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Dirty 20
Not yet published
Expected 12 May 26Win a free print copy of this book!
8 days and 23:29:15
75 copies available
U.S. only
The Sopranos
meets
Dungeons & Dragons
when a crime boss’s son accidentally becomes a crowdfunding superstar and disrupts business on the streets.
Bill Schweigert (The Fatal Folklore Trilogy) game masters a crime fiction novel that will level up your crime game and make you finally get that THACO LIFE abs tattoo.
Despite being son to Don Allesandro Fugue, AKA Big Al, AKA The Al Mighty, AKA King of the Denver streets, Tommy Fugue has never had much interest in the family business. But when his father assigns him the “summer job” of mastering digital money laundering, Tommy figures he can list some fake projects on FunFunder, pledge them with zombie accounts, and clean a dirty $20,000 in time for college in the fall.
Unfortunately, just as he’s about to give a progress report to his father’s capos, the Family sees that a roleplaying game he mocked up using his mom’s old artwork has been funded to the tune of $650,000… and counting.
The only thing scarier than an angry Big Al is a Big Al that smells money and family bonding. Voluntold by their mercurial boss to assist, various criminals and killers in the Family Fugue help playtest and produce Tommy’s 1,000 Blades of Tergivers RPG in the hopes they can truly turn a dirty twenty into legit millions.
At first Tommy sees game sessions with brothel owners, hit women, and a street captain with OCD as yet another example of why he needs to get out from under his father. But when he realizes that being the game master might help him uncover what these criminals know about his mother’s disappearance a year ago, it’s Game On.
Playing a game while making a game is tricky—especially when elements of the fantasy world keep blending into the players’ real lives. So when Tergivers’ influence starts the streets talking about how the Family Fugue is slipping, beware the new game Big Al starts playing, following rules only he knows.
Bill Schweigert (The Fatal Folklore Trilogy) game masters a crime fiction novel that will level up your crime game and make you finally get that THACO LIFE abs tattoo.
Despite being son to Don Allesandro Fugue, AKA Big Al, AKA The Al Mighty, AKA King of the Denver streets, Tommy Fugue has never had much interest in the family business. But when his father assigns him the “summer job” of mastering digital money laundering, Tommy figures he can list some fake projects on FunFunder, pledge them with zombie accounts, and clean a dirty $20,000 in time for college in the fall.
Unfortunately, just as he’s about to give a progress report to his father’s capos, the Family sees that a roleplaying game he mocked up using his mom’s old artwork has been funded to the tune of $650,000… and counting.
The only thing scarier than an angry Big Al is a Big Al that smells money and family bonding. Voluntold by their mercurial boss to assist, various criminals and killers in the Family Fugue help playtest and produce Tommy’s 1,000 Blades of Tergivers RPG in the hopes they can truly turn a dirty twenty into legit millions.
At first Tommy sees game sessions with brothel owners, hit women, and a street captain with OCD as yet another example of why he needs to get out from under his father. But when he realizes that being the game master might help him uncover what these criminals know about his mother’s disappearance a year ago, it’s Game On.
Playing a game while making a game is tricky—especially when elements of the fantasy world keep blending into the players’ real lives. So when Tergivers’ influence starts the streets talking about how the Family Fugue is slipping, beware the new game Big Al starts playing, following rules only he knows.
416 pages, Paperback
Expected publication May 12, 2026
2 people are currently reading
5532 people want to read
About the author
Bill Schweigart
7 books118 followersBill Schweigart is the author of THE GUILTY ONE (3/21/23) and "Women and Children First," a story co-written with James Patterson in THREE DAYS TO LIVE (2/14/23). He is also the author of The Fatal Folklore Trilogy, which includes THE BEAST OF BARCROFT, NORTHWOODS, and THE DEVIL'S COLONY. He is a former Coast Guard officer who drew from his experiences at sea to write the nautical thriller, SLIPPING THE CABLE and the romantic comedy, RUNNING LIGHT. Bill currently lives in Arlington, VA with his wife and daughter, who along with their monstrous Newfoundland and four cats, provide him with all the adventure he can handle.
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
READ MY FULL REVIEW AT Best Thriller Books
Dark and brutal, enchanting and immersive, Dirty 20 is a masterfully crafted crime/fantasy novel blend with a cutthroat game of loyalty, betrayal and survival at the center. Bill Schweigart delivers an epic tale that combines the criminal underworld with role-playing games, resulting in a thriller that promises to be unlike anything else you’ve ever read.
Dirty 20 is billed as The Sopranos meets Dungeons & Dragons, which is a perfect description of this book. It dives deep into an organized crime family and what it takes to survive and thrive in that environment...and it also does a fantastic job of developing the fantasy world of the game Tommy is developing, going into depth in a way that makes you want to play the game. But...at its core this is a coming-of-age story for young Tommy who’s at a crossroads in his life that forces him to choose between cowering from and kowtowing to his dominant father or deciding to get out and forge his own path.
Filled with great characters, dark storylines, and shocking twists – of which there are several that will hit you like a pair of brass knuckles to the temple – Dirty 20 is a captivating and engaging novel you won’t be able to put down. Bill Schwiegart knocks this one out of the park, further showcasing his literary versatility as he adds an epic fantasy and crime crossover thriller to his previous works in unfiltered dark crime and folklore-themed thrillers.
Dark and brutal, enchanting and immersive, Dirty 20 is a masterfully crafted crime/fantasy novel blend with a cutthroat game of loyalty, betrayal and survival at the center. Bill Schweigart delivers an epic tale that combines the criminal underworld with role-playing games, resulting in a thriller that promises to be unlike anything else you’ve ever read.
Dirty 20 is billed as The Sopranos meets Dungeons & Dragons, which is a perfect description of this book. It dives deep into an organized crime family and what it takes to survive and thrive in that environment...and it also does a fantastic job of developing the fantasy world of the game Tommy is developing, going into depth in a way that makes you want to play the game. But...at its core this is a coming-of-age story for young Tommy who’s at a crossroads in his life that forces him to choose between cowering from and kowtowing to his dominant father or deciding to get out and forge his own path.
Filled with great characters, dark storylines, and shocking twists – of which there are several that will hit you like a pair of brass knuckles to the temple – Dirty 20 is a captivating and engaging novel you won’t be able to put down. Bill Schwiegart knocks this one out of the park, further showcasing his literary versatility as he adds an epic fantasy and crime crossover thriller to his previous works in unfiltered dark crime and folklore-themed thrillers.
December 21, 2025
ARC Review of Dirty 20 by Bill Schweigart from Hyperion Avenue Publishing
This was a read where I often found myself thinking “just one more chapter” as I was reading. This is a fresh take on crime fiction, where the story unfolds due to the creation of a dungeons and dragons style RPG, created by the prince of a mob-controlled Colorado.
Although Tommy’s father could be considered basically abusive during parts of this story, the importance of family still shines bright from the whole of the book. I was constantly having to juggle my own sense of morality when it came to certain choices in the story due to its mob-influenced nature.
The characters were well thought out and memorable, and the resolve definitely surprised me at the end. I see good potential for more books!
This was a read where I often found myself thinking “just one more chapter” as I was reading. This is a fresh take on crime fiction, where the story unfolds due to the creation of a dungeons and dragons style RPG, created by the prince of a mob-controlled Colorado.
Although Tommy’s father could be considered basically abusive during parts of this story, the importance of family still shines bright from the whole of the book. I was constantly having to juggle my own sense of morality when it came to certain choices in the story due to its mob-influenced nature.
The characters were well thought out and memorable, and the resolve definitely surprised me at the end. I see good potential for more books!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
“Dirty 20” by Bill Schweigart is a fun, fast-paced blend of crime fiction and tabletop gaming that feels fresh and different. Following Tommy Fugue, the reluctant son of a mob boss, the story takes a sharp turn when a joking RPG idea explodes into a lucrative and dangerous business. The characters are quirky, the humor lands well, and the plot balances absurdity with real emotional stakes. If you enjoy crime stories with a unique twist and a playful sense of humor, this one is a great time, especially for DND players.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC
January 5, 2026
I received this one as an ARC from NetGalley. Thank you, NetGalley for this opportunity! Dirty 20 was a fun ride. Take mob boss crime, dark humor, and a little TTRPG, and you get Dirty 20. Overall, I enjoyed it. The characters were interesting, and I liked the plot. My biggest complaint is the info dump at the end of the book. Even so, the rest of the book was enjoyable enough that I didn’t mind. I recommend for those who enjoy Dungeons and Dragons, mob stories, and sarcasm.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Readable cross between the Gang that Couldn't Shoot Straight and a fantasy game. Didn't work for me, but pretty sure I'm not the target audience. Read an advance copy, forthcoming May 2026
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews