combat in World War 2, but you also hear of his life before the war and how he can't get over being in battle or what happened to him before that. We also hear about a character named Sheldon and how he survived being an officer in the concentration camps. We also learn that the female spy Lesile knows several different languages and infiltrated Hitler's inner circle. Despite her accomplishments in the intelligence field she still doesn't get the respect she deserves because she's a woman. In one scene her fellow male spies comment that she may be a woman but she thinks like a man. This is an attitude that probably all women in this period had to face.
The Company Files: The Good Man is well researched and makes the time period come alive. At this point in history we had just gotten rid of one enemy and were getting a new one The atomic age had begun and the world was becoming a different place. This is a period of history that I didn't know a lot about but Gabriel Valjan made me feel like I was there. He gives you a good look at what's going on in his character's heads as you hear about their pasts, their regrets and their hopes for the future.. There were times when I was reading this that I couldn't help but hear the popular jazz of the day playing in my head. If you ever wanted to know what it's like to be transported to another place in another time then get this book.
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dwatson2 | 2 andra recensioner | Feb 13, 2018 |
dwatson2 | 2 andra recensioner | Feb 13, 2018 | 
The Roma Series continues in Corporate Citizen by Gabriel Valjan and I must say, this is the best one yet. We have action and murder from the opening pages.
I am so glad I stuck with this series. Gabriel Valjan’s writing style was difficult for me to read in the beginning, but now that we are on familiar ground it has become easier…more than that, it has become fantastic.
The complex characters have captured me as they struggle to have a normal life while solving dangerous mysteries. I am very concerned for all of them. I am afraid they may not all make it out of the book alive. Especially Nate, a new member of their team. What will become of him?
I am wondering who Loki really is…and the Magician? What are their objectives? Why are they feeding her info? And the bigger question…Is it good or bad?
Murder is always a component in the Roma series, but the conspiracy is what hooks me. Now…enter a designer drug…or two. Krokodiles. Barneys.
Bianca is the main character, but all the others are vital to the story. I do wonder if her love life will survive through all her and Dante’s trials and tribulations.
WOW. I am on page 236, approaching the end and everything is becoming clearer. I can see why things were so tangled and convoluted that I didn’t see where Gabriel Valjan was taking me.
I am thinking…I must reread this series and if you believe in conspiracies, like I do, and want to find out how misdirection and rogue government agents can affect your life, you will want to read this too!
Gabriel Valjan did an awesome job of leading me around in circles, so I didn’t see the outcome. I WAS one of the herd, led down the predictable path, forgetting to read between the lines. I was smacked in the face! Could this really happen? Is it happening now?
OMG…DAMMIT…I came to the end, but Bianca’s story is far from over. I’m ready for it! Where is it?
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Corporate Citizen from Gabriel Valjan.
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Bianca is on a break from Dante, his choice, after Bianca loses the baby. She does find an ally in Nick, a young man she meets as he had been questioned about the murder of the girl, but there is a mystery to him also. He is a war vet who can't remember his tours overseas. It appears that he has PTSD big time. Something happened to him while fighting and he is reluctant to talk to Bianca about it.
Bianca, Gennaro, Silvio and Allesando must race against the clock as there are more murders, plus the criminal element makes this task difficult. Loki is back as is a new character called the Magician and there is Rendition. Where do all these characters fit in relationship to each other and the murders? Well that is explained in the book!!
I think each book is unique in it's own way and the author's research is impeccable, I have to say that I enjoyed this book, maybe even a little more than the previous ones. I think Bianca is becoming more human with real feelings. This is the fifth book in the series! If you love a series that takes the reader along for a wild ride, then this is it for you!
I am on familiar ground with Turning To Stone…The Mob. I have read a lot of organized crime novels, and Turning To Stone has everything I look for…corruption, betrayal, brutality, wholesale slaughter and assassins, female, no less. I love that twist and, for me, it doesn’t happen often enough.
