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Rogue Island (Liam Mulligan #1)

by Bruce DeSilva (Goodreads Author)

3.6 of 5 stars 3.60 · rating details · 671 ratings · 186 reviews

2011 Edgar AwardWinner for Best First Novel

Liam Mulligan is as old school as a newspaper man gets. His beat is Providence, Rhode Island, and he knows every street and alley. He knows the priests and prostitutes, the cops and street thugs. He knows the mobsters and politicians—who are pretty much one and the same.

Someone is systematically burning down the neighborhood Mulli...more

Hardcover, 304 pages

Published October 12th 2010 by Forge Books (first published October 1st 2010)

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Oct 25, 2011 Kemper rated it 2 of 5 stars

Shelves: 2011, crime-mystery

An Edgar Award winner for Best First Novel? Seriously? Must have been a weak year for debut crime novels.

Mulligan is a newspaper reporter covering a string of arsons in the Mount Hope area of Providence, Rhode Island. Since the arson cops are completely inept, it looks like Mulligan will have to solve the crime as he dodges fluff assignments from his editor, deals with a bitchy ex-wife, romances his new girlfriend and bemoans the state of the newspaper industry.

I had three big problems with this...more An Edgar Award winner for Best First Novel? Seriously? Must have been a weak year for debut crime novels.

Mulligan is a newspaper reporter covering a string of arsons in the Mount Hope area of Providence, Rhode Island. Since the arson cops are completely inept, it looks like Mulligan will have to solve the crime as he dodges fluff assignments from his editor, deals with a bitchy ex-wife, romances his new girlfriend and bemoans the state of the newspaper industry.

I had three big problems with this book. First, is that our hero is a newspaper reporter. If you’re going to have your protagonist’s occupation be something obsolete, at least make it something offbeat like a steamboat captain or video store rental clerk because the idea that a newspaper would allow a reporter to run around spending all his time on one story is so unrealistic that I couldn‘t suspend disbelief long enough to buy into it.

The second issue is how the author portrays his Rhode Island setting. I generally like it when someone sets a crime novel somewhere other than New York, L.A., or Miami, but Mulligan’s narration is filled with constant references that are supposed to make the reader think that the political corruption, weather and road conditions are incredibly bad in Rhode Island. I hate to break this to Mulligan but the other places that deal with the same type of problems are only FREAKIN’ EVERYWHERE! Everyone’s local government is crap and all of our roads suck and we’ve all got shitty weather. Well, maybe not San Diego, but you get the point. The idea that Rhode Island is somehow special because of these factors had me rolling my eyes repeatedly.

The worst problem in the book is our narrator Mulligan. DeSilva obviously set out to create a quirky main character in the tradition of ‘80s movies like Fletch or Beverly Hills Cop. Mulligan is a 40 year old smart ass reporter who lives in a shitty apartment with no furniture or cooking utensils. He ignores his ulcer while living on a diet of cigars, beer and diner food. He doesn’t allow anyone to use his first name, and he rolls around in a beat up old Ford Bronco he calls Secretariat. (Get it? Get it? Oh, the hilarity.) He’s got a crazy ex-wife who calls him constantly to curse him out and who got custody of the dog he claims to love. Despite being middle aged and broke, he attracts a stream of younger women including his incredibly hot 20-something girlfriend and fellow reporter.

I probably could have lived with all this and chalked it up to just lazy character development that substitutes quirks for actual emotions, but the worst part is that the Mulligan is a Red Sox fan. He’s one of those types who constantly wears hats and jerseys (Much like how the Chevy Chase Fletch loved the Lakers.) and feels the need to repeatedly express his love for the Sox while also subjecting the readers to constant recaps of all the games he watches over the course of the novel. Red Sox fans may care. I don't.

I kind of liked the offbeat ending but overall was disappointed with this.(less)

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Feb 03, 2013 Deborah rated it 4 of 5 stars Recommends it for: Modern mystery fans

Update 1 month later - I'm upgrading from 3.5 to 4.5. I find I look back on the experience of listening to this with a real appreication and I'm looking forward to the next one. I almost wrote the author to find out the name of a band Mulligan listens to because I liked all the others so much and hadn't heard of one of them. And I wanted to pressure him to include Popa Chubby in the next one. Then I realized that was a bit moronic and curbed the desire.

Maybe this book would get 3.5 stars from m...more

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Jan 03, 2013 Marjorie Ingall rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: grownups

This book will have special appeal for Rhode Islanders, but hey, I'm a Rhode Islander; I devoured it. Three stars if you're from elsewhere, 4 if you're my homey.

DeSilva proves that the most corrupt little state in the union is a great setting for a modern-day yet old-school noir. He's clearly read his share of Hammett, Chandler and Spillane (the last one is problematic -- if you have any triggers around sexual assault or a sort of humming low-level macho shamus sexism, avoid this book). It's ab...more

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Sep 06, 2012 Jonathan Briggs rated it 2 of 5 stars · review of another edition

A JON AND HIS MA BOOK CLUB SELECTION

A mad arsonist blazes a trail through Providence, R.I., focusing on the low-income immigrant neighborhood of Mount Hope, former home of reporter Liam Mulligan. Mulligan is a newspaperman -- emphasis on the paper -- who's so old-school he still smears ink all over everything he touches. The city's arson investigators are too fat, lazy and incompetent, so Mulligan takes it upon himself to track the killer firebug. And that's about it as far as plot goes in forme...more A JON AND HIS MA BOOK CLUB SELECTION

A mad arsonist blazes a trail through Providence, R.I., focusing on the low-income immigrant neighborhood of Mount Hope, former home of reporter Liam Mulligan. Mulligan is a newspaperman -- emphasis on the paper -- who's so old-school he still smears ink all over everything he touches. The city's arson investigators are too fat, lazy and incompetent, so Mulligan takes it upon himself to track the killer firebug. And that's about it as far as plot goes in former AP newsman Bruce DeSilva's crime fiction debut, "Rogue Island."

