What do you think?
Rate this book
Danno Garland #2
Blood Red Turns Dollar Green, Volume 2
This is the sequel to the #1 Bestselling novel, Blood Red Turns Dollar Green. It contains strong language.
-------
1972 and Danno Garland stands atop the wrestling business. After years of planning, backstabbing and shady handshakes, he controls the World Heavyweight Champion and most of the territories where he can wrestle. In Danno’s business, the man who controls the Champion controls the money and the power that goes with that honor.
Battle after battle and Danno’s finally made it to the top of his closely guarded, cash business.
And it means absolutely nothing.
Not now. Not anymore. Not since he was informed of what happened in that small hotel room in Texas.
F*ck the business.
Lenny Long has just skipped out on Danno’s territory for a different life with his family. After spending too long on the road he wants to re-introduce himself to his young children. But before he can truly settle out west, he needs to make things right in New York.
And he’s going to do it by returning a bag full of money to its rightful owner. A move that lands Lenny in the middle of a bloody clash to protect the secrecy, and the continued survival of the longest con in American history.
Problem is, they’re now trying to protect it from Danno Garland.
-------
1972 and Danno Garland stands atop the wrestling business. After years of planning, backstabbing and shady handshakes, he controls the World Heavyweight Champion and most of the territories where he can wrestle. In Danno’s business, the man who controls the Champion controls the money and the power that goes with that honor.
Battle after battle and Danno’s finally made it to the top of his closely guarded, cash business.
And it means absolutely nothing.
Not now. Not anymore. Not since he was informed of what happened in that small hotel room in Texas.
F*ck the business.
Lenny Long has just skipped out on Danno’s territory for a different life with his family. After spending too long on the road he wants to re-introduce himself to his young children. But before he can truly settle out west, he needs to make things right in New York.
And he’s going to do it by returning a bag full of money to its rightful owner. A move that lands Lenny in the middle of a bloody clash to protect the secrecy, and the continued survival of the longest con in American history.
Problem is, they’re now trying to protect it from Danno Garland.
230 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2013
5 people are currently reading
204 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
August 18, 2019
A Shoot, the second book in the Blood Red Turns Dollar Green trilogy, picks up right where book one ended. It largely deals with the fallout of the events of the first book, as well as touching on the way the wrestling business was changing at this time.
Written in the same fast paced style, along with the same time jumps, it follows many of the same characters from the first book, fleshing out some minor characters and getting into more detail about the events of the previous volume.
This actually reads as more of a continuation of the previous book as it does a stand alone, or even a sequel. The first book is an absolute necessity to read this one. However, the story does warrant the addition of this volume.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and am anxiously awaiting the conclusion in volume three.
Written in the same fast paced style, along with the same time jumps, it follows many of the same characters from the first book, fleshing out some minor characters and getting into more detail about the events of the previous volume.
This actually reads as more of a continuation of the previous book as it does a stand alone, or even a sequel. The first book is an absolute necessity to read this one. However, the story does warrant the addition of this volume.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and am anxiously awaiting the conclusion in volume three.
May 10, 2013
Paul O'Brien's debut, Blood Red Turns Dollar Green, was one of the more enjoyable books I read last year, a wonderful combination of organized crime and professional wrestling circa the early 1970s. The book ended with a rather intense cliffhanger, and fortunately for fans of the first entry O'Brien is now back to pick up the story in Blood Red Turns Dollar Green Volume 2
As we learned in the first outing, professional wrestling in the early 70s was not the huge, centralized business it is today, but rather was broken into various territories held by individual owners spread throughout the country. And though the owners worked together to a certain degree for the greater good of the sport in general, at the same time each protected their turf ruthlessly. One owner, Danno Garland, has managed to claw his way to the top of the heap and now controls the World Heavyweight Champion, which gives him tremendous power. It wasn't an easy climb, however, and the backstabbing and double-crosses are now catching up with Danno. When his rivals lash out at him in a particularly horrific way, Danno turns his back on everything he's ever known and loved and directs the same single-minded focus he used to build his wrestling empire to a new purpose-revenge.
The story is told by flashing back and forth between the time leading up to the lynchpin event and the days immediately following it. It's an interesting juxtaposition, one which lets O'Brien fill in pertinent details and backstory from the first book in a very subtle way, allowing readers who may be joining the story in progress to hit the ground up to speed and running. It's also a technique which provides for a natural buildup of tension, with the reader waiting for the inevitable head-on collision of the two storylines as they converge like runaway trains on single track.
O'Brien's background is in writing for the stage, and that really shines through in Blood Red Turns Dollar Green Volume 2. The character development is a joy to watch unfold, with O'Brien proving to those who may have thought the wrestling setting of the first book was a gimmick (sorry, I couldn't resist) that made him a one trick pony that they couldn't be more wrong. Already in the twilight of his life, though at the top of his career, the events of Blood Red Turns Dollar Green Volume 2 utterly destroy Danno Garland, turning him into a man running on little more than grief, fueled by revenge, with the only question being whether he will accomplish his self-appointed mission before completely flaming out. As written by O'Brien, it's a transformation which is both thoroughly engaging and utterly heartbreaking.
But as captivating as Danno's breakdown is, it's Danno's second-in-command, Ricky Plick, who really steals the show. A loyal man, Ricky tries his best to keep Danno from running completely off the rails and destroying both himself and the business. As loyal as he is, however, Ricky is also very shrewd, and as Danno's downward spiral progresses Ricky knows that even after all their years together a decision will have to be made as to where his ultimate loyalty lies. After all, Ricky has his own crosses to bear, simultaneously dealing with his own failing body after years of abuse in the ring, as well as now looking out for his partner, Ginny, who isn't the same following a traumatic event during the climax of Blood Red Turns Dollar Green.
And while Blood Red Turns Dollar Green included a significant amount of detail about wrestling, including some wonderful descriptions of in-ring action, which may have made some readers a bit wary, Blood Red Turns Dollar Green Volume 2 is a straight-up crime fiction novel which just happens to have the business of 1970s territorial professional wrestling as the backdrop. There's still enough pro wrestling flavor to make fans of the sport happy-particularly in the character of Shane `The Sugarstick' Montrose, a colorful, aging superstar-but if for any reason the wrestling angle had scared you off the first one, its extremely limited "on screen" time in this outing means there's no excuse for you to not give Blood Red Turns Dollar Green Volume 2 a try.
In fact, as much as I liked the first book, I believe Blood Red Turns Dollar Green Volume 2 is even better. Telling a good crime story is hard enough, but doing so while putting a very human face on the devastation and consequences which flow from greed and power run amok is very tricky business, one which O'Brien manages with impressive aplomb.
As we learned in the first outing, professional wrestling in the early 70s was not the huge, centralized business it is today, but rather was broken into various territories held by individual owners spread throughout the country. And though the owners worked together to a certain degree for the greater good of the sport in general, at the same time each protected their turf ruthlessly. One owner, Danno Garland, has managed to claw his way to the top of the heap and now controls the World Heavyweight Champion, which gives him tremendous power. It wasn't an easy climb, however, and the backstabbing and double-crosses are now catching up with Danno. When his rivals lash out at him in a particularly horrific way, Danno turns his back on everything he's ever known and loved and directs the same single-minded focus he used to build his wrestling empire to a new purpose-revenge.
The story is told by flashing back and forth between the time leading up to the lynchpin event and the days immediately following it. It's an interesting juxtaposition, one which lets O'Brien fill in pertinent details and backstory from the first book in a very subtle way, allowing readers who may be joining the story in progress to hit the ground up to speed and running. It's also a technique which provides for a natural buildup of tension, with the reader waiting for the inevitable head-on collision of the two storylines as they converge like runaway trains on single track.
O'Brien's background is in writing for the stage, and that really shines through in Blood Red Turns Dollar Green Volume 2. The character development is a joy to watch unfold, with O'Brien proving to those who may have thought the wrestling setting of the first book was a gimmick (sorry, I couldn't resist) that made him a one trick pony that they couldn't be more wrong. Already in the twilight of his life, though at the top of his career, the events of Blood Red Turns Dollar Green Volume 2 utterly destroy Danno Garland, turning him into a man running on little more than grief, fueled by revenge, with the only question being whether he will accomplish his self-appointed mission before completely flaming out. As written by O'Brien, it's a transformation which is both thoroughly engaging and utterly heartbreaking.
But as captivating as Danno's breakdown is, it's Danno's second-in-command, Ricky Plick, who really steals the show. A loyal man, Ricky tries his best to keep Danno from running completely off the rails and destroying both himself and the business. As loyal as he is, however, Ricky is also very shrewd, and as Danno's downward spiral progresses Ricky knows that even after all their years together a decision will have to be made as to where his ultimate loyalty lies. After all, Ricky has his own crosses to bear, simultaneously dealing with his own failing body after years of abuse in the ring, as well as now looking out for his partner, Ginny, who isn't the same following a traumatic event during the climax of Blood Red Turns Dollar Green.
