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Caina
Twins tend to be closer than typical siblings. They often share a bond that is oftentimes unexplainable.*
For some reason that bond didn't apply to Grant and Lee Tolan. Grant was always the responsible one. Lee, on the other hand, was always in trouble and in jail, self-destructing to the point the twins hadn't seen or spoken in years.
In trouble with the Irish mob who wanted him sleeping with the fishes, finding Grant dead of an apparent suicide, Lee did the only thing that made sense. He switched identities.
Instead of making life easier, Lee is plunged into a world the Irish and Italian crime families, the Mexican cartel and the DEA. Pitting one against the other, Lee enlists the help of friends to save his own life. He will need a miracle.
But Grant's secret is the biggest shock of all for Lee and he must re-evaluate his entire life.
*Maureen Healy, author of Growing Happy Kids.
For some reason that bond didn't apply to Grant and Lee Tolan. Grant was always the responsible one. Lee, on the other hand, was always in trouble and in jail, self-destructing to the point the twins hadn't seen or spoken in years.
In trouble with the Irish mob who wanted him sleeping with the fishes, finding Grant dead of an apparent suicide, Lee did the only thing that made sense. He switched identities.
Instead of making life easier, Lee is plunged into a world the Irish and Italian crime families, the Mexican cartel and the DEA. Pitting one against the other, Lee enlists the help of friends to save his own life. He will need a miracle.
But Grant's secret is the biggest shock of all for Lee and he must re-evaluate his entire life.
*Maureen Healy, author of Growing Happy Kids.
174 pages, Paperback
Published July 5, 2018
About the author
Joe Albanese
7 books32 followersJoe Albanese is a writer from South Jersey. His fiction, nonfiction, and poetry can be found in publications across the U.S. and in ten other countries. Joe is the author of Smash and Grab, Caina, Candy Apple Red, For the Blood is the Life, and a poetry collection, Cocktails with a Dead Man.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
November 5, 2018
Book Reviewed by Cara on www.whisperingstories.com
Caina follows down on his luck Lee as he struggles to repay his debts among the criminal gangs of LA. With a price tag now on his head, Lee makes a desperate visit to his more successful twin brother in the hopes of finding a bit of help, little does he know this trip will turn his life upside down.
Finding his brother dead in his home, Lee takes on his brother’s identity to try and hide from his current life. With the help of old friends and new, Lee finds out that his brother’s life isn’t as perfect as he thought.
Along the way we meet gangs, drug lords, secret lovers and undercover investigators who all have a big part to play.
Although only a novella, Caina has plenty of action packed into it. It’s a fun, excitable read that leaves you fully satisfied by the end. The characters are enjoyable to spend your time with and you find yourself rooting for them throughout. If your looking for a quick, easy, entertaining read, this is the perfect book.
Caina follows down on his luck Lee as he struggles to repay his debts among the criminal gangs of LA. With a price tag now on his head, Lee makes a desperate visit to his more successful twin brother in the hopes of finding a bit of help, little does he know this trip will turn his life upside down.
Finding his brother dead in his home, Lee takes on his brother’s identity to try and hide from his current life. With the help of old friends and new, Lee finds out that his brother’s life isn’t as perfect as he thought.
Along the way we meet gangs, drug lords, secret lovers and undercover investigators who all have a big part to play.
Although only a novella, Caina has plenty of action packed into it. It’s a fun, excitable read that leaves you fully satisfied by the end. The characters are enjoyable to spend your time with and you find yourself rooting for them throughout. If your looking for a quick, easy, entertaining read, this is the perfect book.
September 1, 2018
I liked it, was a fast read. The story wasn’t overly unique or out there. But none the less it was enjoyable. It always nice to read stories about main characters who aren’t really the ‘hero’ type. Just a person trying to live their life the way they want too.
(Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the Author. Does not affect my review)
(Disclaimer: I received a free copy from the Author. Does not affect my review)
August 17, 2018
Caina by Jow Albanese is a very entertaining crime comedy about a guy who knows only one thing - how to get in trouble.
It was a very interesting read. The narration was good because more than a book it felt like a movie running in the head. The writing was solid, the characterization was decent and the plot was very exciting. The well-placed twists and turns kept the story engaging and the high action kept me entertained throughout the book.
The ending was really good and felt apt tot he entire plot build-up. The dialogues were good and made the book, again, feel like a film.
A very quick read in which the author's sense of humour shone through quite well. Overall, this book is a complete action-comedy package and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining quick read.
You can also read this review at www.thereadingbud.com
It was a very interesting read. The narration was good because more than a book it felt like a movie running in the head. The writing was solid, the characterization was decent and the plot was very exciting. The well-placed twists and turns kept the story engaging and the high action kept me entertained throughout the book.
The ending was really good and felt apt tot he entire plot build-up. The dialogues were good and made the book, again, feel like a film.
A very quick read in which the author's sense of humour shone through quite well. Overall, this book is a complete action-comedy package and I'd recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining quick read.
You can also read this review at www.thereadingbud.com
October 2, 2018
I love a good sibling rivalry story—mainly because there is usually a reconciliation at the end. But with Caina, there is no hope for reconciliation between Lee and Grant as Grant is, well, dead. All this to say, I was first captivated by this synopsis of Caina and second, upon receiving the book from the author in the mail, I was pleased to see that the author had typed me up a letter of thanks. I will admit it was because of this letter that I kept reading.
The first two pages of Caina were amazing. I was immediately swept into the plot and sympathized with Lee’s feeling of inferiority to the perfect Grant. Albanese’s descriptions of their childhood together were vivid and realistic. But as soon as the story caught up to present-day, I was bombarded with a flood of cursing and innuendos. I pushed on for a couple chapters, but as a conservative Christian, I didn’t like having all those curse words floating in my mind as I read in bed before going to sleep.
