Status
Available
Genres
Collection
Publication
Avon Books (Mm) (1996), Edition: Reprint
Description
The Atlantic City mob has a guy on the ropes in this "gritty novel with integrity and style" from the New York Times-bestselling author (James Patterson). Raised in the Atlantic City Cosa Nostra, Anthony Russo spent his life trying to escape the mob. But his stepfather has dreams for the boy--to be a consigliere or maybe even the capo of his own crew some day. So far, Anthony has stayed away, but one night at a dive called Rafferty's, not far from the glitz of the casinos, he gets sucked into the whirlpool of organized crime. His stepfather brings him there to kill a rival thug, and even though Anthony balks, the man ends up dead, with Anthony an accessory to the killing. As he falls deeper into the world of easy money and quick death, he must draw on talents he didn't know he had in order to survive. This ebook features an illustrated biography of Peter Blauner including rare photos and never-before-seen documents from the author's personal collection.… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member datrappert
Blauner's reach exceeds his grasp, which is a bit of a shame, because this could have been a much better book. Instead, while some scenes are quite effective and will stick with you, the whole story doesn't hold together that well and is a bit of rambling mess. At 333 pages, it's about a hundred
Seemingly major things happen or major characters appear and it's like the author has no idea what to do with them. A couple of times there are crucial events about to take place, and he just skips to afterwards as if he is too lazy or doesn't have the skill to write about them. I have no idea why the PF (I won't say what it stands for, but it's in general keeping with the vulgarities strewn throughout the book) character, a less than admirable police detective, is in the book at all. In the early passages, it looks like he has some important part to play in the story, but when he helps arrest a colleague of the protagonist who could bring the whole plot crashing to the ground, nothing ever really happens! But it has to be that way if the rest of the story is to go on. Sloppy sloppy sloppy.
The Atlantic City backgrounds are fairly interesting - though thinly drawn.
I'm giving it 2 1/2 stars, because you will definitely stick around to see what happens at the end. But Blauner should have found a better editor for this one. It was never on track to be another Godfather - Puzo was a hack, but he was a hell of a storyteller, and knew where he wanted the story to go.
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pages too long. It suffers from changing viewpoints - part a first-person story by the less-than-sympathetic protagonist, who I hope Blauner wasn't intending as some sort of tragic hero. Then there are a lot of third-person passages as well, of varying quality. The story would have been much more effective and intense had Blauner stuck to the one voice.Seemingly major things happen or major characters appear and it's like the author has no idea what to do with them. A couple of times there are crucial events about to take place, and he just skips to afterwards as if he is too lazy or doesn't have the skill to write about them. I have no idea why the PF (I won't say what it stands for, but it's in general keeping with the vulgarities strewn throughout the book) character, a less than admirable police detective, is in the book at all. In the early passages, it looks like he has some important part to play in the story, but when he helps arrest a colleague of the protagonist who could bring the whole plot crashing to the ground, nothing ever really happens! But it has to be that way if the rest of the story is to go on. Sloppy sloppy sloppy.
The Atlantic City backgrounds are fairly interesting - though thinly drawn.
I'm giving it 2 1/2 stars, because you will definitely stick around to see what happens at the end. But Blauner should have found a better editor for this one. It was never on track to be another Godfather - Puzo was a hack, but he was a hell of a storyteller, and knew where he wanted the story to go.
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LibraryThing member WillyMammoth
"Casino Moon" is the tale of a son of the mob trying to make it on his own. Anthony Russo struggles to wiggle out from under the thumb of his adoptive father and the local Atlantic City mob boss, but in doing so he only reinforces the fact that he isn't much different than the thugs he despises.
"Casino Moon" is part familial drama, part crime story. There's no black and white, just a lot of gray. And while the characters were--for the most part--well rounded and realistic, for some reason the narrative just didn't satisfy. To be sure there were some bright spots. Blauner has a real knack for imagery, dialogue and characterization. But the story didn't engage me. I was waiting for Russo to hurry up and die already (because, given the course of the novel, that was the only outcome that made any sense stylistically. I won't tell you whether I was right or not--wouldn't want to ruin the surprise and all.). This book is a good example of someone who's got good execution, but a lackluster story. If Blauner had a more engaging plot to go along with it, it would have been a better book.
And stylistically, I do have one gripe. The narrative switched point of view and voice too much for my taste. When you simply switch the character POV and retain the 3rd person voice, that's usually fine. But Blauner switched point of view AND voice. The scenes told from Russo's POV are in 1st person, while every other POV is in 3rd person. It was jarring to read, broke up the continuity of the narrative, and was by all rights unnecessary for the telling of the story.
Overall, it was an OK book. I read it because it was part of the Hard Case Crime series, but otherwise it probably wouldn't have caught my attention. Technically Blauner has all the tools necessary to write a great novel. He just needs a better plot to use them on.
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After failing in the construction business, he tries his hand at becoming a boxing promoter for an aging prize fighter. In the process he begins an affair with a cocktail waitress (despite having a wife, two kids, and a third on the way) and proceeds to make a mess out of everything he touches."Casino Moon" is part familial drama, part crime story. There's no black and white, just a lot of gray. And while the characters were--for the most part--well rounded and realistic, for some reason the narrative just didn't satisfy. To be sure there were some bright spots. Blauner has a real knack for imagery, dialogue and characterization. But the story didn't engage me. I was waiting for Russo to hurry up and die already (because, given the course of the novel, that was the only outcome that made any sense stylistically. I won't tell you whether I was right or not--wouldn't want to ruin the surprise and all.). This book is a good example of someone who's got good execution, but a lackluster story. If Blauner had a more engaging plot to go along with it, it would have been a better book.
And stylistically, I do have one gripe. The narrative switched point of view and voice too much for my taste. When you simply switch the character POV and retain the 3rd person voice, that's usually fine. But Blauner switched point of view AND voice. The scenes told from Russo's POV are in 1st person, while every other POV is in 3rd person. It was jarring to read, broke up the continuity of the narrative, and was by all rights unnecessary for the telling of the story.
Overall, it was an OK book. I read it because it was part of the Hard Case Crime series, but otherwise it probably wouldn't have caught my attention. Technically Blauner has all the tools necessary to write a great novel. He just needs a better plot to use them on.
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LibraryThing member DaveWilde
Hard Case Crime has hit another home run. Casino Moon by Peter Blauner is Blauner's second novel, originally published in 1994 and now re-published by Hard Case Crime. Blauner has written six or seven novels and has written and produced for the Law and Order television series.
This is a story about
Of course, marrying the mob boss's niece didn't help any. Nor did borrowing $60,000 from the boss to provide for his family. Anthony can't pay him back and can't lift his family out of poverty by making a legitimate living. And, his wife is unhappy and bitter about it. She married him because she thought he was a good guy, not because she took a vow of poverty.
Anthony stumbles on a scheme by which he can pay back what he owes and get a grubstake up to start a respectable life. His friend has a brother who was a former middleweight champ a decade earlier, but is now a washed-up has-been who barely survives a sparring match in the local gym. Anthony is going to get Elijah on the headline bill at the local casino and reap twenty percent of the take. He thinks he is going to make an honest living and escape the criminal life.
Along the way, he meets a gal who works as a bikini wrestler in a bar, a step up from working the street corners for her. The boss warns him that if he steps out on the boss's niece, he'll find himself missing quite a few body parts.
Anthony's got the mob after him, his crazy wife after him, the police who think he offed a couple of local hoods, and, to make matters worse, he's in debt up to his eyeballs to the local loan shark to finance his boxer, the nearly-geriatric punching bag.
The story is well-written and, despite its 300-page length, can be read in an evening. Blauner has the street language down and you feel Anthony's frustration as he is trapped in a maze he can't get out of. It is not simply a bang-bang shoot-em-up story either, but a great character study of Anthony. Highly recommended crime fiction reading. Thumbs up.
This is a story about
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Anthony Russo, born into the mob. His father, Michael, was killed early in Anthony's life and his father's closest friend, Vin, has been his surrogate father for much of his life in Atlantic City. Vin is the right hand man of the fat greedy local mob boss and he wants to see Anthony become a "made man." Although Anthony is not one hundred percent Sicilian, Vin is hoping that an exception can be made. Anthony doesn't want to be involved in the mob. He doesn't want to take orders, pick up envelopes, or knock off enemies. Vin is so convinced Anthony will succeed in the family business, he never stops talking him up even when the boss is convinced Anthony can't pull the trigger.Of course, marrying the mob boss's niece didn't help any. Nor did borrowing $60,000 from the boss to provide for his family. Anthony can't pay him back and can't lift his family out of poverty by making a legitimate living. And, his wife is unhappy and bitter about it. She married him because she thought he was a good guy, not because she took a vow of poverty.
Anthony stumbles on a scheme by which he can pay back what he owes and get a grubstake up to start a respectable life. His friend has a brother who was a former middleweight champ a decade earlier, but is now a washed-up has-been who barely survives a sparring match in the local gym. Anthony is going to get Elijah on the headline bill at the local casino and reap twenty percent of the take. He thinks he is going to make an honest living and escape the criminal life.
Along the way, he meets a gal who works as a bikini wrestler in a bar, a step up from working the street corners for her. The boss warns him that if he steps out on the boss's niece, he'll find himself missing quite a few body parts.
Anthony's got the mob after him, his crazy wife after him, the police who think he offed a couple of local hoods, and, to make matters worse, he's in debt up to his eyeballs to the local loan shark to finance his boxer, the nearly-geriatric punching bag.
The story is well-written and, despite its 300-page length, can be read in an evening. Blauner has the street language down and you feel Anthony's frustration as he is trapped in a maze he can't get out of. It is not simply a bang-bang shoot-em-up story either, but a great character study of Anthony. Highly recommended crime fiction reading. Thumbs up.
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Language
Original language
English
Original publication date
1994
Physical description
4.5 x 1 inches
ISBN
0380725894 / 9780380725892