And while Blood Red Turns Dollar Green included a significant amount of detail about wrestling, including some wonderful descriptions of in-ring action, which may have made some readers a bit wary, Blood Red Turns Dollar Green Volume 2 is a straight-up crime fiction novel which just happens to have the business of 1970s territorial professional wrestling as the backdrop. There's still enough pro wrestling flavor to make fans of the sport happy-particularly in the character of Shane `The Sugarstick' Montrose, a colorful, aging superstar-but if for any reason the wrestling angle had scared you off the first one, its extremely limited "on screen" time in this outing means there's no excuse for you to not give Blood Red Turns Dollar Green Volume 2 a try.
In fact, as much as I liked the first book, I believe Blood Red Turns Dollar Green Volume 2 is even better. Telling a good crime story is hard enough, but doing so while putting a very human face on the devastation and consequences which flow from greed and power run amok is very tricky business, one which O'Brien manages with impressive aplomb.
June 3, 2024
This book didn't need to take 2 weeks to read. I was 50% of the way through in the first 36 hours but felt compelled to put it down and give it some time to process.
Great levels of depth in this one bringing the story round from the wrestling and more emphasis on the crime.
I felt for the longest time that Curt must have been the perp. Clearly Sugarstick wasn't an angel by any means but I honestly felt he didn't have it in him. It all came to a head though when Nestor gave Danno the envelope of Annie's belongings, I knew it had Lenny tied into it at the end for taking the cash. It was too easy to call.
My concern now is where do we go from here? We have the majority of the main cast either dead, bleeding out or locked up. An industry in Crisis and NYPD police corruption (which I don't give a fuck about). It'll be interesting to see how the story arcs and ends in one book as the third is the final.
Great levels of depth in this one bringing the story round from the wrestling and more emphasis on the crime.
I felt for the longest time that Curt must have been the perp. Clearly Sugarstick wasn't an angel by any means but I honestly felt he didn't have it in him. It all came to a head though when Nestor gave Danno the envelope of Annie's belongings, I knew it had Lenny tied into it at the end for taking the cash. It was too easy to call.
My concern now is where do we go from here? We have the majority of the main cast either dead, bleeding out or locked up. An industry in Crisis and NYPD police corruption (which I don't give a fuck about). It'll be interesting to see how the story arcs and ends in one book as the third is the final.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 17, 2022
The second installment of Paul O'Brien's "Blood Red Turns Dollar Green" series, much like the first it's a little light on details and reads more like a screenplay, I know modern books are very lacking in depth and I guess this is just the way it is now, O'Brien has somewhat captured the darker side of the wrestling world, with a wealth of colourful characters struggling with life in the wrestling business during the territory days.
Following directly on from the first book, the sequel is in the same vein as before with only a few new characters, it's an enjoyable enough read and easy to breeze through, you'll have it done in a few days.
Following directly on from the first book, the sequel is in the same vein as before with only a few new characters, it's an enjoyable enough read and easy to breeze through, you'll have it done in a few days.
January 2, 2023
The same pacing as the first book. For a while I was not really a fan of where he was taking some of the characters, but again he brought all the plot threads together near the end and wove a fantastic ending that had me pick up the next book immediately.
These books read like a premium TV drama and I'm a fan of the style for the story.
These books read like a premium TV drama and I'm a fan of the style for the story.
July 23, 2020
I didn't think that this story could get any more twisted than it already was. WRONG! I don't want to spoil anything, but pick up Volume 1 of this trilogy and purchase Volume 2 so you can jump into it as soon as you finish the first book. Highly recommended. Great stuff, Maynard!
September 5, 2022
Excellent crime saga, based around a somewhat exaggerated version of the cut-throat politics of 1970s wrestling territories. Full review: https://fakegeekboy.wordpress.com/201...
February 3, 2018
Somewhat melodramatic a magic, but so is wrestling. I suspected the conclusion but didn't see the way it went. A great wrestling novel;a great crime novel.
January 3, 2019
Not as good as the first, I was entertained and will read the third.
June 18, 2025
more pls
February 23, 2017
While not quite as good as the first book in the Blood Red Turns Dollar Green trilogy in my opinion, I still enjoyed my read of A Shoot and I'm anxiously awaiting the Kindle release of the final book in the series.
Most of the book follows the cliff hanger that book 1 left us on. I wasn't really interested in the character that is involved in said cliff hanger and this whole book dragged along as a result. It had a very good ending, however, and leaves a lot of unanswered questions for The Hurting Circus to deliver.
Most of the book follows the cliff hanger that book 1 left us on. I wasn't really interested in the character that is involved in said cliff hanger and this whole book dragged along as a result. It had a very good ending, however, and leaves a lot of unanswered questions for The Hurting Circus to deliver.
July 10, 2014
I am not generally a fan of pulpy fiction like this, so perhaps that is going to cloud my opinion here. However, as a lover of old-school territory wrestling and the inner workings of The Business, I had heard that Blood Red Turns Dollar Green was a must-read. While I enjoyed some of the characters, and discerning their real-life analogues, I was somewhat disappointed in the second volume of the series. For starters, Lenny Long keeps getting more and more pathetic, and while that may be the point, he's reached cringeworthy depths here. I feel like no one with his degree of involvement could possibly behave as markishly and, as a father, irresponsibly. It strains credulity - which is saying something in a book about professional wrestling. Contradictory as this may seem, too, I was a bit aggravated that Lenny was not exonerated of blame for the one thing Lenny didn't screw up on his own- the ill-fated van transport of Babu and Gilbert.
I also saw many of the "twists" coming, and though I hoped they wouldn't necessarily occur as I predicted, they did. Until Volume 3 is released, I will reserve judgment on the series as a whole, as Paul O'Brien, much like Danno, has been able to salvage some pretty shaky moments over the course of his duology so far.
I also saw many of the "twists" coming, and though I hoped they wouldn't necessarily occur as I predicted, they did. Until Volume 3 is released, I will reserve judgment on the series as a whole, as Paul O'Brien, much like Danno, has been able to salvage some pretty shaky moments over the course of his duology so far.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 10, 2016
The second volume of the series set in 1970s territorial wrestling continues where the first left off and expands on unexplained events from the previous novel. The book is small and the novelty of the setting has worn thin. Feels like a cash-in.
September 7, 2014
Excellent sequel! I love this book series, a very unique look at the wrestling territory business back in the day mixed with crime. I might have liked this one more than book 1. I was definitely more invested in the characters. Already preordered book three, and can't wait to see what happens next.
December 23, 2014
They say sequels aren't usually better than the original, in this case I must disagree. Volume II is an excellent revenge tale set within the confines of the professional wrestling world in the 1970s. The cliff hanger here I daresay is better than Volume I.
January 14, 2015
I enjoyed the second part of this trilogy. The characters begin to fill out and their decisions from the first book drive the story of the second book. The Sugar Stick character was a great addition, and his story made for more depth.
February 16, 2015
the second of 3 books
if your a fan of wrestling or even if your not you will love this book.
more twists and turns in the murky world of pro wrestling; what goes on out side the ring is more fun that what is in the ring
more twists and turns and who can you trust?
if your a fan of wrestling or even if your not you will love this book.
more twists and turns in the murky world of pro wrestling; what goes on out side the ring is more fun that what is in the ring
more twists and turns and who can you trust?
September 10, 2015
Wow. What a fantastic read. An edge of your seat story with the pacing of a 100 yard Olympic sprint. If you are a wrestling fan you need to read this trilogy. There has been talk of a de rumors or movie. Either will be great.
September 4, 2015
Just ordered Vol. III. Absolutely love these!
March 31, 2017
I was kinda lukewarm on the first one, but I absolutely loved this. It's short, but moves at a fast clip that never gives up. The storytelling device of flipping back and forth before and after the murder that is at the center of the novel works well is a great way to hone in on all the characters as it slowly uncovers for you how everybody fits in. I had a complaint in the first one that the lines were a bit cheesy, but this one isn't like that at all, all the strong language and "mob from yesteryear" talk hits hard and fast. I guess the only real complaint that I have is that there isn't much "wrestling" in here like the first one, but really a crime novel where the characters just happen to be in the wrestling. There's some behind-the-scenes talk, but nothing revolving in climaxing with a wrestling event or anything like that, but as the middle piece of a trilogy I'm hoping this is just connective tissue to a fantastic closing book.
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews