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No Sympathy For the Wicked
Kindle Edition
First published April 9, 2014
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
April 22, 2014
No Sympathy For the Review copy
No Sympathy For the Wicked has been described as "Goodfellas meets Pulp Fiction meets Casino meets Get Shorty" and after reading this one I'd have to agree with that assessment.
Although the cover is a bit misleading (there are no nightmarish demons found between the pages of this book, unless you include the personal demons found inside mobsters, bad cops, good cops and the rest of us). The events in No Sympathy For the Wicked take place in the real world of Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
Told in three separate, but totally connected stories, the author does an excellent job of building believable characters, imbuing them with personalities and traits consistent with their roles in the story.
People like Bernie, the loser junkie, who with his imaginary fiend/alter-ego Bar None, has made enemies of all the wrong people on both sides of the law. I loved it when he shows up at his dealer's house and decides to break in, only to discover he's on the wrong street.
Then, there's his mother, Bridgette "Lulu" Bardot, a retired prostitute and the amazing backstory where we learn the identity of Bernie's father. Believe me, no taboo is off limits for author, James Albert King.
Central to all three tales is Mark Rico, formerly from Atlantic City, who's been granted immunity from Federal prosecution for favors rendered, providing he never returns. Rico is a ruthless killer and a change in location has not lead to a change of heart.
No Sympathy For the Wicked was the most fun I've had this year reading outside the horror genre. One I can certainly recommend. No Sympathy For the Wicked is available now from Visionary Press Collaborative through Amazon.com.
No Sympathy For the Wicked has been described as "Goodfellas meets Pulp Fiction meets Casino meets Get Shorty" and after reading this one I'd have to agree with that assessment.
Although the cover is a bit misleading (there are no nightmarish demons found between the pages of this book, unless you include the personal demons found inside mobsters, bad cops, good cops and the rest of us). The events in No Sympathy For the Wicked take place in the real world of Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
Told in three separate, but totally connected stories, the author does an excellent job of building believable characters, imbuing them with personalities and traits consistent with their roles in the story.
People like Bernie, the loser junkie, who with his imaginary fiend/alter-ego Bar None, has made enemies of all the wrong people on both sides of the law. I loved it when he shows up at his dealer's house and decides to break in, only to discover he's on the wrong street.
Then, there's his mother, Bridgette "Lulu" Bardot, a retired prostitute and the amazing backstory where we learn the identity of Bernie's father. Believe me, no taboo is off limits for author, James Albert King.
Central to all three tales is Mark Rico, formerly from Atlantic City, who's been granted immunity from Federal prosecution for favors rendered, providing he never returns. Rico is a ruthless killer and a change in location has not lead to a change of heart.
No Sympathy For the Wicked was the most fun I've had this year reading outside the horror genre. One I can certainly recommend. No Sympathy For the Wicked is available now from Visionary Press Collaborative through Amazon.com.
August 15, 2014
Let me preface with, this is not your run-of-the-mill read! It is actually a compilation of three short stories, all intertwined around the underbelly of Vegas life. We meet a wide barrage of ‘wicked’ folks from meth heads to mobsters, and they are all tied together via dog fights, drug deals, music moguls, death, and police investigations. Mark Rico is the central character that threads through all three stories. He’s a likable ex-gangster from Atlantic City. I especially like his golden pit-bull, Queen! In fact, I LOVE the author actually writes from the dog’s perspective from time to time! In these stories, the point of view can change at a moment’s notice. At first, it was disconcerting, but once I got the hang of it, I enjoyed being privy to the thoughts, feelings and experiences of different characters. I found the Vegas details to be accurate and entertaining! All in all, “No Sympathy for the Wicked” is a gritty, unusual, gripping, fast-paced page turner!
July 28, 2014
No Sympathy For The Wicked is a gritty collection of stories set in Las Vegas. The stories, while separate, are interconnected, weaving a single tale that involves mobsters, illegal dog fighting, cops, crooked cops, hit men, junkies, sweet old ladies, and reporters.
The style jumps points of view very quickly between characters, and it took me a little to get used to the regular head-hopping. Very soon I began to enjoy the quick changes in POV, but there were still moments when it jarred me a little.
Characters will die. In fact you can never predict if a character will live or die, which ups the tension dramatically. The story wraps together pretty well, however the 3rd and final story felt a bit off. It dragged a little and then rushed for the end, not really giving me the satisfaction that the earlier ones had.
Overall I enjoyed it.
The style jumps points of view very quickly between characters, and it took me a little to get used to the regular head-hopping. Very soon I began to enjoy the quick changes in POV, but there were still moments when it jarred me a little.
Characters will die. In fact you can never predict if a character will live or die, which ups the tension dramatically. The story wraps together pretty well, however the 3rd and final story felt a bit off. It dragged a little and then rushed for the end, not really giving me the satisfaction that the earlier ones had.
Overall I enjoyed it.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews