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Skin Games
by
Adam Pepper (Goodreads Author)
When a mafia princess falls for a two-bit hoodlum an unhappy don plays some rough games in order to separate the two lovers. SKIN GAMES, a brutal crime drama by Adam Pepper.
Sean O’Donnell is a man who always keeps his word, especially to a lady. His good-for-nothing old man left his mother flat. When she gets ill, Sean assures her that he will never be like his father; if...more
Sean O’Donnell is a man who always keeps his word, especially to a lady. His good-for-nothing old man left his mother flat. When she gets ill, Sean assures her that he will never be like his father; if...more
Kindle Edition, 260 pages
Published
January 2012
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Skin Games is an excellent crime novel with a Romeo-and-Juliet twist. Adam Pepper must have had a good time writing this knowing he would be turning the reader on their ears in anticipation on how this thriller would end. What starts out sounding like a simple revenge story quickly becomes a crime noir coming-of-age tale with themes about loyalty and making commitments. The main protagonist is telling his story to a woman who wants him to avenge her family. She needs to know if she can trust him...more
Sean O'Donnell is an excellent protagonist. He has a strong character, but he is not perfect. He makes bad decisions. On the outside he is the classic "bad boy," but when you understand why he does the things he does, lines get blurred. At times during the story, I was not sure if I should love him, hate him, or just feel sorry for him. But, Sean is a man of his word, always keeping a promise no matter the cost. But when he falls for the mob boss's daughter, things get rough.
Disguised as a crim...more
Disguised as a crim...more
You know, this was a great freakin' book.
By the end I was completely blown away; but I wasn't quite impressed at first. Though the beginning was pretty intense, once we got into the protagonist's story, I thought his voice was sterile and he moved events along too quickly. But while I was mentally bitching about those qualities, the story was also speeding along like a runaway train and I was totally snared BECAUSE of those qualities. No frou-frou soliloquies, no meandering notions; just the...more
By the end I was completely blown away; but I wasn't quite impressed at first. Though the beginning was pretty intense, once we got into the protagonist's story, I thought his voice was sterile and he moved events along too quickly. But while I was mentally bitching about those qualities, the story was also speeding along like a runaway train and I was totally snared BECAUSE of those qualities. No frou-frou soliloquies, no meandering notions; just the...more
Skin Games by Adam Pepper is a gripping star-crossed love story set against the backdrop of crime novel. It is a page turning tale that tosses romance with the mob and comes up a winner.
Skin Games has an interesting format, as it is essentially a flashback story, bookended by a minor subplot. This design works well, due mainly to the strong first person voice of the protagonist; as a reader I didn’t even notice the switch in point-of-view as the story moved in and out of the enclosing segments....more
Skin Games has an interesting format, as it is essentially a flashback story, bookended by a minor subplot. This design works well, due mainly to the strong first person voice of the protagonist; as a reader I didn’t even notice the switch in point-of-view as the story moved in and out of the enclosing segments....more
Filled with Pepper's trademark acerbic wit and vivid depictions, Skin Games is a roller coaster ride on the wrong side of the tracks. The reader becomes very attached to the protagonist and even though you fear throughout the novel for his safety and his future, you can't help rooting for him. I find this particularly meaningful since Sean is not a typical "good guy" and makes many questionable decisions, but the reader never sways from seeing things from his side.
I'd say that 95 times out of 1...more
I'd say that 95 times out of 1...more
After a couple of thugs burn her families' restaurant to the ground and kill two co-workers, Maria seeks revenge. She locates a mysterious man known as "Skin" but needs to be assured he's the right man for the job. Skin then tells Maria his life story, which takes up the majority of this engrossing mob tale from Adam Pepper.
Skin's real name is Sean 'Shamrock' O'Donnell, the son of a tough Irish father and an Italian mother. When his father leaves them, Sean becomes the man of the house and does...more
Skin's real name is Sean 'Shamrock' O'Donnell, the son of a tough Irish father and an Italian mother. When his father leaves them, Sean becomes the man of the house and does...more
Skin Games Book Review ~ 4.5 stars
“The author said that this book is emotionally charged. Well, I just have to say is that it is sooo true! And SO MUCH MORE! I cried, got scared big time, troubled, and most importantly, it got me curious. Curiosity that made me finish the book in one sitting. I also loved Sean and Nicole - they are so good together.” – Ara of My Book and My Coffee
This book, Skin Games, was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
As you probably know, I have a...more
“The author said that this book is emotionally charged. Well, I just have to say is that it is sooo true! And SO MUCH MORE! I cried, got scared big time, troubled, and most importantly, it got me curious. Curiosity that made me finish the book in one sitting. I also loved Sean and Nicole - they are so good together.” – Ara of My Book and My Coffee
This book, Skin Games, was given to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
As you probably know, I have a...more
I received this book for free from the author in exchange for a review.
No matter what genre Adam Pepper writes in, he always manages to write an intriguing story with characters that are credible. In his newest release, Skin Games, Pepper proves this statement as true.
Pepper's stories are always intriguing, but it is truly his characters that make his stories. A great plot is a fantastic thing, but any plot with flat characters just won't hold up. Pepper's characters are a study in human nature....more
No matter what genre Adam Pepper writes in, he always manages to write an intriguing story with characters that are credible. In his newest release, Skin Games, Pepper proves this statement as true.