So I considered dropping it. But as I mulled it over in my head, Joe Albanese’s words to me in his thank you note kept coming back. He’d said he was just so thankful to have someone reading his book, even if I decided not to review it in the end. I was touched because that’s the way I feel when I ask someone to read my self-published novels. So even though Albanese and I are very, very different writers, we still share something in common—that desire to be read.
So I kept reading and finished it. Here are my main thoughts:
The transitions were often abrupt. I got accustomed to it after a few chapters, but those first few were difficult to read. One paragraph the characters would be one place and the next paragraph they’d be somewhere else with no indication they’d decided to even go to that next destination. Also, there were many illogical conclusions. Several times, something would happen and Lee would jump five steps in logical thought to reach a certain conclusion, basically making assumptions that I would never have made given the information he (or I) had. There were also a lot of things about the plot that were explained to me too late and I just didn’t understand how/when we had learned that information.
I didn’t like Lee at first. He had no ambition or drive. And when he found out his brother was dead, he was not remotely sad about it. Not only that, he immediately decided to take on Grant’s identity and basically sell his brother’s body (as his own) to a drug gang and let them dump Grant’s body in the river. Who does that?!
But as the story developed, and Lee found out what really happened to Grant and what Grant had been doing all these years, Lee’s feelings toward his twin slowly changed. There was one scene in particular in the middle of the novel where Lee has a dream about his brother. His brother is on the train tracks they used to jump off of when a train was coming when they were young. There was something very mystical and mysterious about the scene, which reminded me of the first two pages I had liked so much. This was the potential I believe Albanese’s story could have had had the plot not revolved around drug gangs.
I will say that I was touched at the end when certain things about Grant were revealed and decisions were made based on those realizations. Especially when Lee realized what a great brother he’d always had and that he’d just been too blinded by jealousy to see it.
In conclusion, I would have given Caina two stars because of the cursing and innuendos, but because of Lee’s character development and the elements/scenes involving the train tracks (Albanese knows what I mean—I loved how he used the metaphor with the train tracks!) I give Caina three stars. However, this rating is given with a warning for very mature content and my recommendation that only readers 18 and older read it. In the end, I think this book was not meant for a young woman in her twenties, and in the right person’s hands, would have been well-loved.
I received this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own. This is a LiteratureApproved.com review.
The first two pages of Caina were amazing. I was immediately swept into the plot and sympathized with Lee’s feeling of inferiority to the perfect Grant. Albanese’s descriptions of their childhood together were vivid and realistic. But as soon as the story caught up to present-day, I was bombarded with a flood of cursing and innuendos. I pushed on for a couple chapters, but as a conservative Christian, I didn’t like having all those curse words floating in my mind as I read in bed before going to sleep.
So I considered dropping it. But as I mulled it over in my head, Joe Albanese’s words to me in his thank you note kept coming back. He’d said he was just so thankful to have someone reading his book, even if I decided not to review it in the end. I was touched because that’s the way I feel when I ask someone to read my self-published novels. So even though Albanese and I are very, very different writers, we still share something in common—that desire to be read.
So I kept reading and finished it. Here are my main thoughts:
The transitions were often abrupt. I got accustomed to it after a few chapters, but those first few were difficult to read. One paragraph the characters would be one place and the next paragraph they’d be somewhere else with no indication they’d decided to even go to that next destination. Also, there were many illogical conclusions. Several times, something would happen and Lee would jump five steps in logical thought to reach a certain conclusion, basically making assumptions that I would never have made given the information he (or I) had. There were also a lot of things about the plot that were explained to me too late and I just didn’t understand how/when we had learned that information.
I didn’t like Lee at first. He had no ambition or drive. And when he found out his brother was dead, he was not remotely sad about it. Not only that, he immediately decided to take on Grant’s identity and basically sell his brother’s body (as his own) to a drug gang and let them dump Grant’s body in the river. Who does that?!
But as the story developed, and Lee found out what really happened to Grant and what Grant had been doing all these years, Lee’s feelings toward his twin slowly changed. There was one scene in particular in the middle of the novel where Lee has a dream about his brother. His brother is on the train tracks they used to jump off of when a train was coming when they were young. There was something very mystical and mysterious about the scene, which reminded me of the first two pages I had liked so much. This was the potential I believe Albanese’s story could have had had the plot not revolved around drug gangs.
I will say that I was touched at the end when certain things about Grant were revealed and decisions were made based on those realizations. Especially when Lee realized what a great brother he’d always had and that he’d just been too blinded by jealousy to see it.
In conclusion, I would have given Caina two stars because of the cursing and innuendos, but because of Lee’s character development and the elements/scenes involving the train tracks (Albanese knows what I mean—I loved how he used the metaphor with the train tracks!) I give Caina three stars. However, this rating is given with a warning for very mature content and my recommendation that only readers 18 and older read it. In the end, I think this book was not meant for a young woman in her twenties, and in the right person’s hands, would have been well-loved.
I received this book from the author for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own. This is a LiteratureApproved.com review.
September 8, 2019
This book had its faults and virtues, and I think they’re pretty much in balance. In my opinion, this story is written by a talented storyteller, but not yet a writer. By that, I mean there are great moments of the way something is said, but I would recommend using a time-line, jotting down some important facts, keeping a character true, especially in how they speak, and not changing style through the book. So, for example, a character may change the way they speak if they are trying to fit in. But if they are a boss of a gang or mafia, then it is unlikely that the way they speak will change.
I liked the fast pace in the beginning. This is a modern piece, it does not assume that the reader ‘hasn’t seen it’ – the world that we live in means we have seen a lot more than the readers at the time of Jane Austin, so if it doesn’t move the story along, I really do not need to read a two-page description of a house. On the other hand, relationships between people will always need to be explained and defined. That seems to be ever-changing. So I find that even in modern literature, there is a need to define relationships between characters.
The plot is good enough, though I think it would benefit from a few chapters in third-person perspective. I did have one issue since this is a ‘street-wise’ character, he made a decision I just do not see someone like that making. But, I could be wrong. However, if the price of is head was spread around, then… I think I might be right. I don’t know.
While I do not mind typos, I did have an issue (in just a couple of places) with shifts from first to the third person. In one place, I even wondered how the ‘I’ knew what was going on.
I was thinking 3 or 4 stars for this, but I decided to be generous because the end is kind of meaningful even for a bum of a character that is Lee. Except that Lee is not a bum. He’s a failure, he’s lazy, he’s even dumb at times, but for some reason, he’s still lovable. I think the writer has done well to show the potential of the character and that’s not an easy task. So, 4 stars.
I liked the fast pace in the beginning. This is a modern piece, it does not assume that the reader ‘hasn’t seen it’ – the world that we live in means we have seen a lot more than the readers at the time of Jane Austin, so if it doesn’t move the story along, I really do not need to read a two-page description of a house. On the other hand, relationships between people will always need to be explained and defined. That seems to be ever-changing. So I find that even in modern literature, there is a need to define relationships between characters.
The plot is good enough, though I think it would benefit from a few chapters in third-person perspective. I did have one issue since this is a ‘street-wise’ character, he made a decision I just do not see someone like that making. But, I could be wrong. However, if the price of is head was spread around, then… I think I might be right. I don’t know.
While I do not mind typos, I did have an issue (in just a couple of places) with shifts from first to the third person. In one place, I even wondered how the ‘I’ knew what was going on.
I was thinking 3 or 4 stars for this, but I decided to be generous because the end is kind of meaningful even for a bum of a character that is Lee. Except that Lee is not a bum. He’s a failure, he’s lazy, he’s even dumb at times, but for some reason, he’s still lovable. I think the writer has done well to show the potential of the character and that’s not an easy task. So, 4 stars.
October 3, 2019
Caina is entertaining, light reading. The story revolves around the twin bothers, Lee and Grant Tolan. Growing up, Grant was the wunderkind, Lee was the bad boy. They became estranged as adults, and Lee always had a lingering resentment for his brother. Until he got in trouble with the Irish mob, that is. Having used up most of his friends, Lee reluctantly turns to Grant for help. But that proves difficult, because someone has murdered Grant. So Lee switches places with his brother.
From there things get interesting. Albanese goes out of his way to provide plot twist after plot twist, some of which are abrupt and strain credulity. Lee collects a ragtag group of screw-ups during his adventures who often do the wrong thing but seem to come out okay in spite of it. Albanese's style is light and breezy and he does a lot more telling than showing, so the story moves along at a good clip. The resolution is unexpected but satisfying.
The book's biggest flaw is wordiness, likely attributable to poor editing, but it is entertaining nonetheless. If you like crime fiction, you can do worse than Caina.
From there things get interesting. Albanese goes out of his way to provide plot twist after plot twist, some of which are abrupt and strain credulity. Lee collects a ragtag group of screw-ups during his adventures who often do the wrong thing but seem to come out okay in spite of it. Albanese's style is light and breezy and he does a lot more telling than showing, so the story moves along at a good clip. The resolution is unexpected but satisfying.
The book's biggest flaw is wordiness, likely attributable to poor editing, but it is entertaining nonetheless. If you like crime fiction, you can do worse than Caina.
March 23, 2019
A lot going on here from start to finish in this little book. Twin brothers, no longer in each others lives , until chaos gets out of control. One, Lee, tries to come up with a plan to clean up his life, but finds his brother Grant has died. FBI, Irish Mob, Italian mob, Mexican cartel, and Lee's little group of 4 mix together till the end.
I did enjoy this. Yes, there is some violence in the book. But the author has weaved a good story through out the book.
****This book was received through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a fair review.***
I did enjoy this. Yes, there is some violence in the book. But the author has weaved a good story through out the book.
****This book was received through a Goodreads giveaway in exchange for a fair review.***
September 26, 2019
Caina by Joe Albanese is a fast-paced twin-brother switched identity story. Albanese gives his main character, Lee Tolan, a strong voice from the first page. Lee is self-deprecating and wholly honest about being a major incompetent in many of the basic aspects of adulthood. I think that’s why Lee is likable in spite of the trail of bad choices that have led him to the situation where we find him when the story starts.
I won’t give away the plot, but it’s filled with all the usual suspects—Italian & Irish mobsters, a former stripper with a heart of gold, and a fumbling sidekick named Pete. The storyline turns on a scheme to use a squadron of drones used to deliver drugs. It gave the book a real-life feel while also being something a little fresher than many crime writers offer.
At its heart, Caina is a story about the bad seed brother, Lee, learning that his twin wasn’t the perfect son and brother as he’d always believed. The discovery that Grant was deeply flawed leads Lee realizes he didn’t really know his brother. This allows Lee to find redemption by helping to complete his brother’s business venture/invention.
The book ends with the lingering hope that there will be more stories with Lee Tolan as the lead character.
I won’t give away the plot, but it’s filled with all the usual suspects—Italian & Irish mobsters, a former stripper with a heart of gold, and a fumbling sidekick named Pete. The storyline turns on a scheme to use a squadron of drones used to deliver drugs. It gave the book a real-life feel while also being something a little fresher than many crime writers offer.
At its heart, Caina is a story about the bad seed brother, Lee, learning that his twin wasn’t the perfect son and brother as he’d always believed. The discovery that Grant was deeply flawed leads Lee realizes he didn’t really know his brother. This allows Lee to find redemption by helping to complete his brother’s business venture/invention.
The book ends with the lingering hope that there will be more stories with Lee Tolan as the lead character.
October 1, 2019
I began reading Caina by Joe Albanese immediately after finishing a 600-page book on the development of philosophy in the English Language. One was like slipping on a patch of ice, the other plowing through waist deep snow drifts. Caina was a good book; perhaps this is partly why I couldn’t get into it. By the way, I didn’t know what “Caina” meant, so I looked it up. I still don’t know what it means; maybe something about Cain and Abel. However, the story is about a low-level shyster who used his twin brother’s death to his advantage.
One element against me was the dearth of description. I like books with minimal description, but this was almost nonexistent. For example, the brother’s car was a Jaguar. That’s all we know. If it had been a red E model that would tell us something more, as would the car being a powder blue Vanden Plas. People and places were merely people and places.
Another element was losing the flow when the point-of-view changed from the main character narrating to the writer’s 3rd person omniscient. This immediately lifted me out of the story.
Last, the main character entered severely dangerous situations, got in trouble, wisecracked and easily escaped. He was always unfazed. Trouble is, I got that way too. He didn’t get excited. I didn’t get excited.
That being said, if another book by Albanese came my way, I’d gladly read it, but not immediately after reading a thick book on philosophy.
One element against me was the dearth of description. I like books with minimal description, but this was almost nonexistent. For example, the brother’s car was a Jaguar. That’s all we know. If it had been a red E model that would tell us something more, as would the car being a powder blue Vanden Plas. People and places were merely people and places.
Another element was losing the flow when the point-of-view changed from the main character narrating to the writer’s 3rd person omniscient. This immediately lifted me out of the story.
Last, the main character entered severely dangerous situations, got in trouble, wisecracked and easily escaped. He was always unfazed. Trouble is, I got that way too. He didn’t get excited. I didn’t get excited.
That being said, if another book by Albanese came my way, I’d gladly read it, but not immediately after reading a thick book on philosophy.
September 23, 2018
Anyone familiar with Dante’s Inferno may already associate the word Caina with the Ninth Circle of Hell and, more specifically, treachery against kindred. That pretty much sums up the main plot. Despite being twins, Lee absolutely loathes his law-abiding brother Grant. However, after discovering his corpse, Lee finds himself impersonating Grant and realises that he may not have been as much of a goody-two-shoes as Lee had anticipated.
As a person, I don’t know if Lee and I would have been besties. He’s irrationally bitter over his brother’s success, immature, totally unsympathetic, spends too much time dallying about in illegal matters and is generally very selfish and rude, though I appreciate how much he cared for Angela and Clare. However, as a character, I found him refreshing. I cannot count the number of crime novels and shows centred around yet another random busybody that feels like meddling in something that has nothing to do with them but, despite their complete and utter lack of experience or qualification, are granted access to the crime scene and solve the entire thing in less than a week. Or that good old detective with a long, swishing coat and ominous tone laced with sarcasm. To be fair, I normally rave about how wonderful these characters are (the nosy meddlers and very-serious detectives feel like family) despite the blatant stereotypes but nonetheless, Lee was a welcome change of perspective.
The flow of the plot was good. I never thought I’d encounter a character that would come across their (admittedly estranged) identical twin brother’s body and, rather than grieve, pretend the corpse was their own to trick a gang and take on the deceased brother’s identity without thinking it far-fetched but this proved to be an exception. It’s like a twisted, criminal version of The Pretty One. Lee is just so… Lee that I have no issue with the plot here. However, I did find the excess of gangs a bit much. Personally, I’d have preferred just one or two gangs with more focus on each member of the gang and their background. Instead, the reader relies on a brief description of the majority ethnic group of each gang and the names of the most important members, which can get a little confusing towards the end. The highlight of the plot for me has to be the ending. Albanese really built the everything up well and I was concerned I’d be disappointed but found myself pleasantly surprised. My main question to the author is whether a sequel is on the horizon? I feel like the ending lends itself to another book and I certainly wouldn’t protest reading another novel in Lee’s narrative voice.
I found there were very occasional typos, like a few haphazard speech marks that must have been missed over the editing period, but there weren’t enough for this to be an issue when reading. I also thought the cover of the novel perhaps a bit too dark and serious looking for a crime comedy but looked very smart even so. Aside from that, the formatting was good – the font was slightly larger than average, making it a joy to read, the blurb describes the novel perfectly etc.
Albanese's strongest skill in this novel would have to be his creative use of perspective. I've already mentioned how interesting Lee was as a narrator, but I haven't spoken much about Grant. We learn so much about Grant without even meeting him when he's alive. He comes across as a hard-working and loving man and I found it quite endearing how he cared about Lee and tried to support him despite Lee's stubborn dislike of him. Naturally I found it irksome how Lee showed very little sympathy towards poor Eric, who was clearly close to Grant, but again, that's just... Lee. Overall, I did enjoy this book despite the slight confusion over the numerous gangs.
Review from The Eccentric Trilogy book blog, for more reviews done by our team check out our blog: http://eccentrictrilogy.blogspot.com/
As a person, I don’t know if Lee and I would have been besties. He’s irrationally bitter over his brother’s success, immature, totally unsympathetic, spends too much time dallying about in illegal matters and is generally very selfish and rude, though I appreciate how much he cared for Angela and Clare. However, as a character, I found him refreshing. I cannot count the number of crime novels and shows centred around yet another random busybody that feels like meddling in something that has nothing to do with them but, despite their complete and utter lack of experience or qualification, are granted access to the crime scene and solve the entire thing in less than a week. Or that good old detective with a long, swishing coat and ominous tone laced with sarcasm. To be fair, I normally rave about how wonderful these characters are (the nosy meddlers and very-serious detectives feel like family) despite the blatant stereotypes but nonetheless, Lee was a welcome change of perspective.
The flow of the plot was good. I never thought I’d encounter a character that would come across their (admittedly estranged) identical twin brother’s body and, rather than grieve, pretend the corpse was their own to trick a gang and take on the deceased brother’s identity without thinking it far-fetched but this proved to be an exception. It’s like a twisted, criminal version of The Pretty One. Lee is just so… Lee that I have no issue with the plot here. However, I did find the excess of gangs a bit much. Personally, I’d have preferred just one or two gangs with more focus on each member of the gang and their background. Instead, the reader relies on a brief description of the majority ethnic group of each gang and the names of the most important members, which can get a little confusing towards the end. The highlight of the plot for me has to be the ending. Albanese really built the everything up well and I was concerned I’d be disappointed but found myself pleasantly surprised. My main question to the author is whether a sequel is on the horizon? I feel like the ending lends itself to another book and I certainly wouldn’t protest reading another novel in Lee’s narrative voice.
I found there were very occasional typos, like a few haphazard speech marks that must have been missed over the editing period, but there weren’t enough for this to be an issue when reading. I also thought the cover of the novel perhaps a bit too dark and serious looking for a crime comedy but looked very smart even so. Aside from that, the formatting was good – the font was slightly larger than average, making it a joy to read, the blurb describes the novel perfectly etc.
Albanese's strongest skill in this novel would have to be his creative use of perspective. I've already mentioned how interesting Lee was as a narrator, but I haven't spoken much about Grant. We learn so much about Grant without even meeting him when he's alive. He comes across as a hard-working and loving man and I found it quite endearing how he cared about Lee and tried to support him despite Lee's stubborn dislike of him. Naturally I found it irksome how Lee showed very little sympathy towards poor Eric, who was clearly close to Grant, but again, that's just... Lee. Overall, I did enjoy this book despite the slight confusion over the numerous gangs.
Review from The Eccentric Trilogy book blog, for more reviews done by our team check out our blog: http://eccentrictrilogy.blogspot.com/
July 3, 2022
Caina is a dark comedy thriller, a light-hearted novel written by Joseph Albanese. The story revolves around two siblings who are born only a few minutes apart. One is highly successful, the other is attracted towards trouble. This opposite nature of two brothers seems like a yin yang situation is what this book about.
Lee Tolan attracts trouble wherever he goes. In debt to multiple gang members, Lee is given a second chance in life to pay back his dues. After not seeing his twin brother for more than a decade, Lee is forced to overcome this strange nature of their relationship only to find that Grant, his twin brother dead but leaves a fortune behind. Soon Lee realizes that to claim this fortune, he has to turn into his brother for the DEA and fight the mob cleverly and do save a little for himself. From this point starts a dark comical thriller of the chase, sympathy, friendship, and love. During these events, Lee learns a lot about his brother and his dark secrets.
The plot is well constructed due to the following reasons. There is a lot in the storyline going in 170 pages that keep the reader on the edge. With themes of dark comedy and crime, this novel is well suited to be read in a seating or two. The timing of the climax is on the mark. However, I did not see any subplot emerging from the shadows of the characters. A subplot could give a reader some breathing space and thinking time as to what will be the turning point. This book does not. As a reader, you keep following the series of events with a variety of characters.
The characterization in this novel is above par. Realistic enough to digest and well suited with the plot. I do like how novel starts and then from there the story builds up. The author does a great job of providing the background of the protagonist in the start. Though in between, I did lose interest due to same nature of events getting repeated. The multiple gang members due was not necessary in my opinion. One such occurrence could have been enough.
3.5! An entertaining read overall.
Lee Tolan attracts trouble wherever he goes. In debt to multiple gang members, Lee is given a second chance in life to pay back his dues. After not seeing his twin brother for more than a decade, Lee is forced to overcome this strange nature of their relationship only to find that Grant, his twin brother dead but leaves a fortune behind. Soon Lee realizes that to claim this fortune, he has to turn into his brother for the DEA and fight the mob cleverly and do save a little for himself. From this point starts a dark comical thriller of the chase, sympathy, friendship, and love. During these events, Lee learns a lot about his brother and his dark secrets.
The plot is well constructed due to the following reasons. There is a lot in the storyline going in 170 pages that keep the reader on the edge. With themes of dark comedy and crime, this novel is well suited to be read in a seating or two. The timing of the climax is on the mark. However, I did not see any subplot emerging from the shadows of the characters. A subplot could give a reader some breathing space and thinking time as to what will be the turning point. This book does not. As a reader, you keep following the series of events with a variety of characters.
The characterization in this novel is above par. Realistic enough to digest and well suited with the plot. I do like how novel starts and then from there the story builds up. The author does a great job of providing the background of the protagonist in the start. Though in between, I did lose interest due to same nature of events getting repeated. The multiple gang members due was not necessary in my opinion. One such occurrence could have been enough.
3.5! An entertaining read overall.
October 4, 2018
First a word about the title. I don’t know what it means, it appears nowhere in the book and thus it gives the reader or prospective buyer no clue as to what to expect. Readers of this genre are hardly expected to know Dante's Inferno. At the risk of having someone come knocking on my door at night, I’d hazard a guess that you get more information from the name of the author. Sounds like an Italian-American lad with Family connections who knows whereof he writes.
Because this story is a wrong-side-of-the-big-city Crime Thriller, seen through the eyes of a part-time criminal, full-time loser and all-around nice guy with a messed up attitude. Trouble follows him like a dog after a meat wagon because he just keeps laying down that alluring scent.
But Lee the Loser has a twin brother named Grant (the winner, of course) and the two of them have had nothing to do with each other for twenty years. Until Lee finally gets deep enough in trouble to ask his brother for help and finds him dead. Which starts off an identity-switch situation comedy (except for all the bodies), as he tries to impersonate his successful brother in order to cash in on his success. Which leads to too much involvement in his brother’s life, which in turn leads to a good, complex plotline with plenty of twists that are a bit contrived but within reason. The main character is likeable with just enough self-deprecating humour for this genre.
My one complaint is a periodic lack of important details at key action points, leaving us unsure what, exactly, happened. I think perhaps this is done on purpose in an attempt to heighten tension. It doesn’t work, leaving us only confused.
I enjoyed the ending, with that final plot twist putting a different light on all sorts of things that happen in the story, changing the main character’s attitude and providing a good resolution at the same time.
Recommended for fans of gritty crime drama with no detectives.
Because this story is a wrong-side-of-the-big-city Crime Thriller, seen through the eyes of a part-time criminal, full-time loser and all-around nice guy with a messed up attitude. Trouble follows him like a dog after a meat wagon because he just keeps laying down that alluring scent.
But Lee the Loser has a twin brother named Grant (the winner, of course) and the two of them have had nothing to do with each other for twenty years. Until Lee finally gets deep enough in trouble to ask his brother for help and finds him dead. Which starts off an identity-switch situation comedy (except for all the bodies), as he tries to impersonate his successful brother in order to cash in on his success. Which leads to too much involvement in his brother’s life, which in turn leads to a good, complex plotline with plenty of twists that are a bit contrived but within reason. The main character is likeable with just enough self-deprecating humour for this genre.
My one complaint is a periodic lack of important details at key action points, leaving us unsure what, exactly, happened. I think perhaps this is done on purpose in an attempt to heighten tension. It doesn’t work, leaving us only confused.
I enjoyed the ending, with that final plot twist putting a different light on all sorts of things that happen in the story, changing the main character’s attitude and providing a good resolution at the same time.
Recommended for fans of gritty crime drama with no detectives.
December 20, 2019
CAINA: A SUSPENSEFUL, WITTY, GRITTY TALE
Joe Albanese’s style is somewhere between those of Dashiell Hammett and Elmore Leonard: engaging, often dark, often witty, and loaded with non-stop suspense.
At the start of Caina, we meet the competitive young Tolon twins, Grant and Lee. Their father, a Civil War buff, named them after the generals who led the Union and Confederate armies. Lee, the story’s narrator, resented being saddled with the name of the loser. After high school their paths greatly diverged, with Grant on an upward trajectory and Lee doomed to a downward spiral.
Several years later, Lee is out of prison but not out of trouble. He has pissed off and/or owes money he doesn’t possess to a range of dangerous, colorful, ethnically diverse gangs from Irish, Black, Italian, and Mexican backgrounds. Whenever it seems he and his hapless best friend Pete have dodged or outsmarted one gang, there’s a new handful of thugs in a car around the corner waiting for their piece of his carcass. Eventually, the plot’s twists and turns put him at odds with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Lee has one area of vulnerability outside of his own skin: Angela, and her ten-year-old daughter Claire. Angela, who, justifiably keeps him on the fringes of her life, is not and never has been his girlfriend (not that he doesn’t admire her). She’s the widow of the late Jimmy, who was Lee’s prison cellmate. Lee feels responsible for the two and adores Claire.
When he learns that the Irish equally desire his death and their money, he swallows his pride and tracks down the successful Grant to hit him up for a loan. What he finds in Grant’s House and Garden quality home, isn’t what he anticipated or hoped for.
It’s difficult not to reveal/share more of the plot, but that would rob potential readers of the fun and suspense of going on this journey with Lee on their own.
Joe Albanese’s style is somewhere between those of Dashiell Hammett and Elmore Leonard: engaging, often dark, often witty, and loaded with non-stop suspense.
At the start of Caina, we meet the competitive young Tolon twins, Grant and Lee. Their father, a Civil War buff, named them after the generals who led the Union and Confederate armies. Lee, the story’s narrator, resented being saddled with the name of the loser. After high school their paths greatly diverged, with Grant on an upward trajectory and Lee doomed to a downward spiral.
Several years later, Lee is out of prison but not out of trouble. He has pissed off and/or owes money he doesn’t possess to a range of dangerous, colorful, ethnically diverse gangs from Irish, Black, Italian, and Mexican backgrounds. Whenever it seems he and his hapless best friend Pete have dodged or outsmarted one gang, there’s a new handful of thugs in a car around the corner waiting for their piece of his carcass. Eventually, the plot’s twists and turns put him at odds with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Lee has one area of vulnerability outside of his own skin: Angela, and her ten-year-old daughter Claire. Angela, who, justifiably keeps him on the fringes of her life, is not and never has been his girlfriend (not that he doesn’t admire her). She’s the widow of the late Jimmy, who was Lee’s prison cellmate. Lee feels responsible for the two and adores Claire.
When he learns that the Irish equally desire his death and their money, he swallows his pride and tracks down the successful Grant to hit him up for a loan. What he finds in Grant’s House and Garden quality home, isn’t what he anticipated or hoped for.
It’s difficult not to reveal/share more of the plot, but that would rob potential readers of the fun and suspense of going on this journey with Lee on their own.
August 25, 2018
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review.
When I read the summary of this book, I was immediately interested! I love books that have this action/spy kind of aspect and something about the cover had me curious too. I haven’t seen a black and white cover in a while so it was of course something I wanted to add to my bookshelf!
The story itself was highly entertaining. I read it in one sitting while I was sick and flew through it. My edition had decently sized font (not large font but it was bigger than most books) which helped make it go faster, also made it much easier to read when you’re sick. There was lots of action and it was a page turner – it honestly felt like a crime TV show episode.
I really did like the idea of these twin brothers and identity switching and stuff. It was something new – I mean there are books that have it, but I haven’t read one like this in a while.
It will be an adult book because of some of the themes and language, although with some of the stuff out there, I could see it being an older YA read as well.
I did have a few moments of being confused in the book with all of the mafias and lack of background on who was who. It didn’t really detract from the book, in my opinion, but I would have to remember that we had multiple groups of bad guys crossing each other. But it wasn’t a big deal.
Overall it’s a pretty straight forward book. I like how it touched on drones and using them for drug moving – this could be a reality in a few years so I quite liked the ‘reality’ that the book presented. To me, I liked it.
I classify this book as a perfect summer beach read – it’s fast paced, it’s a page turner, not too long and overall quite enjoyable.
-Copied from mylibrarycardworeout.com
When I read the summary of this book, I was immediately interested! I love books that have this action/spy kind of aspect and something about the cover had me curious too. I haven’t seen a black and white cover in a while so it was of course something I wanted to add to my bookshelf!
The story itself was highly entertaining. I read it in one sitting while I was sick and flew through it. My edition had decently sized font (not large font but it was bigger than most books) which helped make it go faster, also made it much easier to read when you’re sick. There was lots of action and it was a page turner – it honestly felt like a crime TV show episode.
I really did like the idea of these twin brothers and identity switching and stuff. It was something new – I mean there are books that have it, but I haven’t read one like this in a while.
It will be an adult book because of some of the themes and language, although with some of the stuff out there, I could see it being an older YA read as well.
I did have a few moments of being confused in the book with all of the mafias and lack of background on who was who. It didn’t really detract from the book, in my opinion, but I would have to remember that we had multiple groups of bad guys crossing each other. But it wasn’t a big deal.
Overall it’s a pretty straight forward book. I like how it touched on drones and using them for drug moving – this could be a reality in a few years so I quite liked the ‘reality’ that the book presented. To me, I liked it.
I classify this book as a perfect summer beach read – it’s fast paced, it’s a page turner, not too long and overall quite enjoyable.
-Copied from mylibrarycardworeout.com
October 26, 2018
If you’re looking for a quick, entertaining read as the days of summer dissolve into fall you can’t go wrong with the novel Caina written by Jersey native Joe Albanese.
Lee and Grant Tolan are identical twins, but apparently in looks only. Whereas, Grant is hugely successful with a thriving career and a finely-tuned Jaguar as his car, Lee is a ne’er do well and over-shadowed by Grant. Lee is mixed up with various gangs and less than savory behavior.
Up to his eyeballs in debt, Lee decides to swallow his pride and crawl back to Grant hoping to reconnect after years of estrangement.
However, Grant dies under mysterious circumstances. And Lee, after making a life of bad decisions, decides to assume Grant’s identity and finally live a life of respectability and success (not to mention, also drive a Jag).
But people aren’t always what they seem and this is true of Lee’s late brother. Posing as Grant, Lee finds himself caught up in a world of mob activity, dealing with the DEA and other malfeasance.
To survive all this Lee enlists the help of his friends and they all get caught up in death with the Irish and Italian mafia, drug dealers from Mexico and quite a few other activities that test their mettle. Lee also begins to realize Grant wasn’t what he seems. And if Grant wasn’t what he seemed, may Lee can isn’t what he seems and can redeem himself. Well, if he doesn’t end up “sleeping with the fishes.”
I found Caina to be fun and fast-paced, with interesting characters and dialogue. I often found myself seeing this as a movie or a TV show. It has elements that made me laugh and made me cringe, and despite Lee and company’s bad decisions, I truly wanted them to win in the end.
Caina is a good read by a very promising young writer.
Originally published at The Book Self
https://thebookselfblog.wordpress.com...
Lee and Grant Tolan are identical twins, but apparently in looks only. Whereas, Grant is hugely successful with a thriving career and a finely-tuned Jaguar as his car, Lee is a ne’er do well and over-shadowed by Grant. Lee is mixed up with various gangs and less than savory behavior.
Up to his eyeballs in debt, Lee decides to swallow his pride and crawl back to Grant hoping to reconnect after years of estrangement.
However, Grant dies under mysterious circumstances. And Lee, after making a life of bad decisions, decides to assume Grant’s identity and finally live a life of respectability and success (not to mention, also drive a Jag).
But people aren’t always what they seem and this is true of Lee’s late brother. Posing as Grant, Lee finds himself caught up in a world of mob activity, dealing with the DEA and other malfeasance.
To survive all this Lee enlists the help of his friends and they all get caught up in death with the Irish and Italian mafia, drug dealers from Mexico and quite a few other activities that test their mettle. Lee also begins to realize Grant wasn’t what he seems. And if Grant wasn’t what he seemed, may Lee can isn’t what he seems and can redeem himself. Well, if he doesn’t end up “sleeping with the fishes.”
I found Caina to be fun and fast-paced, with interesting characters and dialogue. I often found myself seeing this as a movie or a TV show. It has elements that made me laugh and made me cringe, and despite Lee and company’s bad decisions, I truly wanted them to win in the end.
Caina is a good read by a very promising young writer.
Originally published at The Book Self
https://thebookselfblog.wordpress.com...
April 14, 2019
Read this review (and others) at: https://literatureislife.com/2019/04/...
A copy of Caina was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Caina follows the story of Lee, a man with debts associated with the less-than-savory members of the Los Angeles community. With nowhere else to turn, he reaches out to his estranged twin brother, Grant. But Grant was not entirely the little-goody-two-shoes Lee remembered, and Lee’s problems soon go from bad to worse. For a little novella, Caina was pretty entertaining. It had its ups and downs but was overall a fun little story.
Personally, I am not used to novellas. Most of my reading comes from novels, so that does affect my judgment with Caina. This story seemed like it could have had more to it. The small page count keeps things fast-paced, with things like mid-chapter scene jumps between paragraphs. These transitions are a bit rough and can make it a little tricky to follow the story.
For the limited page count, the characters are very well developed. Lee is a deadbeat but grows throughout the story as he is forced to play the role of Grant. His friends/associates are pulled into this mess with him and none of them are quite the same by the end. Everyone gets a little growth and development instead of being 2D cutouts.
If you read the synopsis, you pretty much know what Caina is about. It follows a fairly by-the-book pattern for this type of mystery-crime story. The short length makes the novella feel more like an episode of a crime drama TV show than anything else. On the whole, it is a good little afternoon read with deeper, underlying tones. If Joe Albanese wanted to expand this into a full-fledged novel, he could do it. There is room here for a lot more, but as it is now the story is still good.
A copy of Caina was provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Caina follows the story of Lee, a man with debts associated with the less-than-savory members of the Los Angeles community. With nowhere else to turn, he reaches out to his estranged twin brother, Grant. But Grant was not entirely the little-goody-two-shoes Lee remembered, and Lee’s problems soon go from bad to worse. For a little novella, Caina was pretty entertaining. It had its ups and downs but was overall a fun little story.
