Arthur C. Clarke may have been the worst great writer I can think of (probably along with Robert A. Heinlein and Isaac Asimov). Clarke’s prose is workmanlike at the best of times, his characters are emotional ciphers, his dialogue is seldom real, his plots are more like giant landscapes than any credible unfolding of events involving real people, and style-wise he happily breaks every rule of Good Writing. Clarke doesn't care. And know what? Neither do I. Some of things Arthur C. Clarke, Isaac Asimov and Robert A. Heinlein wrote are still among my favourite novels. In genre fiction, if I pick up any modern novel, basically the villains are just cardboard characters that have to be locked up or arrested or shot by the good guys. Nowadays modern Crime Fiction is an entertainment genre and it’s huge business (in Britain around 30% of all the fiction published belongs to the Crime Fiction section). Crime Fiction is all about resolution, which you don’t get in real life. Although I have a bit of a reaction to this, it can be very good entertainment if it’s done properly. Along with lots of other readers, I like the way I get sucked into Clarke’s bigger-than-space narratives. I get excited along with his cardboard but engaging characters in the vast spaces, unique vistas he shows us. When I read Clarke, I know I’m reading a fellow geek, a non-artsy-fartsy guy, who was able to produce the wonderful trick of writing Fiction that resembled literary work. Nay, I must not think thus…. Something that is literary. Better than, in some cases. This long preamble takes us to the novel at hand: “A Bullet for Carlos” by Giacomo Giammatteo. Was the constant POV shifting annoying sometimes? Absolutely. Does Giammatteo always move skillfully between the main character’s first-person account (Connie’s) and omniscient third-person narration? No, not by a long shot. Is it comparable with the best Crime Fiction out there today? Nope. Is it highfalutin literature? No. But it was all so damn fun. " ( )

Giacomo Giammatteo has more than one storyline going to keep you on your toes and it worked for me. I traveled from New York to Texas with Connie on her quest to solve a cold murder case and to find Carlos and bring him to justice. I am watching a Criminal Minds episode that has a similar murder plot, very cool.

With Connie being under investigation by Internal Affairs because of a drug bust gone bad, the murder of a couple cops and missing drugs, she must find the answers herself. It doesn’t help that her Uncle Dominic is in the mob.

When all the clues fall into place for me, I was a little disappointed that they didn’t for Connie. I felt she would have known and I kept waiting for her to say AHA. But it all works out in the end.

I love dogs and am always happy when they are part of the novel. Characters seem easier to relate to and become more real. They win me over when they love them too.

“Some people believe that God doesn’t let dogs in heaven, but Tip knew differently. God wouldn’t make something so loving and so perfect only to abandon them at the end.”

I love this quote.

To sum it up, I love mysteries and thrillers and this is one I would highly recommend. Give me some mob guys, some drugs and a little murder and I am in heaven. The twists and turns kept me on my toes as I tried to figure out what would happen next.

I won this signed, first edition paperback in a giveaway from Giacomo Giammatteo.

Thanks so much, Giacomo. I look forward to reading more of your work. ( )

Giacomo Giammatteo has more than one storyline going to keep you on your toes and it worked for me. I traveled from New York to Texas with Connie on her quest to solve a cold murder case and to find Carlos and bring him to justice. I am watching a Criminal Minds episode that has a similar murder plot, very cool.

With Connie being under investigation by Internal Affairs because of a drug bust gone bad, the murder of a couple cops and missing drugs, she must find the answers herself. It doesn’t help that her Uncle Dominic is in the mob.

When all the clues fall into place for me, I was a little disappointed that they didn’t for Connie. I felt she would have known and I kept waiting for her to say AHA. But it all works out in the end.

I love dogs and am always happy when they are part of the novel. Characters seem easier to relate to and become more real. They win me over when they love them too.

“Some people believe that God doesn’t let dogs in heaven, but Tip knew differently. God wouldn’t make something so loving and so perfect only to abandon them at the end.”

I love this quote.

To sum it up, I love mysteries and thrillers and this is one I would highly recommend. Give me some mob guys, some drugs and a little murder and I am in heaven. The twists and turns kept me on my toes as I tried to figure out what would happen next.

I won this signed, first edition paperback in a giveaway from Giacomo Giammatteo.

Thanks so much, Giacomo. I look forward to reading more of your work. ( )

Once again, I find myself in awe of Giammatteo’s talent. All of his novels are so descriptive and imaginative. This is a crime novel of the highest caliber and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

I thought Connie was a great protagonist. She’s strong, smart, capable, and able to keep up with the boys. Best of all, she’s not Superwoman and has flaws. She also lives her life with shades of grey. The main theme in this novel is one of family. Connie is torn between the love she holds for her uncles Dominic and Zeppe and the knowledge they are mobsters. This conflict divides her loyalties between her family and her job as a police officer. The rest of the characters introduced in this novel, whether they are on the side of the law or not, are all vivid and complex. Through multiple perspectives we are able to learn what drives them and what they desire.

Even though this is a good book, I must warn that it’s not for the faint-hearted. There are quite a few graphic descriptions and sometimes they are hard to read. However, they just stress the heinousness of the crimes and are unflinchingly brutal.

Giammatteo is an amazing new addition to the crime novel genre. He has written another excellent novel and I’m very excited to see where this series leads. I highly recommend this novel along with Giammatteo’s other book Murder Takes Time. ( )

Book Info: Genre: Suspense/Thriller
Reading Level: Adult
Recommended for: Fans of suspense/thrillers
Trigger Warnings: murder, rape, drugs, torture, domestic violence
Animal Abuse: attempted cat murder (with arrow), torture of small animals (snake specifically mentioned), dog murder, attempted dog murder

My Thoughts: While this is the second book this author published, I'm reading it first since the other two books I have by him are in the same series, while this one is a separate series. However, Frankie Donovan, a minor character in this book, is one of the main characters in the other series.

One of the cool things about this book is that there is not just one case on which Connie is working, and not all of them are connected. This is much more realistic toward actual police work, and is handled very well in this book. Characters are also very well developed. I really like the dichotomy and tension created for Connie by her being a cop but her family are mobsters. It adds a great touch, and gives her a lot of dynamism.

There is a lot of brutality in this book, of course, but it's about some very not-nice people—mobsters and drug dealers and serial killers—so that is really to be expected. However, sensitive readers should take note of my trigger warnings. This is not a pretty book.

That said, it is a highly enjoyable book for fans of suspense/thrillers. A Bullet for Dominic will be the next book in this series (Blood Flows South), scheduled for sometime in the next year. A novella is currently available, called Finding Family; it is a prequel outlining Dominic's youth. I definitely want to continue reading these books. An outstanding story, and a talented author.

Disclosure: I won this book in a giveaway. All opinions are my own.

Synopsis: Detective Connie Giannelli's life has been torn apart several times. First when her mother died and then years later when she found out her Uncle Dominic was in the mob. Her life is about to be shredded again, and this time it could destroy her.

Connie’s love of family and her badge are both threatened when an undercover drug bust leaves two cops dead and the drugs missing. Internal Affairs is looking for any excuse to take her badge, but she’s not worried about them finding the missing drugs—her secrets could prove to be far worse.

Now Connie’s racing against the clock to figure out who killed her partners and took the drugs—dirty cops or Uncle Dominic’s friends. And she has to do it before IA pins the whole damn thing on her. ( )