The Blue List

by Phil Ribera

It is the birthplace of Frank Sinatra. Home to the first baseball game, the first technological institute, the first steam-powered ferryboat, and the invention of the zipper.But the Mile Square City also has a dark past that history books don’t mention and the residents don’t celebrate. A forced gentrification that created a culture of greed and corruption responsible for hundreds of arsons, the deaths of 56 residents—mostly women and young children, and the displacement of thousands.Follow Frankie Quintana, a 16-year-old victim who barely escapes an arson fire that killed his mother and 20 others; Megan McConnell, a tenacious police detective struggling for respect in an all-male unit; and Vinny Vicente, a capo in the Colombo crime family; as their lives inexplicably come together to unravel the tangled web of political greed, unchecked private development, and murder that was Hoboken, New Jersey from 1978-1982.

263 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2024

Reviews

[Gale R]

The Blue List by Phil Ribera is a well-crafted historical fiction based on an actual unsolved 1970s true-crime mystery. The story flows seamlessly between three main characters, each describing events from their own unique perspectives. There were unexpected twists, great dialogue, and excellent characters, all woven into a fantastic story that I couldn’t put down. Highly recommended!