A young girl is senselessly murdered. The police believe the murder to be a random homeless casualty until it is discovered that she has ties to Fat Sam and his mysterious past life in The Big Easy. Join private detective Frank Rozzani, and Clifford “Jonesy” Jones as they travel to historic New Orleans and other areas in the Gulf Coast to search for clues in the girl’s trek to Jacksonville, Florida that will help them uncover evidence implicating those responsible for the murder so they can be brought to justice. They soon discover that things are not as they seem. As the case progresses, the evidence uncovered has ties to the tragic events that drove Frank from his life in Syracuse, New York. Frank realizes that proceeding with the case could change his life, as well as the lives of those around him, forever.
Like his character, Frank Rozzani, Don was born in Syracuse, New York to first generation Italian American parents. He’s an avid reader. Some of my favorite authors are Harlan Coben, David Morrell, Stephen King, Jonathan Kellerman, John Grisham, and Hugh Howey. His favorite book of all time is To Kill a Mockingbird.
He started writing as a way to combat the long hours of travel and numerous hotel stays that are part of the ‘glamorous’ world of corporate life. He use writing as a therapeutic outlet to combat his homesickness.
His first published book, Frankly Speaking, rose to the top of the Amazon charts. It was the first in a series of books focused on the character, Frank Rozzani, a Florida private detective. The series is a throwback to the days of pulp detective novels with a tip of the hat to Jim Rockford from the 70’s television show, The Rockford Files. He's also released a collection of short stories called Random Tales that is available for your Kindle or in paperback.
Also, look for his non-fiction book, The Ultimate Guide For Independently Published Authors: Tips for improving quality and selling your work, now available on Amazon.com as an eBook or in paperback
He moved to Jacksonville, Florida 22 years ago where he currently lives with his wife, daughter, and three dogs.
I listened to the audio book of Let Me Be Frank, the second book in Don Massenzio's detective series. I really enjoyed this narrator, he has an interesting voice which perfectly suited the story.
A young runaway has been given a new chance at life by Fat Sam, owner of the restaurant and bar where Frank and Jonesey often play music. Fat Sam has his own unfortunate and problematic past and he pours energy and resources into helping other homeless and people who have fallen on hard times to re-establish their lives. When the girl is found murdered, the police believe it is just a random attack but Sam does not believe this. He is convinced that the murder is deliberate and is linked to the girl's lineage as the granddaughter of one of New Orleans "mafia" families. Sam's own troubles are linked to New Orleans and he is familiar with the history of the waring "mafia" families. Sam hires Frank and Jonesey to investigate the case and try to discover who the murderers are and why this murder took place.
This story is fine to read on a stand alone basis although there are a few link backs to the first book in the series. More details are revealed in respect of Frank's own past and his former entanglement with the mafia who murdered his wife. His relationship with his new girlfriend also changes and becomes more interesting.
This is not an easy case and the stakes are high for both Fat Sam and Frank who must sacrifice their anonymity with the mob and put themselves in the line of fire. Frank and Sam also face adversity from all directions, including the murdered girl's family, the New Orlean's police and the girl's employers over the period when she made her way from New Orlean's to Jacksonville.
An exciting and fast paced book which I would highly recommend to readers of thrillers and detective stories.
Author Don Massenzio has created an interesting cast of characters in his Frank Rozzani detective novels and he has managed to put them into some interesting situations. Rozzani is a tragic figure in one respect: A former cop, his wife was murdered by shadowy mob figures and his two children are hiding out in a witness protection program while he pursues a second career as a private investigator in Jacksonville, FL. He has made some good friends in the relatively short time he has lived and worked there including a police officer, a lawyer who would rather be surfing than arguing cases in a courtroom, and the owner of a well-known eatery. It's that restaurant owner who asks him for some help when one of his employees - a pretty young woman who was trying to get her life back together - is murdered and her body dumped in a park. The investigation will lead Rozzani to a place he does not want to be: A confrontation with organized crime figures but he takes the case anyway. Massenzio writes in a crisp style; the dialogue in this book, for example, often reminded me of the paperback books featuring Sgt. Joe Friday of "Dragnet" fame that I read when I was much younger. His descriptions of people and places is offered up without a lot of flowery adjectives and the narrative is nicely paced. The plot is sufficiently intricate and there are a number of red herrings thrown into the mix so you are never quite sure until the end of the book who is responsible for the young woman's murder and why she was killed. As with many authors who write serials, Massenzio has borrowed a technique that is very common in television: He leaves his readers on edge waiting for his next installment because "Let Me Be Frank" ends with a cliffhanger. All in all, a nice read with intriguing characters.
Let Me Be Frank is the second book in the Frank Rozzani Series, and I must say that I actually liked it more than the first book which I enjoyed very much. The story weaved through several interesting places in an intricate plot that revealed some of the past that a couple of the characters, Frank and Sam, had be running from. The pace was quick and he never gave away the essentials of the plot, allowing the reader to figure out the who did it on their own and see if their theory was a correct one. I enjoyed the addition of Dr. Holly Waters and that she will give Jonesy a run for his money. Before I hit the last chapter though I just knew something was gonna happen and I look forward to reading the third book in the series, Frank Incensed, to find out what transpires from here.
A young girl is senselessly murdered. The police believe the murder to be a random homeless casualty until it is discovered that she has ties to Fat Sam and his mysterious past life in The Big Easy. Join private detective Frank Rozzani, and Clifford "Jonesy" Jones as they travel to historic New Orleans and other areas in the Gulf Coast to search for clues in the girl's trek to Jacksonville, Florida that will help them uncover evidence implicating those responsible for the murder so they can be brought to justice. They soon discover that things are not as they seem. As the case progresses, the evidence uncovered has ties to the tragic events that drove Frank from his life in Syracuse, New York. Frank realizes that proceeding with the case could change his life, as well as the lives of those around him, forever. (From Amazon)
Let me be Frank is book two of the Don Massenzio Frank Rozzani detective series. This second book seamlessly picked up where book one left off. It is interesting to note that one does not have to read book one in order to enjoy book two. Mr. Massenzio does a great job of giving the reader all the background and color to jump right in and enjoy the story. What a story. It takes the reader on a ride from Jacksonville Florida to New Orleans. The detective Frank Rozzani needs to go on the road to track down the killers of a young girl who was a friend of Fran's good friend Fat Sam.As you can imagine once in New Orleans Frank and his partner discover there is more to the case. I have to say the storyline is fantastic. I could not guess the outcomes but was pleased with how the story finished.
This book is fast-paced and rich with the detail the reader needs to feel part of the action. Mr. Massenzio does a great job in capturing the sights and sounds of New Orleans and it's strong family rivalry.
I would recommend this book to those who like a detective story that has depth and extremely well-developed characters.
An enjoyable mystery in book 2 of the Frank Rozzani Mysteries. Frank and his friend, Jonesy, are on a case again helping the police solve the murder of a young girl.
When they delve into this case they find more than they bargained for since the girl is someone they know and who is connected to their friend, Big Sam. Big Sam has connections to the mob from his past when he lived in New Orleans.
Don Massenzio has created a likable bunch of characters and an intriguing series that takes the reader along for the ride as Frank and his friends work their way through clues and solve the cases.
Frank Rozzani, P.I., and his partner Jonesy, lawyer/surf shop owner, play together in a jazz combo at the club Sun Dog in Jacksonville, Florida. They are hired by the owner to look into the murder of a young woman that worked there.
The trail leads them to New Orleans and two families once part of the crime scene there, though now legitimate. The murdered woman was part of one of them.
Someone was working hard to make it appear that the other family was responsible.
As Frank and Jonesy poked around, disturbing things from the past float up. Dodging bullets and murder attempts, they gradually figure the truth.
I' be become a big fan of Massenzio's work in the three Rozzani novels and short story.
PI Frank Rozzani has been in Florida hiding from the mob after they killed his wife. He is hired to find the person who murdered a young woman. Him and his partner Jonesy follow the leads to New Orleans where the victim is from. In the process of trying to solve the murder he is brought to the attention of the mob again.
Thoroughly hooked on this series! Book 2 ends in a heck of a cliffhanger! It's a good thing book 3 is coming out soon! In this story, Frank and Jonesy head to New Orleans, to investigate an age old feud which may have culminated in murder. They manage to stir up a huge hornets nest in several states, and draw some unwanted attention. Jonesy meets a girl....
This was better than the previous book which was still an excellent read. The flow and storytelling was much improved and the lack of the numerous typographical problems with the 1st book was better. Looking forward to the next book.