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King Of The Hoboes
Two detectives investigate a charismatic leader among the homeless community whose campaign of civil disobedience creates chaos throughout the streets of NYC. The situation threatens to escalate into violence as the world press focuses on the plight of the impoverished. Yet Veronika and Evan suspect that Adolf Hyatt has an ulterior motive as his notoriety increases. The concern is that terrorist groups may take advantage of the situation as the streets of New York become a battlefield between the authorities and the demonstrators. Veronika goes undercover to infiltrate the group and is introduced to a pitiless world of survival where women and children are marginalized and danger lurks at every nightfall. She finds herself dependent on the Hobo Network to survive, learning more about Hyatt’s true plans in glorifying himself and his campaign at the expense of the City while using the homeless as cannon fodder. This is a gut-wrenching look at the surreal world of homeless women living on the streets, and the fanatical vision of a false messiah manipulating the media for gain and glory.
184 pages, Paperback
First published January 18, 2014
8 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
About the author
John Reinhard Dizon
84 books62 followersJohn Reinhard Dizon was born and raised in the Cobble Hill section of Brooklyn, NY. He participated in local and high school sports at Bishop Loughlin MHS, excelling in wrestling, hockey and football. The lead vocalist of the Spoiler and the Ducky Boys, he was a key figure on the Brooklyn rock scene during the Punk Revolution of the 70's. Relocating to San Antonio TX in the 80's, he moonlighted as a pro wrestler while working as a legal assistant. He successfully pursued a BA at UTSA and degrees in Korean martial arts during the 90's. He currently lives in KC MO where he is studying for his MA in English at UMKC. Mr. Dizon has been studying and writing about Irish history for over twenty-five years.
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 11, 2014
I would rate this book, with a full 5 STARS.
Make yourself a full pot of your favorite coffee blend and get comfortable in your recliner with “King of the Hoboes”, a romance, thriller by John Reinhard Dizon.
Now that you’re comfortable get ready to read a book, that you are guaranteed not to fall asleep and continue turning the pages until you’re done.
It starts out by giving you an inside look of VERONIKA HEYDRICH, a manipulating liar, who could make you believe anything, about any situation, if she was describing it to you. She didn’t care about who she hurt or that she had no problems sleeping at night knowing that she’s burned a bunch of bridges along the way and destroyed most of her relationships. Being undercover, with the NYPD, Veronika finds herself in some really uncomfortable situations and a few good people along the way, that help her get through it.
Enter EVAN CARLOW, former lover, partner, fiancée, rival at times to VERONIKA HEYDRICH. Evan is also Veronika’s partner on the NYPD. He just couldn’t take her lying to him about whatever she wanted to. Everybody was aware of their personal relationship with each other, but respected the fact that they conducted themselves as true professionals and the best under cover team in the entire city of New York.
Through a rumor Veronika and Evan got a tip that there was going to be some sort of movement involving the underground of the homeless people in the city. Through this commitment to the city of New York they grow quite close but you wouldn’t believe how.
I was actually able to experience the characters in a true light and feeling of who they were, and at times, I actually felt like I was the character experiencing the actual events as they happened. It almost felt like I could have been a fly on the wall getting each characters point of view. I really appreciated the story line because it has all the elements you could ask for in a romance thriller. It has romance, mystery, suspense in catching the villain, loyalty of characters and redemption for the main character VERONIKA HEYDRICH.
The coffee was great drank the whole pot, the book was even better, couldn’t put this book down until it was done.
Can’t wait to see what John Reinhard Dizon brings to table in the second book of this series.
-Nick Abbate, Author, & Success Coach, Glendale, Arizona
Make yourself a full pot of your favorite coffee blend and get comfortable in your recliner with “King of the Hoboes”, a romance, thriller by John Reinhard Dizon.
Now that you’re comfortable get ready to read a book, that you are guaranteed not to fall asleep and continue turning the pages until you’re done.
It starts out by giving you an inside look of VERONIKA HEYDRICH, a manipulating liar, who could make you believe anything, about any situation, if she was describing it to you. She didn’t care about who she hurt or that she had no problems sleeping at night knowing that she’s burned a bunch of bridges along the way and destroyed most of her relationships. Being undercover, with the NYPD, Veronika finds herself in some really uncomfortable situations and a few good people along the way, that help her get through it.
Enter EVAN CARLOW, former lover, partner, fiancée, rival at times to VERONIKA HEYDRICH. Evan is also Veronika’s partner on the NYPD. He just couldn’t take her lying to him about whatever she wanted to. Everybody was aware of their personal relationship with each other, but respected the fact that they conducted themselves as true professionals and the best under cover team in the entire city of New York.
Through a rumor Veronika and Evan got a tip that there was going to be some sort of movement involving the underground of the homeless people in the city. Through this commitment to the city of New York they grow quite close but you wouldn’t believe how.
I was actually able to experience the characters in a true light and feeling of who they were, and at times, I actually felt like I was the character experiencing the actual events as they happened. It almost felt like I could have been a fly on the wall getting each characters point of view. I really appreciated the story line because it has all the elements you could ask for in a romance thriller. It has romance, mystery, suspense in catching the villain, loyalty of characters and redemption for the main character VERONIKA HEYDRICH.
The coffee was great drank the whole pot, the book was even better, couldn’t put this book down until it was done.
Can’t wait to see what John Reinhard Dizon brings to table in the second book of this series.
-Nick Abbate, Author, & Success Coach, Glendale, Arizona
January 29, 2014
Disclaimer: I received this book from author in exchange for an honest review.
When I got the chance to read King of the Hoboes, I wasn't sure what to expect. I must say I was pleasantly pleased in the end. It's been a while since I picked up a book that left me thinking like this, and there was a somewhat raw element to this story that left you considering it long after the last page turned shut. John Reinhard Dizon has crafted an engaging story of dreams and failures, and the lengths we go to fight for what we want. There are corruptions of power, but also the underlying ache for something more.
When we start out, Roni is bent and determined to earn her detective's badge, and infiltrating the underground homeless movement in New York is her way to do it. While I don't know enough to speak for the believably of Hyatt's plans and actions in this book, the general premise was unique and makes you want to look into some of the issues presented. There is some mature content in this book, so you have to be prepared for that, but I think in many ways it works for what the story is about. Veronika is forced to question her goals in life, and the means she uses to achieve them. Stripped raw and left figuratively exposed for her job, there is little she can hide from.
I think there were a few places that could use work, as with any early copy, but I did like some of the messages I found in this book.
This was more than your typical cop story, and Veronika is dynamic and interesting as a main character. A nice change of pace compared to many stories on the market.
When I got the chance to read King of the Hoboes, I wasn't sure what to expect. I must say I was pleasantly pleased in the end. It's been a while since I picked up a book that left me thinking like this, and there was a somewhat raw element to this story that left you considering it long after the last page turned shut. John Reinhard Dizon has crafted an engaging story of dreams and failures, and the lengths we go to fight for what we want. There are corruptions of power, but also the underlying ache for something more.
When we start out, Roni is bent and determined to earn her detective's badge, and infiltrating the underground homeless movement in New York is her way to do it. While I don't know enough to speak for the believably of Hyatt's plans and actions in this book, the general premise was unique and makes you want to look into some of the issues presented. There is some mature content in this book, so you have to be prepared for that, but I think in many ways it works for what the story is about. Veronika is forced to question her goals in life, and the means she uses to achieve them. Stripped raw and left figuratively exposed for her job, there is little she can hide from.
I think there were a few places that could use work, as with any early copy, but I did like some of the messages I found in this book.
This was more than your typical cop story, and Veronika is dynamic and interesting as a main character. A nice change of pace compared to many stories on the market.
January 21, 2014
Just finished this book. he has done it again. Thanks to John for another great book. The homeless have a leader. but not quite what he seems to be, Veronika Heydrich is going undercover along with some time boyfriend Evan Carlow also a cop. Infiltrating the lives of the homeless is a dirty job, but Adolf Hyatt, self appointed leader of the homeless has to be investigated. As Roni infiltrates the homeless community she is joined by Khalid. A young homeless man who has witnessed some dirty doings by Hyatt and his followers. These followers, or as they are called Disciples by Hyatt are no followers of religion. They are Hyatt's henchmen and will do almost anything he asks for money. Not to help homeless but to help themselves. This novel follows Roni as she discovers what it is like to live in the world of the homeless and pulls no punches when referring to the realities faced in that situation. John Reinhard Dizon once again takes the reader on a great adventure in this captivating thriller.
May 29, 2017
Too much backstory straight off. Too beautiful to be real. Too much sex and bad editing. All in the first chapter. Didn’t read more.