In the course of his journalistic crusading, Mulligan interacts with a progression of stereotypes from decades past: the Italian goombah ("Aaay, Vinnie!" "Fuhgeddaboudit."), the long-suffering editor (think Perry White or J. Jonah Jameson), the screeching shrew of an obscenity-spewing ex-wife and various hot women who naturally all want to sleep with Mulligan. He attends funerals for the arsonist's victims where DeSilva's attempts at unearned pathos fall flat. It's hard to feel anything for the dead when, by DeSilva's own accounting, the only people who live in Rhode Island are cartoon characters. It would be like mourning Wile E. Coyote. Later in the book, DeSilva displays a profoundly dysfunctional sense of irony when Mulligan smirks at a cliche-ridden broadcast from the local TV news airheads. "Who the hell writes that crap?" he wonders.

Mulligan isn't the only thing old-school about "Rogue Island." DeSilva spent 40-odd years working in the news media, and it's obvious he misses the pre-Internet days of print journalism: when grizzled old veterans did almost as much drinking and smoking at their desks as they did writing; when people communicated in complete sentences that often exceeded 140 characters; when everyone not shepherding late editions congregated after work at the nearby "newspaper bar" until closing, then went home with whomever. I don't blame him. I came into the biz at the tail end of that era and was lucky enough to learn my trade under those grizzled old vets. In many ways, those days were much more interesting and colorful than today's sterile, corporate newsrooms. Unfortunately, that time is gone, and it's not coming back. If DeSilva wanted to cling to the past, he should have set his novel in the past. Or he should have made a more serious attempt at addressing the newsroom dichotomy between the slow but accurate newspaper relics and the leap-before-you-look Twitterverse. Cramming his story into a modern framework makes it seem anachronistic and out of touch, less of a realistic, gripping thriller and more of an empty exercise in homage to the many crime writers DeSilva checks by name throughout his text.

Inevitably, I suppose, the second novel featuring Liam Mulligan came out shortly after I bought "Rogue Island." That is one modern aspect of DeSilva's writing: Everything's a franchise in the mystery genre these days. Standalone crime novels are becoming a rarity as characters return again and again for repeat performances. If I'd known "Rogue Island" was the inaugural volume of the Continuing Adventures of Liam Mulligan, I doubt I would've picked it up.

Like many series characters, Liam Mulligan has a bad case of the smartypants. Since the days when Raymond Chandler's Philip Marlowe antagonized cops, clients and crooks alike with his razor one-liners, fictional detectives have been moonlighting as stand-up comics. The big difference is that Marlowe was genuinely witty, his dialog an absolute joy to read. Many of his sleuthing progeny are merely asking for a slap upside the head. When I began to hear mental rimshots every time Mulligan dropped a line, I started rooting for the bad guys to beat him harder.

Even I am not totally immune to the franchise detective, but my series character dance card has long since been filled by the likes of Dave Robicheaux, Kenzie and Gennaro, Hap and Leonard, Burke, Parker and too many others. Anyone who wants to be added to that list had better impress me with their originality or mad writing skills. "Rogue Island" is strictly stock, forgoing believable characters in favor of archetypes from an old B&W on Turner Classic Movies. If DeSilva is just going to rehash the classics, why should I bother? I still have plenty of the originals in my to-read piles.

I realize I'm the one being anachronistic and out of touch in my prejudice against this brand of mysteries. If franchise heroes didn't sell, there wouldn't be so dadgum many of them being written and published. Readers like them. They eat up every installment, then clamor for more adventures featuring their favorite crimefighter, stories told in a comforting first person that ensures nothing too terribly awful will happen and that guarantees there will be another sequel.

DeSilva's broad sense of humor is certain to appeal to many of those mystery fans:

"Seems that last week, the mayor's probable opponent in next fall's election had legally changed her name from Angelina V. Rico to Angelina V. aRico so she would be listed first alphabetically on the ballot. But yesterday, Mayor Rocco D. Carozza legally changed his name to Rocco D. aaaaCarozza."

If that made you laugh, I have good news for you: There's two novels' worth of "more where that came from" for you to look forward to. If, on the other hand, that made you roll your eyes and heave a sigh, chances are that, like me, you are a humorless bastard who needs to look for his kicks elsewhere. Ma admits the book made her laugh a few times, but "there were more cringes than grins." We also could have done without DeSilva's clumsy attempts to shill for his wife's crummy poetry by shoehorning it in where it doesn't belong.

There are armies of readers who live on a steady diet of the kind of easy reading DeSilva serves up. It's not that he's a bad writer. He's quite competent at what he does, but what he does is of no interest to me personally. (less)

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Jul 25, 2012 Larry Newton rated it 4 of 5 stars

There is a lot going on in this book, so the newspaper-reporter style of short episodic plot lines is much appreciated. This is a wonderful rookie effort! The main character obviously loves "Rogue" Island, warts and all. While Mulligan still pays lip service to his reporters ideals, nevertheless he is apparently comfortable using the corrupt elements of society against other corrupt elements.

My only criticisms of this book, which are extremely minor, involve the use of allusions to Casablanca a...more

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May 05, 2012 Darrell Delamaide rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Bruce DeSilva has produced a well-written, well-edited but only mildly entertaining noir novel featuring a hero so obviously modeled on himself that it gets in the way of the story. The author succumbs to one of my pet peeves in these debut novels -- he inflicts his personal tastes and preferences on the reader in lieu of doing any genuine characterization.

DeSilva's author photo features him with a big stogie and his fictional hero Liam Mulligan distinguishes himself every few pages by "firing u...more Bruce DeSilva has produced a well-written, well-edited but only mildly entertaining noir novel featuring a hero so obviously modeled on himself that it gets in the way of the story. The author succumbs to one of my pet peeves in these debut novels -- he inflicts his personal tastes and preferences on the reader in lieu of doing any genuine characterization.

DeSilva's author photo features him with a big stogie and his fictional hero Liam Mulligan distinguishes himself every few pages by "firing up" or "sparking up" a "cuban" with virtually everyone he talks to. In fact, it appears the secret to being a successful investigative reporter is to develop a cigar-smoker's network. Not that Mulligan is notably successful in his investigation although there are intimations of past glory (a 10-year-old Pulitzer gets a passing mention). We don't really know much about Mulligan in fact -- how old he is, what he looks like, or what he likes besides cigars and the Red Sox (and women) -- except that he never grew up.

Like most of the other characters in this book, Mulligan borders on caricature, and caricatures that are decades out of date. It's almost jarring when a cell phone is mentioned. The newsroom rivalries, the bookie, the strip joint are all pushed just a bit beyond the point where you want to suspend disbelief that people really talk and act like that.

But perhaps Providence, R.I. is really like that. We are told that DeSilva had a 41-year career as a newspaperman, so he must know. He does of course lament the decline and fall of newspapers and, after telling us what an irremediable mix of crime and corruption his hometown is, wants us to believe it will be worse off when the newspaper is gone.

As to the story itself: The plot about a serial arsonist torching buildings in a narrowly restricted neighborhood is fairly predictable. What little suspense there is tends to get lost in all the cigar-smoking, adolescent fumbling, and other childish antics of our ageless hero.

It's a little hard to understand how this book won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel. DeSilva makes it clear in his acknowledgments that he cultivated a dozen established crime fiction authors as he wrote the book, so perhaps that is part of the explanation. It tells you something about how literary awards get awarded.

For me, this novel is further evidence that self-published works can easily compete for readers' favor. Personally, I found Capriati's Blood -- written by another veteran newspaperman, Lawrence DeMaria -- a much better read. It was leaner, more credible, less predictable and equally effective in conveying a sense of place (Staten Island in this case) as this Edgar Award winner from Tom Doherty's Forge imprint.(less)

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Mar 11, 2012 Joy rated it 5 of 5 stars

I love this book and am looking forward to the next one. I especially liked the historical information about Rhode Isand and the politics and how he weaves Patricia Smith's poetry into the perfect part of the novel where Mulligan is in bed with his new love, co-reporter, Veronica. I am going to research to see if I can find the complete text online.
The book is full of witticisms mixed with humor in the style of Raymond Chandler, James Ellroy and the recently deceased, Robert Parker. Robert Parke...more I love this book and am looking forward to the next one. I especially liked the historical information about Rhode Isand and the politics and how he weaves Patricia Smith's poetry into the perfect part of the novel where Mulligan is in bed with his new love, co-reporter, Veronica. I am going to research to see if I can find the complete text online.
The book is full of witticisms mixed with humor in the style of Raymond Chandler, James Ellroy and the recently deceased, Robert Parker. Robert Parker took pride in being compared to Raymond Chandler too, like DeSilva. Parker even finished one of Chandler's last incomplete novels, "Poodle Springs."
DeSilva manages to throw in lines from famous movies, mentions some important literary tidbits and some great blues players. Blues happens to be my favorite music so this book jammed perfectly with my sensibilities. Poetic influences are evident in his descriptions, "I returned to my cubicle to find Edward Anthony Mason IV perched on the corner of my desk, looking now like he'd just stepped off a page of The Great Gatsby-narrow cover-girl waist, long legs encased in expensive black slacks, a blue silk tie that cost more than my entire wardrobe. He removed the Clark Gable fedora, exposing a head full of light-brown curls." Mulligan mentors a new reporter who studied at Columbia School of Journalism and whose family owns the paper Mulligan works for.
When a book makes you think, be sad and laugh plus be excited about what is going to happen next, it is a winner! Repartee is fast and delightful. The ex wife, Dorcas, who calls periodically to repeat the same words, "You! fucking! bastard!" is a reminder of that vindictive person we've all known and been lucky enough to escape from. Dorcas keeps the dog to use as a weapon to hurt him similarly to the way some folk use custody of children to battle in a divorce.
Rogue Island opened my eyes to the reporting world and how it's run, with the competition and cut throat backstabbers one has to work with, and I thought the Department of Education was bad! DeSilva is currently mentoring students at Columbia School of Journalism.(less)

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Dec 15, 2011 Giacomo rated it 4 of 5 stars

"The book has a noir feeling to it, and yet, at the same time, it's current and fresh and new. At times I almost expected to have a character like Kasper Gutman say "We'll talk, if you like. I'll tell you right out, I am a man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk." And if one of the characters did, nothing would have pleased me more; however, Bruce DeSilva did better than that. He managed to capture the flavor and feel of some of the old time greats while keeping readers firmly entrench...more "The book has a noir feeling to it, and yet, at the same time, it's current and fresh and new. At times I almost expected to have a character like Kasper Gutman say "We'll talk, if you like. I'll tell you right out, I am a man who likes talking to a man who likes to talk." And if one of the characters did, nothing would have pleased me more; however, Bruce DeSilva did better than that. He managed to capture the flavor and feel of some of the old time greats while keeping readers firmly entrenched in the here and now of wonderfully ethnic Providence. He made Providence come alive, complete with its old neighborhoods filled with people set in their old ways. What a breath of fresh air! Nothing stale about this novel. Even when it seemed as if I'd seen or heard something before, I realized it was because DeSilva was writing about real things (like the decline of the newspapers), so yes, I had seen them before, in the real world.

His characters are wonderful, and slimy, and hateful, and mean, and jealous, and loving. All of those magnificent traits that we share as humans. Not once did I feel as if he'd plucked a character from another novel and put them in here to fill a slot. Each one was meticulously, and lovingly, crafted to fill the role the author had in mind for them. That's what makes this book so fun to read. The characters are real. Alive. We know these people. It's one of the many things that kept me turning pages.

I tend to gravitate toward books light on description. Yet, in Rogue Island, DeSilva did such a remarkable job of weaving description into plot that I got the full benefit without realizing it. He has an uncanny ability as a writer to know just when to pull the plug and move on to something else, leaving the reader satisfied with what he created. And there is just enough humor spread throughout the book to keep a smile on my face.

This was a great read. It looks like DeSilva's got himself a new job now. And "that's the stuff that dreams are made of.""(less)

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Jul 26, 2011 Aaron rated it 3 of 5 stars

Former journalist DeSilva dives into the realm of fiction with his first novel, which brings readers into the dark underbelly of Providence, RI. Liam Mulligan, an award winning writer for a statewide paper modeled after The Providence Journal finds himself investigating a series of fires in the Mount Hope section of the city, where he grew up. It quickly becomes clear that a serial arsonist is at the root of the fires which hits tenement houses clustered in the area over the course of the early...more Former journalist DeSilva dives into the realm of fiction with his first novel, which brings readers into the dark underbelly of Providence, RI. Liam Mulligan, an award winning writer for a statewide paper modeled after The Providence Journal finds himself investigating a series of fires in the Mount Hope section of the city, where he grew up. It quickly becomes clear that a serial arsonist is at the root of the fires which hits tenement houses clustered in the area over the course of the early wintry months. For Mulligan, finding out who is hurting his former neighbors so he sets about solving the case while being surrounded by corrupt politicians, police officers, and the mob.

As he digs deeper into the case, he is also troubled by his soon-to-be ex-wife's harassment, a new girlfriend, and the need to mentor an up-and-coming cub reporter, who also happens to be the son of the paper's publisher. That doesn't prevent Mulligan from using all of his resources to dig deeper. The only problem is that as he gets closer to the real truth, many of the people around him find themselves in danger, and he even ends up being accused of the crimes.

The case itself and the feel of the story is a bit noir-ish, capturing the tone of many of the popular mysteries of the 1970's and 1980's. In a way, Providence seems more representative of that time, than the current one, which works with the story that DeSilva is trying to sell.

I did really enjoy the book. I loved turning the pages and finding references to locations that are familiar, including the Dark Lady (one of the clubs I like to go to when I head into the city). I really liked the characters and wanted to see what was going to happen to them.

Unfortunately, I felt like the book imploded as it started its race to the end after Mulligan is accused of being the firebug. He flees the city for a few months to remove himself from the sites of those really responsible for the crimes. By this point, the reader knows all the fact of the who, what, where, when, and why. As a result, the ending is anticlimactic and just peters out. It is a shame because it was a really good book up until that point. I would be willing to have another visit to Mulligan's Providence if there proves to be a sequel, but I hope DeSilva will do a better job with the ending in a second volume.(less)

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May 07, 2011 Tony rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: novels

If you like fast-paced crime thrillers with a rich sense of of atmosphere and a strong male protagonist, this is the book for you -- just don't expect too much from the plot. Set in a richly detailed grimy Providence, RI, the story follows newspaper reporter Mulligan ("just Mulligan") as he pokes his nose into an outbreak of arson in the city's run-down Mount Hope neighborhood. Meanwhile, the separated-and-nearly-divorced Mulligan is also embarking on a new relationship with the paper's beautifu...more If you like fast-paced crime thrillers with a rich sense of of atmosphere and a strong male protagonist, this is the book for you -- just don't expect too much from the plot. Set in a richly detailed grimy Providence, RI, the story follows newspaper reporter Mulligan ("just Mulligan") as he pokes his nose into an outbreak of arson in the city's run-down Mount Hope neighborhood. Meanwhile, the separated-and-nearly-divorced Mulligan is also embarking on a new relationship with the paper's beautiful courthouse reporter while fending off the attentions of the paper's hot photo-lab lady.

The book largely succeeds as an example of using the crime genre as a vehicle for presenting social history -- the reader learns about Providence's sordid past and present as Mulligan rolls around its streets and various local haunts form the backdrops for scenes. It's very reminiscent of aspects of George Pelecanos's crime novels set in and around Washington, D.C., which deliver a much more richly authentic history of the city and its inhabitants than any guide or history book. The whole reason I picked up the book is that I have two good friends who've settled in the Providence, and I was looking to get a little more sense of the city. In that respect, the book is quite good (although the constant Red Sox boosterism gets exceedingly tiresome).

Unfortunately, as a mystery/crime story the book is much less successful. The motive for the arson is easily guessed at, and when a hint regarding who might stand to benefit is given, it sticks out like a sore thumb. However, since the story requires some action, it delays the intrepid reporter hero from vigorously pursuing the obvious paper trail that will lead him to the motive and perpetrators. I'm not the kind of reader who likes to try and "figure out" a story along the way, I prefer to get immersed and let the story take me along for the ride. But this was a rare case where I kept waiting and waiting for the protagonist to take the obvious step that would lead him to the obvious culprit, and when he finally does, it's fairly underwhelming.

There are a few other missteps, for example the author cheezily inserting a mention of his wife's book of poetry into the story in a way that felt completely forced. I also found Mulligan's tough-reporter-meets-wise-guy patter just a bit too over-the-top at times. Partway through the book, a new character is introduced in a kind of "Odd Couple" partnership role that feels a bit forced. On the whole, I can write these off as the normal flaws of a first novel, and I'll definitely be checking out the next in the series for the local color, I just hope that the plot is much stronger.(less)

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Apr 30, 2011 James Thane rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: crime-fiction

An arsonist is hard at work, burning down homes in the Mount Hope neighborhood of Providence, Rode Island. People are dying and a town is terrorized. Local reporter Liam Mulligan grew up in this neighborhood and so he's taking this whole thing personally. Not content simply to report the story, Mulligan injects himself into the investigation, determined to stop the arsonist before he or she can claim any additional victims.

It's a good thing he does, because the local authorities are inept and cl...more An arsonist is hard at work, burning down homes in the Mount Hope neighborhood of Providence, Rode Island. People are dying and a town is terrorized. Local reporter Liam Mulligan grew up in this neighborhood and so he's taking this whole thing personally. Not content simply to report the story, Mulligan injects himself into the investigation, determined to stop the arsonist before he or she can claim any additional victims.

It's a good thing he does, because the local authorities are inept and clueless. Mulligan spends his days searching for a motive for the crimes while at the same time attempting to duck the lame, "feel-good" stories that his editor keeps throwing his way. By night, Mulligan patrols the mean streets in his beat-up SUV, hoping to catch the arsonist in the act. Along the way, he will antagonize a lot of powerful and important people and wind up putting his own life at risk.

DeSilva, who was for forty years a reporter in Providence himself, has drawn a very detailed portrait of Rhode Island and of the culture that dominates the state. The setting feels right on, as do DeSilva's observations of the corruption and nepotism that are so prominent in "Rogues Island." He's also populated the book with a number of fully-rounded characters in addition to the main protagonist, and the setting and the characters are the major strengths of the book.

"Rogues Island" has received a lot of high praise from some very well-known crime fiction writers, including Dennis Lehane, Harlan Coben, and others. It also just won the Edgar Award for Best First Novel by an American author, so who am I to quibble? But I will anyhow. I enjoyed this book, but I would have enjoyed it a lot more if DeSilva could have settled on writing either a tense, gripping crime novel or a somehwat humorous mystery. Instead he tries to have it both ways.

Liam Mulligan is a major-league smart-ass, which is certainly fine with me. He's also a huge Red Sox fan, and I don't necessarily mind that either. He's enormously appealing to women and is in the midst of a new relationship with a woman that any reader will recognize as trouble virtually from the git-go. But Mulligan, perhaps blinded by the excellent sex, fails to see for way too long what the rest of us notice immediately. He also has an almost ex-wife who constantly calls to harrass him. The first time she does this, it's sort of amusing, but by the third or fourth time she does it, you're already sick to death of it. Mulligan is also another one of those crime fiction protagonists who has to announce his selection every time he slips a new CD into the player, apparently to impress us with his excellent musical taste.

For my money, the book tries just a bit too hard to be cute. And I found it jarring to read the graphic descriptions of charred bodies being pulled from one fire after another juxtaposed with the attempts at light humor. It's like there are two very different books struggling to emerge here. Either one or the other would have been fine, but combining the two approaches didn't quite work for me. As I said, this is a pretty good book, but IMHO it could have been even better if DeSilva would have settled for one approach or the other.(less)

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Jan 28, 2011 Valerie rated it 1 of 5 stars

I read this book because it was a selection for our book club, Sista’s. The book was highly rated and my anticipation was high. The last two books I had read were dud’s and I was really looking forward to a good story. Boy was I disappointed. It never ceases to amaze me how the so-called experts will provide a review of a book and my experience with the book turns out to be completely the opposite.

Rogue Island was labeled a suspense and/or thriller. To me it was neither. The author, Bruce DeSilv...more

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Oct 23, 2010 Jim Thomsen rated it 3 of 5 stars

The good stuff and the not-so-good stuff run nearly neck-and-neck in the debut novel from Bruce DeSilva, well-known in the mystery-book community for his reviews for the Associated Press, his longtime employer.

The good stuff: The story lopes along at a energetic pace, lean and leathery and limber, never stopping too long to gaze at its own navel the way many debut novels do. The dialogue is another strong point, crisp and crackling, and cut with Cutty Sark and crusty wit. And the story is steep...more The good stuff and the not-so-good stuff run nearly neck-and-neck in the debut novel from Bruce DeSilva, well-known in the mystery-book community for his reviews for the Associated Press, his longtime employer.

The good stuff: The story lopes along at a energetic pace, lean and leathery and limber, never stopping too long to gaze at its own navel the way many debut novels do. The dialogue is another strong point, crisp and crackling, and cut with Cutty Sark and crusty wit. And the story is steeped in the sort of authenticity about its setting that someone can write only if they've occupied a place like drunk occupies his favorite barstool. DeSilva knows the territory of Providence, Rhode Island like the salesmen in "The Music Man" know theirs.

The not-so-good stuff: "Rogue Island" seems to be less a novel meant to be taken on its own merits than a self-conscious homage to the mystery writers DeSilva most admires. There's a lot of gratuitous name-checking, a lot of inside baseball amid the baseball, and a lot of hewing to tired archetypes in the hardboiled genre. The central character is an in-the-doghouse investigative reporter whose weariness and cynicism (not to mention his perspectives on his profession) seem more like the burned-out barstool bloviations of a man of retirement age than of a writer who's not yet forty.

But Mulligan has to be under forty so he can indulge the unappealing narcissism of having two hot twentysomething newsroom women drool all over him (and a third who probably wants him but the passion remains wordless, for added dramatic heft; three guesses as to her fate). And a gorgeous wife who appears to hate him for no real reason, for the trite unearned-sympathy factor. There's the usual I'm-just-a-good-old-boy-from-the-neighborhood-who-can-rub-shoulders-with-good-guys-and-bad-guys-with-equal-ease convention found in hundreds of hardboiled predecessors, the asshole co-workers (though having the city editor turn out to be conscientious hard worker was a nice and unexpected touch) and the time-for-the-hero-to-go-technically-unethically-rogue moments. In the end, I felt as though I was still searching for reasons to like Mulligan, and to root for him.

The mystery itself was involving, but the mechanics of it were puzzling in places, and I get the feeling that DeSilva expected the reader to take certain developments on faith and trust him to lead the reader in the right direction. When he goes out of his way to establish how corrupt every functionary in Rhode Island is, as well as the state itself, the reveal of the bad guys (two of whom aren't even established characters) proves to pack a fairly weak punch. To wit: When everybody's bad, does "really bad" stand out all that much?

On the whole, "Rogue Island" was a fun little bedside read, a serviceable genre entry with a handful of charms. I'm glad DeSilva, in his sixties, got his shot at writing a novel in the vein of the novels he's long reviewed and admired. Now, with word that a second Mulligan story is in the works, it's time for him to write a better one. One that stands on more on its own merits and less on its pedigree. (less)

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Aug 29, 2010 Glenda Bixler rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: reviewed-books

Rogue Island

By Bruce DeSilva

A Forge Book
ISBN: 9780765327260
302 Pages

Agreeing to review the first novel for Associated Press’s Bruce DeSilva was a little daunting for this independent reviewer, but after learning that it had taken Ed McBain, who wrote the 87th Precinct novels and then Otto Penzler, the dean of NYC crime-novel editors to encourage him to finish his novel, and after getting over my initial excitement when I received it, I figured Bruce would expect me to do just what I always do—te...more

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Apr 03, 2012 Danna rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: page-turner, speed-read, little-rhody, revenge, recommended

Rogue Island is an entertaining look at the corrupt officials running the city of Providence, RI. Although it is a fictional work, as a Providence resident, I could truly appreciate the cast of characters and underlying themes. The protagonist, Mulligan, is a reporter for a daily Providence newspaper. He is obsessed with a series of arsons that have occurred in Providence's Mount Hope neighborhood. Mulligan doubts the ability of Providence's fire investigator team, dubbed "Dumb and Dumber," so h...more

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Feb 09, 2012 Betted rated it 3 of 5 stars

You will enjoy plenty of local color and history and become familiar with the streets of historic Providence Rhode Island (which locals sometimes call Rogue Island) when you read this crime thriller.

The crime is arson and the cast of characters span the believable to the ludicrous but tight plotting and the flavoring of real places and events gives this book a boost.

The author was a journalist for more than 40 years and even acted as a writing coach for the Associated Press, so he has a knack f...more

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May 18, 2011 Katherine rated it 3 of 5 stars

It's weird how superficially close this is to the Brad Parks mysteries, which I also just read. Journalist protagonist in a world in which print journalism is struggling. Quirky, distinctive location with a history of crime and corruption. Privileged colleague who starts off a joke and ends up being serious and respectable. Tricky romantic relationship with a colleague. Both this and one of Parks's books deal with arson.

Overall, Parks wins, though DeSilva has a much better title. I never really...more

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May 30, 2011 Lisa rated it 4 of 5 stars

This is a great debut from an experienced journalist and it shows. Plus it's already won the Shamus and Edgar awards for best first mystery which prompted me to pick it up in the first place. Don't be fooled by the cover art like I was - it may appear to look like an espionage/spy story. Instead, it's a sharply written mystery with equal doses of humor, pathos and grit.

An arsonist is on the loose in the run-down section of Providence, Rhode Island (hence, the play-on-words "Rogue Island" for it...more

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Oct 06, 2011 Babcock rated it 4 of 5 stars

Shelves: read-2011

This was a really engaging book. I don't really like mysteries, but I definitely liked this one. It was pretty fast paced, was well written, it was clever and he had a lot of great lines. Anyone who has ever lived in Providence will love it, as will any Red Sox fan, for me I think that was a lot of the initial appeal.

My one critique is that I don't think the women were well written. Mulligan makes a point of telling us how smart and accomplished his younger girlfriend is, yet every time she tal...more

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Jun 15, 2011 Peter rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: audiobooks, mystery-thriller, read-in-2011

Entertaining thriller that covers familiar territory (corruption, the Mafia, the sad state of print journalism) but makes the most of its Rhode Island setting. In the audiobook edition* that I listened to, narrator Jeff Woodman's accent was convincing (to my ears, anyway), and this added to the feeling of authenticity. The protagonist is a journalist who is investigating a series of deadly arsons in the blue-collar neighborhood he grew up in. The main storyline is grim, but the novel has a good...more

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Jun 17, 2012 Mystery Lover rated it 3 of 5 stars

As mentioned in my review of DeSilva's second novel, Cliff Walk, the author writes snappy, crisp dialog, but there is just way to much of it, and he talks the same to everyone: boss, girlfriend, etc.

At first the story was interesting, but as the body count continued to climb, I lost interest because it simply was not believable. Even with a large swath of Providence going up in flames, the investigation is left to two incompetent fire inspectors. Seriously! Do they ask the Feds for their help? Y...more

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Dec 26, 2012 Peggy rated it 4 of 5 stars

Really good first book--want to read more of De Silva's stuff! (Read this one for the book club.

A humorous reporter (who calls his car Secretariat and whistles for it to come to him) wants to find out who is starting fires in his home area, and then becomes one of the police' suspects himself! He swipes an "out of order" cover for a parking meter, and puts it on other meters so he never has to pay, and calls his rich helper "Thanks-Dad."

"I've got four broken ribs. I've been identified as a pers...more

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Jun 18, 2011 Debra rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: audiobooks, mystery-thriller-suspense

Liam Mulligan, a reporter for a money-hemorrhaging Providence newspaper, doesn't trust the strong of arsons in the old neighborhood. With nods to Hammett and others, a varied strong of characters detect, drink, somoke and write their way through this book that won the Edgar for Best First novel.

For me the action moved along briskly, always keeping my interest because I liked the people. Well, except for those I wasn't supposed to like. Enjoyed seeing some familiar names pop up (Brady Coyle, for...more

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Aug 30, 2011 Clay Nichols rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Read this one for Providence. The town that is at the heart of Rogue Island is the most compelling character in this otherwise serviceable but not outstanding whodunit. I found myself referring to maps of the town and overlaying the half-marathon race route I ran there last month. The neighborhoods and characters are colorful and crusty, in a good way.

The story itself is familiar. A tough but lovable beat reporter as gumshoe -- a femme fatale or two. Corruption everywhere. Tough guys, real estat...more

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Jul 14, 2011 Erika rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: library-has, read-in-2011

I picked this up because it's set in Providence, and I thought it would be interesting to read a mystery set in our new hometown.

The plot was pretty standard, and DeSilva definitely worked the hard-boiled investigative reporter for all it was worth. You could practically hear Bogart's laconic drawl in the dialog, and Spillane's world-weary gumshoe in the narrative. It was a little hokey, but not too bad once you settle into the rhythm, although that rhythm is often broken by DeSilva's too-freque...more

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May 01, 2011 Ashland Mystery Oregon rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Congratulations to Bruce DeSilva, on Thursday's Rogue Island Edgar win- it's well deserved.

I enjoyed this quick read, with lots of local references and strong characters. It's set in Rhode Island, which is just like New Jersey only smaller, and like New Jersey, Rogue Island glories in the state's corruption, exploitation, organized crime and the heroism of everyday people. I like that baseball rules and Dorcas, the pazza stronza who's Mulligan's almost ex-wife appears only by phone, and that a s...more

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Feb 08, 2011 KarenC rated it 3 of 5 stars

Recommended to KarenC by: Edgar nomination

Shelves: edgar_nominees_2011, amateur_sleuths, edgar-best-first-novel-american

A fast-paced, quick read written in the first person. This novel is proof that the old axiom, "write about what you know" works. The premise is a good one around which to build a newspaper story. Mulligan is a likable, experienced, dogged reporter who uses anyone and everyone he knows, and a few he doesn't, to follow the leads for a hot story about the "old neighborhood." During the course of the story we get to know some of his colleagues: Veronica, the young, but ambitious, reporter; Gloria, w...more

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Jun 26, 2011 Kathleen Hagen added it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2011-audio-books, 2011-mysteries

Rogue Island, by Bruce DeSilva, b-plus, Narrated by Jeff Woodman, downloaded from audible.com.

Liam Mulligan is a journalist who has grown up and spent his whole life in Providence, Rhode Island. He knows everyone that is anyone in town. Someone is burning down older buildings in the area where he grew up, and some of his friends are being killed in the process. Liam takes it upon himself to find out why the buildings are being burned down, who is behind buying up that land for a new development,...more

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Jul 23, 2012 Douglas rated it 5 of 5 stars

Rogue Island is a tour-de-force of noir writing that leads us through the gritty underbelly of Providence, RI where we meet the cast of characters who thrive in the “smallest state’s” corrupt culture. Liam Mulligan (a Providence native and inveterate newspaper man) is our flawed but earnest guide. Early in the book he points up the harsh facts of his life when contrasting them with those of his girlfriend Veronica “Veronica was gorgeous and I wasn’t. She was Princeton and I was Providence Colleg...more Rogue Island is a tour-de-force of noir writing that leads us through the gritty underbelly of Providence, RI where we meet the cast of characters who thrive in the “smallest state’s” corrupt culture. Liam Mulligan (a Providence native and inveterate newspaper man) is our flawed but earnest guide. Early in the book he points up the harsh facts of his life when contrasting them with those of his girlfriend Veronica “Veronica was gorgeous and I wasn’t. She was Princeton and I was Providence College. She was twenty-seven and I was on a collision course with forty.” Thus the stage is set with our hero an earnest but limited soul combatting the more prestigious elements of society. He must contend with a failing newspaper industry as he fends off corrupt politicians, venal and incompetent police officers, scheming attorneys, an unrelenting city editor, treacherous lovers and a profane ex-wife all seemingly bent on his destruction. And he must do all of this while he buys time to ferret out the real criminals who are burning down the neighborhood he grew up in and killing people who make up the social fabric of his life. Through it all he manages to mentor a young journalist who just happens to be the publisher’s son and heir apparent to be leader of the paper. He doesn’t want the burden of course but manages to succeed in the effort of making the son of privilege into a dogged journalist.

The character development exceeded the plot development in this effort but the noirish feel and use of dark humor kept the book interesting. The cynicism of veteran reporters is present in the protagonist. Despite that he retains his humanity and never quite loses his sense of humor. Where it ended was not too surprising though the treachery of lover Veronica was a shock. The author doesn’t bother with explaining everything for us and the challenge of linking the dots left me intrigued as a reader. The author did finally wear me down on one point though. The calls from Dorcas, the apparently soon to be ex-wife, that all lead off with the same harsh words were funny at the outset but did finally wear thin toward the end of the book. Readers will have to slog through a litany of Red Sox references. As a baseball fan they didn’t bother me but those not so inclined may find them a bit much.

The grittiness of the setting, the desperateness of life in Providence and the venality of many of the characters felt real. I found this book an excellent first effort for a novelist. I can’t wait to see what DeSilva has in store for us in his next book.
(less)

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Mar 15, 2011 LeeAnne rated it 3 of 5 stars

Mulligan is a reporter for a newspaper in Providence, Rhode Island and someone is systematically burning down houses in the section of the city where Mulligan grew up. Because of this, he takes more than just a passing interest in trying to figure out who the firebug is. This is the beginning of a twisting and turning journey into the underbelly of a small New England city that seems to be overrun by thugs, goombahs and other unsavory characters. There is a lot to like about this book but it is...more

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About Bruce DeSilva

Bruce DeSilva worked as a journalist for 40 years before retiring to write crime novels full time.

His first book, "Rogue Island," (Forge, Oct, 12, 2010) won the Mystery Writers of America's prestigious Edgar Award and the Mystery Readers International's Macavity Award for best first novel. It was also a finalist for the Shamus, Anthony, and Barry awards.

His second novel, "Cliff Walk," (Forge, Ma...more Bruce DeSilva worked as a journalist for 40 years before retiring to write crime novels full time.

His first book, "Rogue Island," (Forge, Oct, 12, 2010) won the Mystery Writers of America's prestigious Edgar Award and the Mystery Readers International's Macavity Award for best first novel. It was also a finalist for the Shamus, Anthony, and Barry awards.

His second novel, "Cliff Walk," (Forge, May 2012) is being lauded by critics, with rave reviews from the likes of The Washington Post and The Associated Press along with starred reviews in Publishers Weekly and Booklist.

"Rogue Island" was also a favorite of the critics. The Dallas Morning News, for example, said it "raises the bar for books of it's kind." The Washington Post called it "as good and true a look at the news game as you'll find this side of 'The Front Page.'"

At the Associated Press, DeSilva served as the writing coach, responsible for training the wire service's reporters and editors worldwide. Previously, he directed an elite AP department devoted to investigative reporting and other special projects. Earlier in his career, he worked as an investigative reporter and an editor at The Hartford Courant and The Providence Journal.

Stories edited by DeSilva have won virtually every major journalism prize including the Polk Award (twice), the Livingston (twice), the ASNE, and the Batten Medal. He also edited two Pulitzer finalists and helped edit a Pulitzer winner.

He has worked as a consultant on writing and editing at more than 50 newspapers including The New York Times and The Dallas Morning News. He is a sought-after speaker at professional journalism and crime fiction gatherings including the National Writers Workshops, the Nieman Foundation, Thrillerfest and Bouchercon. His reviews of crime novels have appeared in The New York Times book review section and continue to be published occasionally by The Associated Press.

He is currently an adjunct professor at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.

He and his wife Patricia Smith, an award-winning poet, live in Howell, NJ, with their granddaughter Mikaila, a huge mutt named Rondo, and an enormous Bernese Mountain Dog named Brady.(less)

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Rogue Island (Liam Mulligan #1)

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