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Rude Boy USA

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Say good-bye to the era of godfathers. The Chimera Group has put a new face on organized crime.

Mob boss Bernie Banks and his associates—John, Ben, and Jerome—differ from your ordinary Sicilian and Irish mob families. Two white, two black, they style themselves after the Rude Boy culture made popular in Jamaica.

Operating as a shell investment company supported by illegal activities, the Chimera Group hopes to become as powerful as other crime families and gain respect from the Cosa Nostra. Bernie, a war veteran of Jewish and Greek descent, begins his business in his apartment and grows it into a multimillion-dollar empire. He and his crew resemble a more sophisticated subculture of urban street gangsters with their Ray-Ban sunglasses, loafers, and debonair style. But they want fear and admiration.

Their efforts draw the attention of the rival Ambrosino family, and they face internal strife when one of the associates begins dating a former Playboy Club waitress who wants in on the group.

Will they make it to the top, or will they fall?

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Reviewed by Romuald Dzemo for Readers' Favorite

A story that begins with someone spitting in another’s face and getting tortured and killed for a secret he can’t reveal immediately raises a lot of interest and curiosity in readers, but the grim fun is yet to begin. Rude Boy USA by Victoria Bolton is a riveting story of an unquenchable thirst for power and terror, featuring characters that will draw powerful emotions from readers. Bernie Banks has slowly but surely established himself as a powerful gangster with unusual but ruthless methods of operating. At a time he and his boys are sure to get on the top of the game, a powerful rival joins the game and a waitress causes a distraction that could break the solid Chimera Group. The big question is: who’ll make it to the top in this game of power where no one accepts defeat?

Victoria Bolton’s Rude Boy USA will take readers deep into the psychology of kingpins and the mechanics of the game of power. Bolton writes with unwavering confidence and grace, unveiling a plot that is laced with unusual turns and sudden surprises, a pace that quickens with the reader’s heartbeat. The characters are as real as they are compelling, sometimes funny and at times very, very nasty. The language is blunt, so blunt the reader can squirm at times at what they hear. The dialogue comes off the pages naturally and draws readers in as the plot progresses to a rocket-like climax. This is a book I will gladly recommend to fans of thrillers and crime fiction. An enjoyable read indeed.

282 pages, Paperback

First published December 9, 2015

201 people want to read

About the author

Victoria Bolton

5 books15 followers
Writer Victoria Bolton lives in New York. A graduate of the College of Westchester, she works as a computer technician in schools and as a part-time actress. Bolton previously released the book Looking for Mr. Potential under the pen name La’Ketta T. Bolton in 2000.

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5 stars
11 (52%)
4 stars
2 (9%)
3 stars
6 (28%)
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1 (4%)
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Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews
Profile Image for Lori Barnes.
58 reviews1 follower
January 20, 2016
Rude Boys: Set in 1960's NYC the Rude Boys is s great book about organized crime in NYC. How an unknown group called Chimera takes on the big dogs of Organized Crime.

While not my normal genre I have to say that it gripped me from page 2 and didn't let me go until the end. A definite re-read.

Wonderfully written, this book grabs you by the hand and never let you go until the end of the book. It gives you a glimpse into the inner workings of the rivalry between crime families.
Profile Image for Diane.
Author 2 books47 followers
February 25, 2016
Fans of novels about mob action and organized crime, especially those which include historical facts within their story lines, will relish Rude Boy USA, which is set in the 1960s and revolves around a New York City gang, Chimera, which attracts the attention of a top organized crime family.

As the group evolves into a crime syndicate run by four leaders, murder, sex, and struggle assume new levels of reality and insight in a thriller thoroughly grounded in a diverse variety of characters and special interests. Many social issues are also examined from different perspectives, from the fluid relationships between men and women to questions of race and heritage that ultimately dictate attitudes and choices in life ("…Passing can only get you so far,” she said. “I don’t care about what anybody thinks. I do it because it gets me ahead. It’s hard out there. I know what I am, and that’s all I care about. I mean, they may look like nice people, they may seem nice and tolerant and understanding of who you are, but when they get angry at you for whatever reason—when she gets mad—her white hood comes out.").

From men who sleep with different women without loving any of them to emotional, racial, and gang obligations that take precedence over all else, Rude Boy USA constantly provides a smooth interaction between protagonists with different perspectives on life and its values in a thriller marked with nonstop confrontations. Be forewarned: this process includes sex, violence, drugs, and crime (it would not be a proper crime story without these elements).

Love, betrayal, friendships, and gang connections all simmer beneath the atmosphere of the 1960s in New York City, making for a riveting, highly recommended read especially recommended for fans of historical novels or mob stories.
Profile Image for Tiffany.
85 reviews
January 28, 2016
Rude Boy USA, by Victoria Bolton, is a story about organized crime that is set in the 1960s in New York City. It shows an underdog gang known the Chimera take on NYC and while getting noticed by the Ambrocino family, who are top notch in what they do. Its a story that grips you straight from the beginning and keeps your attention until the very end. This book is filled with crime, violence, and drugs galore, and lets not forget about all the sex. Bernie and his Chimera crew dress nice, appear to be highly sophisticated members and seem very respectable, but they crave more. They crave respect of the other crime lords and mob bosses around, as well as fear of those below them.

The story line flows very nicely and the writing style is done in such a way that it keeps your attention to the very end. The plot is believable, and the characters build very well throughout the story. Given the level of violence, drugs, and sexual content throughout the book, I would not recommend it for a younger crowd, but would highly recommend it for adults readers that enjoy this genre. It was a quick and easy read, especially will how much it sucks you in. I read the book in just 2 days, not really wanting to put it down. This was a first for me by this author, but definitely not my last.
Profile Image for Zenny Dahl.
46 reviews2 followers
July 9, 2016
If you're a fan of the movies Casino or Donnie Brasco, this book is for you. Celia AKA Bunny "A brown skinned, brown eyed version of a young Elizabeth Taylor" and John "the Conqueror" are star crossed lovers. They meet and fall in love while John is still married, although once Bunny finds out, she ends things. But fate has more in store for them and the book takes you through the 1960s in New York and Jamaica while the gangster life works its way through a cast of engaging supporting characters. Ben & Brenda and Jerome & Mariana have their own stories in this book as well. This book has it all, warring mafia families, romance, intrigue and an insider guide to life during the Vietnam era.

Profile Image for Ray Simmons.
Author 7 books26 followers
August 4, 2018
When you read a lot you come to realize how rare a totally unique voice can be in literature. This realization first came to me a long time ago as I read The World According to Garp by John Irving. I had that same feeling of discovering a truly unique and compelling voice as I read RUDE BOY USA by Victoria Bolton. I love these characters. Gangsters are usually portrayed with a certain flair but I haven’t seen such interesting crime characters or such a descriptive narrative on their lives since The Sopranos. The characters drive RUDE BOY USA. This is a story about gangsters in the New York, New Jersey, and Philadelphia area so we know roughly how the story will go.

But the journey is so much fun with Victoria Bolton and this amazing cast of characters. The core of RUDE BOY USA revolves around the Chimera Group. Bernie, the CEO and one of the four founding members chose the name to honor his Greek heritage and his obsession with Greek mythology. Ben is the obligatory Italian American of the group. Jerome Dexter, the third group member is a slim light-skinned black man. John, the last member of the group is also a light-skinned black. These men are an eclectic group by design and each operates in a different borough of New York. This is the sixties and seventies. When you mix the chaos and excitement of these times with the combustible nature of these characters and the gangster environment you have a great novel.