But this is not the organized crime of Al Capone’s day. They are going legit and manipulating events through money, so be careful about investing in the stock market. LOL
Gabriel Valjan’s series keeps getting better and better. The writing flows smoother for me, the pacing and suspense picking up to a level that makes it hard to put the book down.
Some surprising turns at the end make me realize how strong and determined Bianca and her cohorts are. They have questions and WILL NOT stop until they have the answers, no matter the cost to themselves.
I enjoyed Turning To Stone the most…so far…and I am so glad I stuck with the series!
Action packed with OMG moments. The brutal, tragic ending left me feeling very sad and I can hardly wait to see where we go from here.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Threading The Needle from Gabriel Valjan.
This book seems to be more indepth than the previous three or it is just that the plot is getting more intense. We also get another gastronomical treat with more food descriptions, more about Loki, Bianca's online friend. This part of the story kind of confuses me and I am anxious to find out who Loki is. This series is complicated but the author does a great job with the characters depictions and this tour of Italy is interesting indeed with each book getting more complex than the previous. I look forward to reading the last book in the series.
We are back with some familiar characters and the stakes are higher than ever. Conspiracy is alive and well.
The infighting between the police for territory and jurisdiction and the political machinations dog down their investigation into the murders and mystery. Politics is a dirty business and heads will fall, bodies too.
Gotta be pretty sharp to run the gauntlet and find the answers.
A little manipulation can be in order, and it does keep me on the hook as I try to figure out why they do what they do sometimes..
As the mystery unfolds, I think Bianca, a forensic accounting cyber nerd, has the answers, but…
Sometimes there is so much going on, I lose track of where I’m going. Am I purposely being mislead so I can’t find the answers?
Is it just me that I feel like I am being schooled rather than on a journey for my own entertainment? If you enjoy step by step police procedurals and some a glimpse into Italy’s history, this is for you.
I love the concept of this series so much, I wonder why I am having such difficulty with it. Is it because of the location…Italy and all that entails, their customs and history?
I took a little time and read other things between the books, but to see if it makes a difference, I will be diving right into Turning To Stone, Book IV. I believe these books can stand alone, but if you want to know all the details of the continuing characters, start at the beginning.
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A scientific element arises when Bianca investigates Nason Pharmaceutical and wasp DNA. Will it be used for a cure or a weapon? In this twisted world, who can say.
As the story grows and develops into more than one mystery to be solved, I wonder how safe any of the characters are. An assassin, corruption and greed…can anyone be trusted?
It is difficult for me to understand some of the scientific and technological references, but I do understand conspiracy, greed, betrayal and murder. The heavier reading sometimes seems like a school lesson, but I do want to know and understand, so my pace is slower than usual.
In Wasp’s Nest we are becoming more serious, more involved in the mysteries and there is less eating and traveling and more investigating. Italians do have a passion for food and their needs are a celebration of taste so I think it is a valuable component to the story. The suspense has ramped up, with danger around every corner. I was worried Bianca’s band of merry men may pay a fatal price. I have become very fond of her gang, each with their own personalities, desires and motives.
If I gave half stars, I would give Wasp’s Nest 3 1/2. The story is much better, with more action, for an action junkie like me. There will be more in this five book series and I look forward to following the gang to the very end.
I voluntarily reviewed a free copy of Wasp’s Nest from the Gabriel Valjan.
If you like procedural novels, Roma is for you. Gabriel Valjan allows Bianca to take us step by step through her investigation, though there is more than one mystery going on.
Want to visit Roma? See some sights? Eat some great food…and lots of it? Then lets follow Bianca as she helps her ‘boyfriend’ solve the mystery of who is smuggling stolen historical artifacts out of the country.
Bianca’s step by step digital search and quick mind will have her ‘gang’ tiptoeing through danger as she tries to avoid discovery from her past employer, a covert US organization. I like that her investigation mirrored a forensic murder investigation, just surfing the internet instead of dissecting a body. She makes me think of Penelope Garcia on Criminal Minds. You must find the parts and pieces and put them together.
Gabriel Valjan is very detail oriented in his descriptions of places and food. He takes us Underground, through caves, and dining in restaurants, showcasing the food enough to make your mouth water. My only complaint is sometimes the details dogged down the pacing, slowing the story and losing the sense of suspense and danger. This could be because I am an action junkie!!!
I questioned how I would get through the entire series, but the deeper into the story I went, the more involved I became. I was already interested in Bianca, but the peripheral characters grew around her, creating their own dilemmas that drew her in, bringing with them an increasing sense of danger.
Roma, Underground’s mystery is wrapped up nicely, but Bianca’s story is still left to our imagination…or the next book, Wasp’s Nest. Thank goodness I do not have to wait, because the entire series is available.
I received Roma Underground free of charge from Gabriel Valjan.
It all starts with a young man murder and also thrown in a politician death. What does Farse want, and why is he there? He seems to only show up ever so often. Why is the gang all pulled in to uncover it but it seems that they are being screwed? Dante, Gennaro, Farrugia, and Alessandro are pulled here and there to do something. They get told to investigate the murders. What with Farrugia getting disgraced by the news.
What is Lead of the Year? What are connections? Something is up. We get through from assassins to terrorists. What can a G9 want? Gigi get you wondering what in the world is going on in Italy. With all the murders you seem to follow the group. Can they solve it or not?
We meet an Intern that join their team. He seems to know Charlie Brooks and then Matteo is known by this TB. Who is TB? How has Farese involved once again? He seems to show up once again. Gabriel Valjan does it again. Who is really the enemy, and who are those you can trust? In this installment it about the mafia. Who might be the spiders?
Can the Gdf team figure out what Farese and the mafia are doing? What is it that Farese wants in Naples? Who is this Madrina? We do know that Farrugia is undercover and his friend is as well this Claudio. What do these clans Marra, and Totaro want to do with the Euro and does the Silicons do with the US Bonds. Will the Gdf group be able to make the connections? Why has the Commissioner assassinated? We also have agents McGrittery and Murphy that helps the teams as well.
The underground Rome is a big part of this story and it's treasures. Alabaster/Bianca Black, who is hiding out from a US organization called Rendition, she meets Dante, who is an investigator. They find that there are many artifacts and treasures being stolen and they set out to set a trap to catch the thieves.
We learn the back story of both Bianca and Dante both along with other characters important to the story. Reading a book that takes place in Rome to me is fascinating and this book brought the flavor of Rome alive. From the descriptions of the food, the language and the history was written in such a way that it almost felt like I was along on the adventure. I could picture in my minds eye, the underground city described. The underground Rome is not the only part of the story.
The author wrote a very suspenseful thriller that not only takes place in Rome but we get a glimpse into the world of a secret organization and a pharmaceutical company and genetics. I am eager to read the rest of the books in the series.
We are back in the United States with Bianca. Her friends show up in a few days laters. Things go from okay to creepy. This book really gave me the creeps and still was good. I enjoyed it none the less but think you can not be creepy out by how it goes.
I am still trying to figure out who Loki is and what exactly Rendition wants her to do. She seems to get the help she needs from this computer person who is named Loki. I will tell you there are lots of deaths. I believe we will see more in the coming books for they seem to all running though Roma Underground.
We find out more about Sergeant and Nasonia Pharmaceutical. I do not want to give away much here for it really bring to life and what this book is about. The author did have me confused, but I also enjoy the story along they way. How is Garnero and Farugia past involved in this all of this. We meet a few new characters and find new friends. There seem to be connection and something else also know as corruptions.
What out a bit of a boring start with this story. It does get much better. Somehow this group gets involved with a smuggling artifact. Why is Bianca recruited by “Rendition”? Who are they, and what do they want?
Though you do not know how this group gets brought in to start a hoax? You will just be wandering in the world is going on and what it roughly about. Someone is stealing artifacts or art artifacts that have been going missing. The hoax is started by an idea that is shared by Dante.
You do go about learning about Roma Underground and what happens there along the history of Rome. I can not wait to find out what to happen next in the next book named “Wasp Nest.” This book is worth the reading and it offers so much more.
In this, the second book in the Roma Series, the story opens with Alabaster Black (alias Bianca Nerini) returning from Rome to Boston, Massachusetts, leaving behind her lover, Dante, and friends in Rome, Italy.
Rendition, her employer, a covert U.S. agency, has persuaded her to infiltrate Nasonia Pharmaceuticals, a drug manufacturing company owned by Cyril Sargent. Nasonia, is working on a revolutionary new drug using insect-based genetics to develop a new cancer-cure and Rendition want to know more.
Then, when Farrugia and Gennaro, her friends from the Rome, arrive in Boston for another reason, she discovers that leaving the past behind is not as simple as just getting on a plane; they bring some disturbing news for her, ghosts from the past have resurfaced...
I found Wasp's Nest a compelling reading, action-packed and with intriguing characters. The plot had plenty of twists and turns, some surprising secrets, and it kept me on the edge of my seat, guessing until the very end.
Gabriel Valjan includes a tantalising glimpse into Book 3 of the Roma Series, Threading the Needle which I had read first, but I realized that the author created each volume independent of each other.
Isidore Farrugia is a cop, brought up during the Years of Lead, a horrific period in Italian history, a time of terror and killing, his childhood memories, scarred forever by the brutal death of his mother.
Nevertheless, he is a good man, loyal and protective of his friends and colleagues.
This is why although off duty and out of jurisdiction, when his friend Bianca arranges a meeting with her informant, Charles Brooks, he insists on coming too. However, soon his onlooker role changes, when the young 23-year-old American, Bianca came to meet is killed, and so are his assassins.
Then another murder takes place, and the Italian police investigators find themselves unearthing a web of political intrigue.
Bianca has a secret though, she knows, she must uncover the truth behind the information she has been entrusted with, despite warnings from her mysterious online contact Loki, to stay away. Adastra, a weapons manufacturer is hiding something... But what?
I found myself hooked, right from the start of this brilliant, action packed, political crime thriller, which is set in Milan.
For those, like myself, who are interested in history, the Afterword about the Years of Lead by Claudio Ferrara was very interesting.
This is actually the third book in the ‘Roma’ series, by this talented author, and there is a tantalising glimpse at the end into his fourth book, ’Turning to Stone.’
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Liar's Dice by Gabriel Valjan is the fourth book in the Shane Cleary series. It takes place in Boston in the 70s where the Boston/New York mafia and the mob in Canada vie for dominance in the drug trade that is flourishing in Boston.
The book relives his time in Vietnam and Shane, who is a former police officer but now is a P.I., has a strict code of honor that he follows when it comes to investigating crime. A crime that the police don't want to deal with.
Shane receives a visit from Tony Two Times requesting that Shane find Sal who is the nephew of the local crime boss. Shane is also trying to figure out how and why a former vet is found dead in Boston Commons. But as he investigates, he finds that Federal agents and the police have their own agendas.
Shane and his girl Bonnie find themselves mixed up in the crime families, hopefully, able to solve the crimes he is taxed with solving. The reader learns more about Shane's relationship between Bonnie and the cat, Delilah.
I have read quite a few books by Mr. Valjan in different series and I always enjoy them. His knowledge of the '70s, Vietnam, and the crime families in Boston, Canada, and New York is impeccable. If you are looking for a gritty type of noir then you can't go wrong reading one of Mr. Valjan's books. I look forward to the continuing story of Shane Cleary!
I give it 5 stars!