January 20, 2014
King of the Hoboes is an action/adventure crime thriller centered on the exploits of Veronika Heydrich, an undercover cop investigating a possible conspiracy plot within the homeless community in New York City. Adolf Hyatt is a charismatic activist known as King of the Hoboes throughout the Hobo Underground. He orchestrates a series of non-violent Days of Defiance throughout the City bringing international attention to the plight of the homeless population. Only the New York Police Department suspects that Hyatt’s ambitions may lead to ever greater demonstrations of power. Veronika is offered a chance at a promotion to detective rank, and she and her partner Evan Carlow are assigned to uncover Hyatt’s plans and depose the King of the Hoboes.
The story is as much an in-depth portrayal of the homeless community as a fast-paced suspense thriller. Veronika goes from her yuppie lifestyle to that of a homeless person, roaming around with a travel bag and panhandled money to establish credibility on the City streets. She learns firsthand of the virtually non-existent accommodations for homeless women, as well as the difficulty of going without the basic necessities that everyday citizens take for granted. She comes across Khalid Sangani, a homeless teen who makes his way as a male prostitute. Together they work their way into Hyatt’s network as Veronika tries to find a way to take him down. Khalid was a witness to the murder of four hoboes who had been sent by the Hobo Underground to censure Hyatt for his activities. He keeps the secret in fear for his life, realizing that Veronika herself might become a victim of one of Hyatt’s hardcore Disciples. Comprised of homeless war veterans, the twelve-man squad will stop at nothing to protect Hyatt and their secret criminal enterprise. Each of them is a gang leader earning money through drugs, prostitution, robbery and burglary, enforcing their networks with beatings and murder. Evan, who is tailing Veronika on the street, is discovered by the Disciples and nearly killed in a knife attack. He refuses to be taken off the case and continues to follow her at risk of his life.
After suffering a sexual assault in a hazing ritual, Veronika and Khalid are accepted into the Inner Circle and learn of Hyatt’s plans. The ultimate Day of Defiance entails leaving cardboard boxes full of counterfeit money in strategic areas around Manhattan in an attempt to paralyze the local economy. Hyatt announces that there will be a number of great lessons to be learned from this Great Day, though in reality it is serving as a cover for a car bomb attack by an Al Qaeda cell for which Hyatt is being paid a small fortune. Veronika, unaware of the bomb plot, is determined to stop the counterfeit gambit and have Hyatt arrested once she has enough evidence. It is Hyatt’s megalomania that brings the project to ruin as he sets up a midnight rally at a secret meeting place where the entire homeless community is asked to attend. Hyatt reveals his long-range plans to bring the city to its knees, presenting a list of demands to the City regardless of the unbearable cost.
Set against a realistic backdrop along the streets of New York, the plight of the homeless becomes an integral part of the storyline in this fast-paced thriller. Crime novel enthusiasts and current events followers will find King of the Hoboes one to be long remembered.
The story is as much an in-depth portrayal of the homeless community as a fast-paced suspense thriller. Veronika goes from her yuppie lifestyle to that of a homeless person, roaming around with a travel bag and panhandled money to establish credibility on the City streets. She learns firsthand of the virtually non-existent accommodations for homeless women, as well as the difficulty of going without the basic necessities that everyday citizens take for granted. She comes across Khalid Sangani, a homeless teen who makes his way as a male prostitute. Together they work their way into Hyatt’s network as Veronika tries to find a way to take him down. Khalid was a witness to the murder of four hoboes who had been sent by the Hobo Underground to censure Hyatt for his activities. He keeps the secret in fear for his life, realizing that Veronika herself might become a victim of one of Hyatt’s hardcore Disciples. Comprised of homeless war veterans, the twelve-man squad will stop at nothing to protect Hyatt and their secret criminal enterprise. Each of them is a gang leader earning money through drugs, prostitution, robbery and burglary, enforcing their networks with beatings and murder. Evan, who is tailing Veronika on the street, is discovered by the Disciples and nearly killed in a knife attack. He refuses to be taken off the case and continues to follow her at risk of his life.
After suffering a sexual assault in a hazing ritual, Veronika and Khalid are accepted into the Inner Circle and learn of Hyatt’s plans. The ultimate Day of Defiance entails leaving cardboard boxes full of counterfeit money in strategic areas around Manhattan in an attempt to paralyze the local economy. Hyatt announces that there will be a number of great lessons to be learned from this Great Day, though in reality it is serving as a cover for a car bomb attack by an Al Qaeda cell for which Hyatt is being paid a small fortune. Veronika, unaware of the bomb plot, is determined to stop the counterfeit gambit and have Hyatt arrested once she has enough evidence. It is Hyatt’s megalomania that brings the project to ruin as he sets up a midnight rally at a secret meeting place where the entire homeless community is asked to attend. Hyatt reveals his long-range plans to bring the city to its knees, presenting a list of demands to the City regardless of the unbearable cost.
Set against a realistic backdrop along the streets of New York, the plight of the homeless becomes an integral part of the storyline in this fast-paced thriller. Crime novel enthusiasts and current events followers will find King of the Hoboes one to be long remembered.
March 13, 2014
John Reinhard Dizon outdid himself with King of the Hoboes. This novel takes reader into the Hobo underworld; a methodical, coordinated organization controlled by an evil Hobo Lord. Undercover police officer Roni has to learn to survive homeless on the streets in order to close the case and earn herself a much sought after promotion.
The author does a fantastic job setting the scene to the finest detail, and giving insight and character to each individual personality in the story. Roni is a hard nosed girl who relishes her independence and seeks a promotion as detective. Her partner and boyfriend Evan lives on the upper crust side of New York. They are used to their luxuries. Adolf Hyatt is the evil King of the Hobo underworld. He is intelligent, conniving, and philosophical, easily luring innocents into his web.
With genius and colorful words King of the Hoboes makes being homeless a reality. Roni, has to fight and think about where she is going to find food, where she can take a shower, how to clean her clothes, and where to sleep. This novel sends a powerful message to the reader.
King of the Hoboes is a thought provoking thrill ride!
The author does a fantastic job setting the scene to the finest detail, and giving insight and character to each individual personality in the story. Roni is a hard nosed girl who relishes her independence and seeks a promotion as detective. Her partner and boyfriend Evan lives on the upper crust side of New York. They are used to their luxuries. Adolf Hyatt is the evil King of the Hobo underworld. He is intelligent, conniving, and philosophical, easily luring innocents into his web.
With genius and colorful words King of the Hoboes makes being homeless a reality. Roni, has to fight and think about where she is going to find food, where she can take a shower, how to clean her clothes, and where to sleep. This novel sends a powerful message to the reader.
King of the Hoboes is a thought provoking thrill ride!
April 15, 2016
Veronika Heydrich is going undercover along with some time boyfriend Evan Carlow also a cop. Infiltrating the lives of the homeless is a dirty job, but Adolf Hyatt, self appointed leader of the homeless has to be investigated. As Roni infiltrates the homeless community she is joined by Khalid. A young homeless man who has witnessed some dirty doings by Hyatt and his followers. These followers, or as they are called Disciples by Hyatt are no followers of religion. They are Hyatt's henchmen and will do almost anything he asks for money. Not to help homeless but to help themselves. This novel follows Roni as she discovers what it is like to live in the world of the homeless and pulls no punches when referring to the realities faced in that situation. John Reinhard Dizon once again takes the reader on a great adventure in this captivating thriller. This novel grabs the reader and pulls them in until the very last page. Great writing and great story!
July 30, 2016
Lots of gritty NYC detail for this book. There's a great deal of conflict, both between Roni and Evan in a strong romance, and the more powerful fight between levels of society. Dizon layers these conflicts well, and he's good at mobilizing different characters in the homeless movement and showing their individual strengths and weaknesses. I was ok with the mature content, in fact I think it's an important element in a book this gritty and real.
I'd caution the author to take more care with his ebook formatting, perhaps to the point of having a professional format his books for him. The paragraph indents and spacing problems were very distracting. Other than that, if you want lots of action and drama, then this will be an engaging read.
I'd caution the author to take more care with his ebook formatting, perhaps to the point of having a professional format his books for him. The paragraph indents and spacing problems were very distracting. Other than that, if you want lots of action and drama, then this will be an engaging read.
April 12, 2016
As I do with any John R. Dizon book, I begin the story with the expectation that I will mired in violence and suspense. King of the Hoboes does not disappoint, it doubles down. Veronica (Roni) is a NYPD cop who goes undercover to investigate strange claims of mistreatment and murder of the homeless. They have a king, Adolf Hyatt, so the stories must be lies; or are they? Roni gets to live with the homeless in alleys and soup kitchens as she gets closer to the king and his henchmen. The truth is ugly, and their confrontation memorable. This disturbing story is the best of the best.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews