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The Bronx Kill
Fiction. Five teenagers attempt to swim the East River from the Bronx to Queens. One boy drowns and the body of the only girl is never found. The survivors vow silence. Five years later, they find themselves at the mercy of the drowned boy's brother, a corrupt NYPD detective.
252 pages, Paperback
Published March 1, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
May 26, 2017
Actual Rating - 3.5
June 20, 2017
The Bronx Kill is an unusual blend of a thriller plot with a literary fiction approach. While fast-paced upon occasion, mostly it circles around repeatedly with an almost hypnotic quality.
However, it is too literary for my taste. All that circling around the same situations, feelings, people, etc., gets tedious.
This was particularly obvious since the characters are not developed at all. This may well have been author Philip Cioffari's point; it is all about isolation, and navel-gazing with little real insight -- just excuses to stay in their ruts, which guaranteed they'd all be cardboard cutouts. And their solutions to isolation? Always, isolating MORE!
Despite all the circling throughout most of the novel, the climax happens fast -- so fast, it's hard to keep track of what's going on, where, why and to whom. The epiphany the vengeful cop has is frankly unbelievable, plus it never touches the issue of how corrupt he was besides his habit of hiring thugs to menace and/or murder people in a private matter.
All in all, this book is not recommended. The characters are shallow and depressing to the extent they are realized at all. The sudden flurry of the climax, and the lack of much resolution to that climax, is jarring compared to the repetitive nature of the rest of the narrative. Perhaps if one knows the area, the descriptions would be more evocative, but the text assumes a knowledge of that part of New York City that I certainly do not have. Perhaps this was all intentional ... but it did not make for an especially interesting read.
However, it is too literary for my taste. All that circling around the same situations, feelings, people, etc., gets tedious.
This was particularly obvious since the characters are not developed at all. This may well have been author Philip Cioffari's point; it is all about isolation, and navel-gazing with little real insight -- just excuses to stay in their ruts, which guaranteed they'd all be cardboard cutouts. And their solutions to isolation? Always, isolating MORE!
Despite all the circling throughout most of the novel, the climax happens fast -- so fast, it's hard to keep track of what's going on, where, why and to whom. The epiphany the vengeful cop has is frankly unbelievable, plus it never touches the issue of how corrupt he was besides his habit of hiring thugs to menace and/or murder people in a private matter.
All in all, this book is not recommended. The characters are shallow and depressing to the extent they are realized at all. The sudden flurry of the climax, and the lack of much resolution to that climax, is jarring compared to the repetitive nature of the rest of the narrative. Perhaps if one knows the area, the descriptions would be more evocative, but the text assumes a knowledge of that part of New York City that I certainly do not have. Perhaps this was all intentional ... but it did not make for an especially interesting read.
June 1, 2017
It is said you can never go home again. Home is where you should feel safe, even when ghosts from your past attempt to haunt you. Ghosts may give you nightmares, but family members out for revenge can kill you.
The Renegades, a motley crew of five friends from the Bronx, were inseparable five years ago. That was up until the night they decided to do a dangerous stunt that resulted in one death and one missing person. Charlie is the only one in the old gang left in the neighborhood. Johnny left for the Seminary and Danny moved away to try and forget the event that the remaining Renegades swore to never speak of again.
The old gang is reluctantly being reunited in the Bronx because Johnny has left the Seminary to marry his high school sweetheart. Before the pending nuptials arrive, the guys find themselves in a life and death confrontation with someone who cannot leave the past behind. He has been plotting and planning revenge and is in a position to make good on his threats. If he has his way, there will be funerals instead of a wedding.
The Bronx Kill is a mystery wrapped in revenge. I loved trying to guess the details which were delightfully parceled out until the last chapters. If someone was going to die, would it be one or more of the Renegades? Would it be the man who could not let go of the past? At times I wasn’t sure who, if any of them would survive.
The plot alternates between the past and present until it comes crashing together at the end of the book. The action moves quickly, but it always stays true to the story.
The characters are so well developed, that I think I knew some of these kids in high school. The supporting characters have great balance as well. I knew enough about them to understand what made them tick, but not enough to overshadow the main characters. Every time the bouncers showed up, I had to read a little faster to see what those creeps were up to.
Overall this is a great book. I enjoyed the story and characters. It is the first book I’ve read by award winning author Philip Cioffari. Additionally, Coiffari is a Professor, a short story author with publications in magazines and anthologies and a Playwright. He has also directed for Off and On Broadway. I am going to seek out more of this talented author’s work and I suggest you do too, right after you read The Bronx Kill.
Copyright © 2017 Laura Hartman
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.
The Renegades, a motley crew of five friends from the Bronx, were inseparable five years ago. That was up until the night they decided to do a dangerous stunt that resulted in one death and one missing person. Charlie is the only one in the old gang left in the neighborhood. Johnny left for the Seminary and Danny moved away to try and forget the event that the remaining Renegades swore to never speak of again.
The old gang is reluctantly being reunited in the Bronx because Johnny has left the Seminary to marry his high school sweetheart. Before the pending nuptials arrive, the guys find themselves in a life and death confrontation with someone who cannot leave the past behind. He has been plotting and planning revenge and is in a position to make good on his threats. If he has his way, there will be funerals instead of a wedding.
The Bronx Kill is a mystery wrapped in revenge. I loved trying to guess the details which were delightfully parceled out until the last chapters. If someone was going to die, would it be one or more of the Renegades? Would it be the man who could not let go of the past? At times I wasn’t sure who, if any of them would survive.
The plot alternates between the past and present until it comes crashing together at the end of the book. The action moves quickly, but it always stays true to the story.
The characters are so well developed, that I think I knew some of these kids in high school. The supporting characters have great balance as well. I knew enough about them to understand what made them tick, but not enough to overshadow the main characters. Every time the bouncers showed up, I had to read a little faster to see what those creeps were up to.
Overall this is a great book. I enjoyed the story and characters. It is the first book I’ve read by award winning author Philip Cioffari. Additionally, Coiffari is a Professor, a short story author with publications in magazines and anthologies and a Playwright. He has also directed for Off and On Broadway. I am going to seek out more of this talented author’s work and I suggest you do too, right after you read The Bronx Kill.
Copyright © 2017 Laura Hartman
DISCLOSURE OF MATERIAL CONNECTION: I have a material connection because I received a review copy that I can keep for consideration in preparing to write this content. I was not expected to return this item after my review.
April 22, 2018
When Danny returns to New York for a friend's engagement party, he also returns to ghosts of his past. For five years, he's been hiding in Florida, and from that fateful August night five years ago when his friend, Timmy, drowned during a stupid dare. He and his fellow "Renegades" friends make a pact that night to never speak of it again and fight their demons on their own, until Timmy's brother, a detective with NYPD, decides to reopen the case. Although the drowning was ruled a murder, there's still suspicion that all isn't what it seems, especially since Julianna, another member of the Renegades, disappeared that same night. Everybody assumed she drowned, until a homeless man steps forward and claims that there was more to Timmy's drowning and Julianna's disappearance than it seems. A spiral of suspicion soon unravels that winds around drugs, sex crimes, and the seedier parts of town. The Bronx Kill, by Philip Cioffari, is a suspense novel that will keep you guessing until the final scene.
I enjoyed this novel, because nothing is what it seems, and it's largely because of the character's perceptions of reality. Every surviving member of the Renegades is wracked with guilt over Timmy's murder, and they're frozen in that guilt over confusion about who Timmy was and their part in his death. There was always something "off" about Timmy, and nobody could put their finger on how he was in their group, and yet seemed to remain outside of things. Tommy, Timmy's brother, is also an interesting character with internal conflicts over pursuing justice as an undercover detective, and finding retribution for his brother's death. This compelling story of complex situations and characters lends to a fiction story that could parallel reality is so many ways. An excellent and exciting read!
I enjoyed this novel, because nothing is what it seems, and it's largely because of the character's perceptions of reality. Every surviving member of the Renegades is wracked with guilt over Timmy's murder, and they're frozen in that guilt over confusion about who Timmy was and their part in his death. There was always something "off" about Timmy, and nobody could put their finger on how he was in their group, and yet seemed to remain outside of things. Tommy, Timmy's brother, is also an interesting character with internal conflicts over pursuing justice as an undercover detective, and finding retribution for his brother's death. This compelling story of complex situations and characters lends to a fiction story that could parallel reality is so many ways. An excellent and exciting read!
June 26, 2018
Five years after the drowning death of one of a group of friends, the group is forced to come to terms with what happens. Character motivations are not always all that convincing.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews