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Jack Palace #1
Yard Dog
Honourable ex-con Jack Palace struggles to repay an unstable criminal who saved his life.
What does a man do when he gets out of jail? Jack Palace hits the streets, plunging back into a violent world of crime and corruption. Jack wants out, but first he must repay his debt to Tommy, the man who saved his life in prison. Tommy’s dad, an old school mob boss, is on his deathbed, and Tommy wants to take over the old man’s rackets. Jack and his new girlfriend, Suzanne, are soon caught in the middle of a mob war. Now Jack must fight to defend the people he loves from the man he has sworn to protect while he tries to get out of the criminal life alive.
What does a man do when he gets out of jail? Jack Palace hits the streets, plunging back into a violent world of crime and corruption. Jack wants out, but first he must repay his debt to Tommy, the man who saved his life in prison. Tommy’s dad, an old school mob boss, is on his deathbed, and Tommy wants to take over the old man’s rackets. Jack and his new girlfriend, Suzanne, are soon caught in the middle of a mob war. Now Jack must fight to defend the people he loves from the man he has sworn to protect while he tries to get out of the criminal life alive.
352 pages, Paperback
First published November 24, 2018
21 people want to read
About the author
A.G. Pasquella
14 books17 followersA.G. Pasquella was born in Dallas, Texas and now lives in Toronto, Ontario. His work has appeared in various spots including McSweeney's, Black Book, Wholphin, Joyland, The Utne Reader and The Future Dictionary of America. His books Why Not A Spider Monkey Jesus? and NewTown are available from www.agpbooks.com and Amazon.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
December 14, 2023
The first book in the Jack Palace series starts off by delivering plenty of hard, gritty action, some intense sexuality, and tough dialogue. Written by Toronto writer A.G. Pasquella, who is also a musician, the series features a working tough guy, a killer who prefers knives instead of guns and will never initiate violence but excels at it when it comes his way. Just out of a four-year stint in prison, Jack is supposedly doing a collection job for the son of a mob boss who's in hospital. It soon becomes clear that Tommy, the son, isn't held in any respect whatever by other mobsters and even Jack despises his crude manners and insane, drug-fuelled rages. When the boss dies, Jack has to decide whether to continue protecting his lame duck superior or get himself clear of the situation. Either way, he's going to be lucky to get out alive, with or without his dangerous, underworld colleagues. A page-turning thriller in the hard-boiled tradition. - BH.
February 22, 2021
Non-stop action on the streets of Toronto.
The spoiled child of a mafia boss has been done before, yet I couldn't help but like Tommy. Jack Palace has a sense of duty and loyalty to his friend, but there's only so much a deadly ex-con can take...
The spoiled child of a mafia boss has been done before, yet I couldn't help but like Tommy. Jack Palace has a sense of duty and loyalty to his friend, but there's only so much a deadly ex-con can take...
December 19, 2019
Read like a Tarantino movie. Everyone got butchered. Only a few was spared. Exactly my cuppa.
September 18, 2024
Here is a list of better things to do with your time than reading A.G. Pasquella's YARD DOG:
1. Spend six weeks in a locked room in which the floor and the walls are lined with at least six inches of fecal matter.
2. Hire a white supremacist from Toronto who physically and ideologically resembles Mr. Pasquella to repeatedly punch you in the face on a Saturday night.
3. Go to a local dive bar at 2:30 AM, when the drunkards are flailing out, and ask every one of the blotto types to vomit their evening's drink onto you.
A.G. Pasquella possesses all the "talent" of a small child proudly holding up his stick figure drawing. While we smile and tolerate such a gesture in children, it is a greatly embarrassing flourish from a senescent and creatively bankrupt moron like Pasquella, who would surely find greater purpose managing a gas station somewhere rather than committing his hideously inept pen to paper. If you look up "Pasquella" in the dictionary, you will see an illustration of a middle-aged bearded buffoon emitting words from his pursed lips that become hideous lassos lashing around the victim reader's throat.
1. Spend six weeks in a locked room in which the floor and the walls are lined with at least six inches of fecal matter.
2. Hire a white supremacist from Toronto who physically and ideologically resembles Mr. Pasquella to repeatedly punch you in the face on a Saturday night.
3. Go to a local dive bar at 2:30 AM, when the drunkards are flailing out, and ask every one of the blotto types to vomit their evening's drink onto you.
A.G. Pasquella possesses all the "talent" of a small child proudly holding up his stick figure drawing. While we smile and tolerate such a gesture in children, it is a greatly embarrassing flourish from a senescent and creatively bankrupt moron like Pasquella, who would surely find greater purpose managing a gas station somewhere rather than committing his hideously inept pen to paper. If you look up "Pasquella" in the dictionary, you will see an illustration of a middle-aged bearded buffoon emitting words from his pursed lips that become hideous lassos lashing around the victim reader's throat.
December 28, 2018
The story opens with Jack Palace being paroled from prison. Now as he makes his back to the city he out to meet up with the man who was an ex-cell mate and one who saved his life in prison. Jack now owes him a favor and he is out to set it square to move on. Tommy is the boss’s son and now the boss is dying. Tommy feels like everyone is after his father title the boss. He is correct, he is also paranoid and becomes more so as the story goes along. He also wants Jack to collect some outstanding debits for him. This he does with no problem until one man. Turns out that, that man is actually Joey the mechanic a hit man but is going by an alias. This is really the start of the many problem that begin for Jack and the few friends he has. One of his friends or who actually taught him how to do some of the things he does ends killed by Joey. So you can see where this is going. Jack also is wanting to find love and thinks he does with Suzanne, but because of all of the violence surrounding him can this really work? Meanwhile as you go through the story you are also told Jack’s story in bits from childhood to how he came to meet the people in his life, and how he came to owe Tommy this favor which is really what started all of this to begin with. Just when you think you have this story figured out there is a little twist at the end which added to the story and really made it work for me. I also liked how he would go back in his mind and think back in time, and especially the time he spent in prison those moments and descriptions felt real. Good characters and a good story. I received this book from Netgalley.com I gave it 4 stars. Follow us at www.1rad-readerreviews.com
August 25, 2018
Author A.G. Pasquella has some impressive credentials, writing skills and, apparently, a reluctance to reveal much else about himself. That’s okay because his latest book, “Yard Dog,” is an okay thrill ride that doesn’t need extra hype about its writer.
Jack Palace, protagonist of this series, is supposedly an honorable man that repays his debts. After being released from jail he gets involved with Tommy’s troubles. Bad choice, because Tommy is a mean and vicious leader of crime and corruption in Toronto's mean streets, and violence is bound to reappear in Jack’s life. It does, and many nasty people keep dying. Jack has to keep killing and running to repay his debt.
Not much to the story about a crook trying to live in his father’s shadow and paying a price for his efforts. There’s rampant violence, abundant nasty language, and bodies being scattered over the landscape. Oh, and some sex too. It’s intriguing reading but nothing too intellectual going on.
Jack loves his knives. He has them strapped all over his body but seems to be able to get to them quickly and cut whatever needs to be sliced open. I wondered throughout the book how he was able to be so flexible with stiff steel taped to all his limbs. And how was he able to free up all this weaponry in time to save his butt.
This is a fun read with just enough interest to carry the reader over to the next scheduled educational book.
Jack Palace, protagonist of this series, is supposedly an honorable man that repays his debts. After being released from jail he gets involved with Tommy’s troubles. Bad choice, because Tommy is a mean and vicious leader of crime and corruption in Toronto's mean streets, and violence is bound to reappear in Jack’s life. It does, and many nasty people keep dying. Jack has to keep killing and running to repay his debt.
Not much to the story about a crook trying to live in his father’s shadow and paying a price for his efforts. There’s rampant violence, abundant nasty language, and bodies being scattered over the landscape. Oh, and some sex too. It’s intriguing reading but nothing too intellectual going on.
Jack loves his knives. He has them strapped all over his body but seems to be able to get to them quickly and cut whatever needs to be sliced open. I wondered throughout the book how he was able to be so flexible with stiff steel taped to all his limbs. And how was he able to free up all this weaponry in time to save his butt.
This is a fun read with just enough interest to carry the reader over to the next scheduled educational book.
January 21, 2019
This my very first modern day gangster novel. I surprisingly liked it despite the fact that there is not one sympathetic or likeable character in the entire book. The author is 🇨🇦. A solid pick for me so it’s going on my shelf at the #bookstore. I might even give the next in the series a shot! And that ending... made me shiver! Jack really is ruthless!
January 8, 2019
Not my usual type of book, but Pasquella's writing and fast-paced storytelling kept me hooked. Jack Palace is a compelling character and tragic figure who just wants to retire from gangster life, but keeps getting sucked into a gang war.
December 24, 2020
doing a favor for a whinny wanna be crime boss can surely get you killed, if you don't make sure to dot your I and have a psycho watching your back.
March 10, 2023
This book is not my usual genre, but I found myself dragged into the fast-paced intrigue and was unable to put it down! I am a fan of this series, in this genre, for sure!
December 23, 2018
Yard Dog by A.G. Pasquella if you are looking for alot of action, some humor, a little bit of sex and alot of action...did I say a lot of action already?! this is the book you have been looking for. Fast paced, draws you in and holds your attention, great characters and great storyline! I will be looking for more from this author in the future! Thank you Netgalley and the Publishers Dundurn for this this ARC book and letting me give my honest opinion.
December 27, 2018
A gritty shakedown that traipses across the city and back.
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews