When I chose to read this I thought I was going to get something like a Don Winslow book. I am not sure how I got that idea, but the zany premise might be to blame. Chicago mob hitman Sal Cupertine, messes up and needs to get out of town fast and permanently. Shuttled into the mob version of witness protection Sal finds himself living in Vegas with a new identity -- Rabbi David Cohen. This could have been so good! And yet this was not so good.

There were passages I enjoyed, but mostly I found the unceasing ironic voice rather irritating. Also, I assume based on his name that Tod Goldberg is Jewish, and Jews need to develop a sense of humor about certain common characteristics of moneyed Jewish communities, but this often crossed the line into antisemitism in my opinion. Most important though is that it just was not a well-crafted thriller. I never felt any sense of excitement or fear about what was coming next. The set-up here, the thing that sends Sal out of town, is absurd (view spoiler) So we start with a totally unbelievable premise and then more stuff happens. People are getting offed left and right in Chicago and in Vegas and no one pays attention except to the victims who are law enforcement. In the bloodiest days of the 1980's mob wars in NYC there were not 10% of this number of violent deaths as there were in the course of the year depicted here. It reads as if Tarantino was heading a crime family. Then Goldberg gives us Jeff, an FBI agent who is intent on finding Cupertine, and a junior agent he tries to make his protege. I won't spoil anything but will say he did not develop these characters enough to create any sort of interest in them as individuals or to bring to mind Elliot Ness/One-Armed Man suspense. There is no reason to root for Jeff which is sad since if you are not rooting for Jeff you are rooting for a prolific hitman. And speaking of Jeff, whom we are told is a respected experienced FBI agent, how could he never have even thought it was a possibility that Sal had (view spoiler) There were a lot of other things that were tin-eared, and I won't go through all, but the biggest issue was bad story construction. I could not have cared less how things turned out for any of these people except possibly the old rabbi (I already forgot his name) and even for him I did not care a lot. I won't be visiting the later books in this series. ( )

GANGSTERLAND, by Tod Goldberg, is the story of a mafia hitman, Sal Cupertine, who murdered 3 federal agents in Chicago and is abruptly relocated to Las Vegas and after several facial surgeries and months of Jewish education, becomes a Rabbi named David Cohen. Quickly Sal/David becomes entangled in the Mafia in Las Vegas and his past is starting to catch up with him. Can Sal/David balance his new responsibilities while also fending off his dangerous past?
What a delight to read. Sal/David, in spite of being a cold-blooded killer, is such a likable soul that the reader is pulling for him, even when his is committed horrible acts. Goldberg does an excellent job of not just creating the mafia underbelly of Chicago and Las Vegas, but the contrast is so clear and distinct that it adds character and depth the Sal/David's slow grasp of his upended life. All of the supporting cast, particularly the senior Rabbi in Las Vegas, are all wonderfully complex and I would read a story focused on many of them. Sal/David's past is felt slowly creeping in as the story progresses and the ending of the book is exciting, rewarding and fun.
GANGSTERLAND was a blast to read and I look forward to reading more books by Tod Goldberg. It's a mafia story, but it's also soo much more; it's the story of a man figuring out who he really is, about your past never really leaves you and how religion. or really just something to believe in, can guide you and make you a better person.
I received this book as aprt of the Goodreads Giveaway program. ( )

Hitman messes up and kills 3 FBI agents and a confidential informant, so he gets sent to Las Vegas to become a Rabbi. No, I didn't make that up. If you can get past the absolute implausibility of its premise, Goldberg writes well and there are some good scenes--and even some insights into Judaism. I want to not like the book because of how ridiculous it is, but the character of the hitman/rabbi is just too interesting. So after finishing this one, I immediately downloaded the sequel.

Johnny Heller does a superb job reading the audiobook. ( )

NY Times Book Review made me do it: Sal Cupertine is a legendary hit man for the Chicago Mafia, and has to disappear when he kills three undercover FBI agents and a CI. He is stashed in a meat truck to Las Vegas, where following plastic surgery, he emerges as Rabbi David Cohen. Leading a growing congregation, he presides over funerals and counsels his congregation, quoting Torah, Talmud or Springsteen with aplomb. Of course, he cannot fully escape his life of crime and has to face a rogue, vengeful FBI agent and his desires to return to the family he abandoned. Humorous and dark, with some Jewish mysticism thrown in. ( )

Rabbi David Cohen used to be Chicago Mafia hitman Sal Cupertino. When he is caught up in a drug deal gone wrong and kills several undercover FBI agents, he knows big trouble awaits him. But the Mafia has a plan and, after several surgeries and some rigorous training, he emerges as Rabbi Cohen and becomes the leader of a congregation in Las Vegas.

But a rogue FBI agent is after him, determined to avenge the deaths of his three colleagues. And the rabbi misses his family.

The book, filled with believable, well-developed characters, offers readers an interesting [if absurd] premise, and spins a dark tale of mayhem and lessons learned. ( )