You'd Better Watch Out

by Tom Piccirilli

After his brutally violent cop father kills his mother in a heinous fashion on Christmas day, a young boy is raised on the streets of Brooklyn to become the deadliest hitman for the Mob. But even while he carves out a life and reputation for himself dispatching enemies of the syndicate, the hitter is planning his revenge against those who helped to make him what he is. From the cruel mob family to his own murderous old man, who sends threats and taunts from the safety of his jail cell. As the time approaches when his father will be free again, a Christmas nightmare of bloody retribution begins to unfold.Employing the unique, darkly humorous, and powerful noir voice that is his trademark, Piccirilli once again demonstrates why he's become a must-read author for admirers of both crime and horror fiction.

Genres: Horror

53 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 26, 2011

About the author

Thomas Piccirilli (May 27, 1965 – July 11, 2015) was an American novelist and short story writer.

Piccirilli sold over 150 stories in the mystery, thriller, horror, erotica, and science fiction fields. He was a two-time winner of the International Thriller Writers Award for "Best Paperback Original" (2008, 2010). He was a four-time winner of the Bram Stoker Award. He was also a finalist for the 2009 Edgar Allan Poe Award given by the Mystery Writers of America, a final nominee for the Fantasy Award, and the winner of the first Bram Stoker Award given in the category of "Best Poetry Collection".

Reviews

[Richard · Rating 4 out of 5]

With the holidays rolling around, I was in the mood for a good Christmas tale and I thought it would be a great opportunity to read another Tom Piccirilli book before the year was out! And because it's Tommy Pic, let me tell you, if you're looking for a heartwarming holiday tale of good tidings and cheer, go look somewhere else, because You'd Better Watch Out is definitely not for you. It's a brooding, hard-hitting Brooklyn "noirella" about an unnamed man who, as a child, witnessed his corrupt, abusive cop father brutally murder his mother. He grows up a foster child, learns violence at an early age, and becomes muscle for a prominent New York crime outfit, waiting patiently for the moment when his no-good Pops gets out of prison.

It's a simple tale, but as usual in the hands of Piccirilli, it stands out for it's storytelling economy, dead-eye prose, no-holds-barred depiction of violence, and how quickly and intuitively he can find the beauty and emotion in such dark and nihilistic material. This is my fourth novella so far by Piccirilli and he's really mastered that length and structure. I can't wait to jump into his longer work and see what he can do when he has more pages to impress me with!

[Steven · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just brutal stuff. Portrait of the Hit Man as a Young Man is the plot line. Abused and watching his mother being abused by his father. Father goes to prison for killing his mother. Waiting thirteen years for revenge. Thirteen years during which he works as a hit man for the mob. All while waiting for is father, who taunts him from prison, to be released so he can kill him. The only thing keeping this from being five stars is that the relationship with his wife is glossed over, taken for granted until it become important in the end. Really needed more of the bond they formed as teenagers to be shown rather than told. If Tom P. had done that, this one would have been devastating. Damn close as it was.

[Bill · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We lived in a house of quiet, private pain.”

Loved this. There is zero f’n around and it get’s right down to business.

Nasty business.

Reminded me of Lee Thompson’s “When We Join Jesus In Hell” in terms of fast paced brutality. (Damn, I miss Lee’s work)

Dark and quick.

An excellent tale of violence, revenge and family.

Not necessarily in that order.

[Heath Lowrance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, Piccirilli shows the rest of us how it's done. A lightning-fast pace, almost unbearable tension as the story moves inevitably toward its climax, sudden and unexpected violence-- both literal and emotional-- and prose as powerful and polished as a muscle car.

This one is novella-length, a form that Piccirilli really shines in, and I can tell you, you won't be able to put it down until the last sentence. Masterful.

[G8tes · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great Christmas tale. Piccirilli style.

[Elusive · Rating 4 out of 5]

In 'You'd Better Watch Out', a young boy grew up watching his mother suffer abuse at the hands of his father and other unknown men. Years later, the memory of her being brutally murdered by his father on Christmas day is still etched in his mind. He has been waiting patiently to take revenge and nothing can stop him..

This short story was wonderfully fast-paced and thrilling from the get-go. There were several gory scenes that would certainly be hard to forget. I liked how the unnamed character toughened up, stayed smart and bided his time even when he was placed in some challenging situations. The fact that he never lost his cool and knew when to hold back or make a move made him truly a force to be reckoned with. The only flaw of this story was his relationship with his wife - it was underdeveloped and unconvincing.

Overall, 'You'd Better Watch Out' was a quick and enjoyable read with an interesting lead character.

[timj26 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent story of revenge
If you enjoy violence and mobsters this is for you
Well narrated and highly recommended
I received a free review audiobook in voluntarily left this review

[Signor Mambrino · Rating 4 out of 5]

First Piccirilli I've read. Super violent. Entertaining. Will read more of this guy.

[Mel · Rating 3 out of 5]

A short, brutal tale. Not his best story I think, but the same compelling style as his best.

[Joe Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a fun little mob story. Nothing groundbreaking but an enjoyable read.