Profile Image for Nate Hendrix.
1,144 reviews6 followers
November 23, 2022
This novel seemed interesting, but I gave up very quickly. I feel like you can't start the first chapter by describing nine characters in a row. I need some story first.
Profile Image for Justine Wach.
159 reviews16 followers
January 24, 2016
I am a big fan of crime thriller book. So when I see this book, I just know I have to pick it up. There is nothing about intense love were mentioned in the synopsis of the book which I think is a good thing because most of the crime thriller book, is about forbidden love.
This book is about a group of people who have passed Cosa Nostra era and move to era which they use a legit company to do their dirty work. First of all, most of the books I have read in this genre mentioned Cosa Nostra which made me well aware of what that means. However, a legit company to hide their dirty work is not something new. Not anymore. I have read about this in few books already however, this book is more detailed about the deal.The book started with normal scene of enforcers removing people as the family asked. I labeled it as normal but people who havent read any crime thriller book may think its overwhelming. Its very detailed, though.
John was hurt because he doesnt made a good job of bookkeeping. He was saved by Celia, a woman who worked in Playboy Club. She was a bunny. That is basically how everything started though. The story is actually revolved around Celia and John to my surprise. I thought Bernie, the Chimera leader is going to be the main cast. However, there are few scenes about other associates. Ben and Jerome, well they were here and there in several scenes. Bernie on the other hand, I think we lose Bernie too early. I dont even know him yet and he suddenly gone. I expect him to be the main character since the beginning of the book is mostly about him and Chimera. He and Gina deserved more than few pages in my opinion because his character is strong at the beginning. This mean, Bernies character is unbalanced and inconstant. There are several scenes on hitting people which is what exactly kingpin does. I dont see it coming, it just happened. Eventually someone just died. Very mobsters like and I like the book about it. The unexpected twist and all. I hate Edina but that doesnt mean she have bad character. In this story, I think I like her even though she probably is the villain. She taking sides with other family is totally off limit thats for sure but I cant hate her for that. She does make a perfect point and
excuse about merging. Her point is actually brilliant. I like her better than Celia. How does that sound? Celia is supposed to be the heroine but for me, she is too gentle. Not mentioned she is called Bunny which successfully getting me on my nerves. I know she
used to work for Playboy Club but no more. How could a woman with Bunny as a name could work with Chimera? Seriously? And one thing more about the Chimera that I dont like is Ben. For me, he is not loyal enough and thats mean Chimera is not as strong as its been described because there are inner battles within associates. I really enjoy a book and characters that put family first, loyal to the family and keeping their Omerta. And Ben does not. Overall, I think the book is a bit dull. No much of dialogues, I dont know much about what they are feeling. The Ambrosino familys presence actually after half of the book which I actually thought they are going to be a main villain since the first chapter but they apparently not. But regardless, its not such a bad book due to the scenes of planning a hit on others. Those scenes certainly more detailed and better than any other books I have read.
957 reviews2 followers
August 26, 2016
Received through a Goodreads Giveaway.

There is a really excellent book in here, but it isn't exactly the one that is presented. It's like a statue that still has some sections of raw marble that haven't been chiseled down to its best form. The setting is really good, the characters feel real, and the story definitely has compelling sections, but the writing lets it down in a number of places.

The exposition, particularly in the early chapters, is just sort of chunked in without giving a good reason for presenting it other than that we should know it. Even in places where the author acknowledges that the characters wouldn't have expressed the information at the time it's told to the reader. The timeline also feels odd in places. The author obviously did a lot of research about how the timeline fit into real events to reference what was going on at the time, what movie would be playing, what the news would be about on certain days where the action takes place, but then other parts are muddled and don't make a lot of sense. I'm sure it is stated that Mariana is already pregnant when Chimera falls apart, but then it's stated that over a year has passed since Celia left, and Mariana is still pregnant. Then actions that have to take place over the course of several weeks just refer to "it had been a year since..."