Pepper's stories are always intriguing, but it is truly his characters that make his stories. A great plot is a fantastic thing, but any plot with flat characters just won't hold up. Pepper's characters are a study in human nature....more
Skin Games starts out with mobsters attacking a local restaurant, the waitress Maria barely escapes and goes to a guy names Skin to get his help plotting revenge on those that hurt her family. After Maria meets Skin she of course has questions and the most important one is how she can trust him. And then his story begins.
Now I will say that I haven’t read anything quite like this but I really enjoyed it. In a way it reminded me of the Soprano’s with the way that the characters and the atmospher...more
Now I will say that I haven’t read anything quite like this but I really enjoyed it. In a way it reminded me of the Soprano’s with the way that the characters and the atmospher...more
When Maria needs help to save her business from mobsters, she turns to Skin, a shadow of a man who lives in the dark. But Maria wants to know if Skin is the right man for the job so he tells the story of Sean O’Donnell.
O’Donnell is New York Irish who grew up in the Bronx. When still young his father disappears, so his mother is forced to perform sexual favours in order to survive. Before long Sean is drawn into the mob world, stealing cars for Vinny Macho, a low level gang member. However he fal...more
O’Donnell is New York Irish who grew up in the Bronx. When still young his father disappears, so his mother is forced to perform sexual favours in order to survive. Before long Sean is drawn into the mob world, stealing cars for Vinny Macho, a low level gang member. However he fal...more
Title: Skin Games
Author: Adam Pepper
Publisher: Self Published
Published: January 2011
Genre: Crime Drama
Thugz, Drugz and hardcore Skin Games..zz await you in this story …
Growing up in the Bronx is hard enough to do without being part of the Mob. Dating the Boss’s daughter is taboo but hardheaded Sean O’Donnell soon finds that out. Nicole and Sean devise a plan so they can be together but ..if… they are discovered the consequences will be brutal. “You have to do what you have to do to survive” is t...more
Author: Adam Pepper
Publisher: Self Published
Published: January 2011
Genre: Crime Drama
Thugz, Drugz and hardcore Skin Games..zz await you in this story …
Growing up in the Bronx is hard enough to do without being part of the Mob. Dating the Boss’s daughter is taboo but hardheaded Sean O’Donnell soon finds that out. Nicole and Sean devise a plan so they can be together but ..if… they are discovered the consequences will be brutal. “You have to do what you have to do to survive” is t...more
You think you know the story: good kid grows up on the rougher side of the tracks; a mafia henchman takes the kid under his wing, shows him the ropes. Same old, right? Not this time. Pepper takes that story and does what he does best: takes the whole thing up several notches to a brand new level. Characters in this novel lived and breathed in the room while I read. Tension, drama and adrenalin burst through in every chapter. While I loved Symphony of Blood, I think Pepper outdid himself. I give...more
Not quite what I was expecting, but a great story nonetheless. I went in thinking it was going to be about some really violent mob guy, and it was, kind of, but it's also a love story. Great characters and very entertaining.
I actually think it might have been a little better without the parts about Maria, I found it hard to believe a person would just sit down with a stranger and tell their entire life story like that - but the life story itself was a really good one. Looking forward to reading...more
I actually think it might have been a little better without the parts about Maria, I found it hard to believe a person would just sit down with a stranger and tell their entire life story like that - but the life story itself was a really good one. Looking forward to reading...more
Maria knows they well kill her if they find her. They have killed her brother and father, burned the family restaurant down and are now after her. She needs to find refuge and pursues a man referred to as “Skin” to help her seek retaliation. She finds him and he recounts his personal story to assure her of his commitment and trustworthiness.
Sean O’Donnell, aka Shamrock, aka Skin tells his own unique story which is the essence of this book. When his rough Irish father left him and his Italian mot...more
Sean O’Donnell, aka Shamrock, aka Skin tells his own unique story which is the essence of this book. When his rough Irish father left him and his Italian mot...more
4.5 stars.
This book will stick with me for a long time, like blood on a wall. It's a crime drama with a stubborn Irish young man involved with the neighborhood Italian gang. Sean O'Donnell makes the classic mistake of falling in love with the boss's daughter. The boss hates young stubbon Irish men. Need I say more? The story is unsettling, to say the least, made more so by Sean's blankness when it comes to expressing his emotions. And so the burden of feeling falls onto the reader. By the end of...more
This book will stick with me for a long time, like blood on a wall. It's a crime drama with a stubborn Irish young man involved with the neighborhood Italian gang. Sean O'Donnell makes the classic mistake of falling in love with the boss's daughter. The boss hates young stubbon Irish men. Need I say more? The story is unsettling, to say the least, made more so by Sean's blankness when it comes to expressing his emotions. And so the burden of feeling falls onto the reader. By the end of...more
I guess it is just me. This felt like I had read the story a hundred times before,very typical all was expected no surprises.
Great story! Once I started didn't put it down til I read it. Haven't done that in a long time.
it didn't shine
This is a great, straight up mob fiction story that has elements of Goodfellas, and a unique voice--think The Princess Bride meets Goodfellas. It's a great story that any fan of mob fiction will want to pick up. For my full review, go here: http://thedarkeva.com/2012/05/book-re....
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At times disturbing and grim, others raunchy and comical, Adam Pepper’s work is known for a unique blend of horror, suspense and speculative fiction. MEMORIA, Adam’s debut novel, reached #1 on the Dark Delicacies Best Seller list and received rave reviews from Cemetery Dance and Chronicle. "Super Fetus," his outrageous bizarro novella was called "In-your-face, allegorical social commentary" by BN....more
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