There were other things too, but I still read through to the end because I was interested in the characters and the setting. I settled on a generous 3 for the rating, because it's a 4+ star story saddled with 2 star writing. Hopefully that improves in the other books in this series because the characters were compelling, and the ones that actually survived this book could carry further stories.
Profile Image for Paula.
182 reviews4 followers
July 15, 2016
Organized Crime With A Twist
I just finished reading the first book in the Rude Boy USA Series. This great award winning book, Rude Boy USA Volume 1 by Victoria Bolton is an organized crime story like no other. You see this excellent tale of wealthy powerful crime families has the usual mobster family names like the Ambrosinos and Corazianis. However, this story also contains black organized families, too. Which makes for a welcomed surprise that creates variety and depth in this well-written book. Why should the Italian gangsters have all the fun?! I especially enjoyed reading about the Jet family. A well-organized, violent, and strong black family in the mix of all the mafia activity. The authors flowing writing style and a great plot made this book hard to put down. It is evident when reading Rude Boy USA Volume 1 that significant amount of research and hard work went into developing the complex characters and their colorful 1970's environment. Great editing made for uninterrupted reading and a smooth transition between chapters. New twist on an often read subject of crime families. This book has it all as murder, extortion, bribery, illicit drugs, gambling, and prostitution are sprinkled throughout this imaginative and believable story. I must say that I did not get a feel for the contents of this story from the cover art and illustration. If I had judged this book by its cover, I, unfortunately, would not have realized the great story within. Now that I know what a masterful storyteller Victoria Bolton is, I am looking forward to enjoying more great work from her. I highly recommend this read to everyone and hope to one day watch the movie based on this book.
Profile Image for Chantel.
77 reviews5 followers
August 5, 2016
Rude Boy USA by Victoria Bolton is focused around the mob in New York City in the 1960s and 1970s. Normally, I would not have picked up this type of book, but I thought the synopsis sounded exciting.

Bernie, John, Jerome, and Ben were the big wigs in a company/mob called Chimera. With two white males, one being Jewish, and two black men, many mobs of the city thought them to be wannabe Italian mobsters. Through the course of the book, the reader and other mobs find that they are just as capable as any other mob in New York.

The writing style throughout this book was a narrative that seemed very choppy to me. I was not a fan of this style. Sentences were quite short and made it seem cut up and almost child like. For a mob book, I'm not sure this was the correct approach.

The story itself was somewhat sporadic and I'm not exactly sure what the plot was supposed to be. Years passed, but I have no idea how many years spanned the entire story. It was nice to see the growth of the love between Celia and John though. There were a few deaths throughout the story (obviously) and when this happened it was so straight forward it seemed fake. It basically stated the character was dead.

Overall, I rate this title with 3 stars. I liked it, but I didn't love it and the writing style was just too choppy for my taste.
Profile Image for emily.
107 reviews
August 24, 2016
Rude Boy USA definitely has a good concept. I just feel the writing could've been tweaked a little. Many of the sentences in this book felt unnecessary. Also, many of them started with "He, They, She, Her" a lot. It felt very repetitive. I did like that each of the main characters did have their "own" personality.

Rude Boy USA has a great pace towards the last fifty pages, and it goes by in a blast. I wish that the characters weren't fully described at the beginning, it kinda threw off the feel of the book. Also it left little room for character development. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes crime fiction with a group of gangsters. Overall I would give Rude Boy USA three stars!
2 reviews
August 4, 2016
This book was so well written I couldn't stop until the last page. If you are a fan of mob boss films, crime novels, suspense and even romance, I would bet anything that you would enjoy this book. 1960's NY floods your senses and mixes perfectly with the Jamaican dialect throughout. Two star-crossed lovers fall in love and take you on an adventure that will have you talking like a gangster before the stories end. Victoria Bolton shows off her knowledge and imagination in a crime story so captivating you have it read it to understand. I can not wait to read the other books in the Rude Boy series. Ms. Bolton may easily become one of my favorite Authors.
Profile Image for Russell Burgess.
35 reviews
August 7, 2016
Organised crime books are among my favourites and I was really interested in this one which reminded me of Scarface and his rise, from almost nothing to a top crime lord. The author sets a great pace in this book about a new type of mob who are muscling in on the local turf, determined that they are going to build an empire. Exciting storyline, great writing and looking forward to more of the same from Victoria Bolton.
Profile Image for Sage Adderley.
Author 5 books85 followers
August 25, 2016
I liked Ms. Bolton's concept of featuring a POC (people of color) mobster-style group. The diversity brings in a different view of the character's personalities, attire, and the environment. I felt the plot really took off and went into full swing about midway through the book. I found myself cringing and cheering all at the same time. It's a thick story that will grab fans of crime fiction who are ready or a new twist on this genre.
Displaying 1 - 15 of 15 reviews

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