Personally, I am not used to novellas. Most of my reading comes from novels, so that does affect my judgment with Caina. This story seemed like it could have had more to it. The small page count keeps things fast-paced, with things like mid-chapter scene jumps between paragraphs. These transitions are a bit rough and can make it a little tricky to follow the story.
For the limited page count, the characters are very well developed. Lee is a deadbeat but grows throughout the story as he is forced to play the role of Grant. His friends/associates are pulled into this mess with him and none of them are quite the same by the end. Everyone gets a little growth and development instead of being 2D cutouts.
If you read the synopsis, you pretty much know what Caina is about. It follows a fairly by-the-book pattern for this type of mystery-crime story. The short length makes the novella feel more like an episode of a crime drama TV show than anything else. On the whole, it is a good little afternoon read with deeper, underlying tones. If Joe Albanese wanted to expand this into a full-fledged novel, he could do it. There is room here for a lot more, but as it is now the story is still good.
September 12, 2018
Caina is a dark comedy thriller, a light-hearted novel written by Joseph Albanese. The story revolves around two siblings who are born only a few minutes apart. One is highly successful, the other is attracted towards trouble. This opposite nature of two brothers seems like a yin yang situation is what this book about.
Lee Tolan attracts trouble wherever he goes. In debt to multiple gang members, Lee is given a second chance in life to pay back his dues. After not seeing his twin brother for more than a decade, Lee is forced to overcome this strange nature of their relationship only to find that Grant, his twin brother dead but leaves a fortune behind. Soon Lee realizes that to claim this fortune, he has to turn into his brother for the DEA and fight the mob cleverly and do save a little for himself. From this point starts a dark comical thriller of the chase, sympathy, friendship, and love. During these events, Lee learns a lot about his brother and his dark secrets.
The plot is well constructed due to the following reasons. There is a lot in the storyline going in 170 pages that keep the reader on the edge. With themes of dark comedy and crime, this novel is well suited to be read in a seating or two. The timing of the climax is on the mark. However, I did not see any subplot emerging from the shadows of the characters. A subplot could give a reader some breathing space and thinking time as to what will be the turning point. This book does not. As a reader, you keep following the series of events with a variety of characters.
The characterization in this novel is above par. Realistic enough to digest and well suited with the plot. I do like how novel starts and then from there the story builds up. The author does a great job of providing the background of the protagonist in the start. Though in between, I did lose interest due to same nature of events getting repeated. The multiple gang members due was not necessary in my opinion. One such occurrence could have been enough.
3.5! An entertaining read overall.
Lee Tolan attracts trouble wherever he goes. In debt to multiple gang members, Lee is given a second chance in life to pay back his dues. After not seeing his twin brother for more than a decade, Lee is forced to overcome this strange nature of their relationship only to find that Grant, his twin brother dead but leaves a fortune behind. Soon Lee realizes that to claim this fortune, he has to turn into his brother for the DEA and fight the mob cleverly and do save a little for himself. From this point starts a dark comical thriller of the chase, sympathy, friendship, and love. During these events, Lee learns a lot about his brother and his dark secrets.
The plot is well constructed due to the following reasons. There is a lot in the storyline going in 170 pages that keep the reader on the edge. With themes of dark comedy and crime, this novel is well suited to be read in a seating or two. The timing of the climax is on the mark. However, I did not see any subplot emerging from the shadows of the characters. A subplot could give a reader some breathing space and thinking time as to what will be the turning point. This book does not. As a reader, you keep following the series of events with a variety of characters.
The characterization in this novel is above par. Realistic enough to digest and well suited with the plot. I do like how novel starts and then from there the story builds up. The author does a great job of providing the background of the protagonist in the start. Though in between, I did lose interest due to same nature of events getting repeated. The multiple gang members due was not necessary in my opinion. One such occurrence could have been enough.
3.5! An entertaining read overall.
November 11, 2019
When I started reading this book, I wasn’t sure what to expect. I like Carl Hiaasen’s mysteries, and the thriller/mysteries Dave Barry turned out, and this sounded a bit similar. Well, I fell in love with Joe Albanese’s Caina from the first sentence and read on with a combination of amusement at his black humor, and awe at the complication of his plot.
The hero, Lee, is your inveterate loser. But is he the hero? Or does that honor go to his twin brother, Grant? Just as the two Civil War generals, Lee and Grant, can be seen as the two faces of that war, these twin brothers might be viewed as the two sides of a single person—the one who just can’t do right for doing wrong, and the one who just won’t stop trying to do good, at any cost.
The cast of other characters is diverse and far-reaching. There’s the former stripper who’s better at criminal activities than the supposed bad-guys, and a best-friend-cum-partner-in-crime who just might blow the whole scheme. To keep track of the scheme (or schemes) you’ll need a score card. And before you’re done, you’ll probably just rip that up and say, “Forget it!”
Caina is a wild ride. Even better, it’s a brilliant novel that that quite unexpectedly will touch your heart at the end. What a movie it would make! Recommended.
The hero, Lee, is your inveterate loser. But is he the hero? Or does that honor go to his twin brother, Grant? Just as the two Civil War generals, Lee and Grant, can be seen as the two faces of that war, these twin brothers might be viewed as the two sides of a single person—the one who just can’t do right for doing wrong, and the one who just won’t stop trying to do good, at any cost.
The cast of other characters is diverse and far-reaching. There’s the former stripper who’s better at criminal activities than the supposed bad-guys, and a best-friend-cum-partner-in-crime who just might blow the whole scheme. To keep track of the scheme (or schemes) you’ll need a score card. And before you’re done, you’ll probably just rip that up and say, “Forget it!”
Caina is a wild ride. Even better, it’s a brilliant novel that that quite unexpectedly will touch your heart at the end. What a movie it would make! Recommended.
March 17, 2019
I received a copy of the book from the author for an honest review.
I had trouble getting into the storyline. The plot was covered with too many gaps and it was hard to follow. Although I can appreciate the mistakes of the character it did not move me to really like him as a person. The only redeeming feature was the care he showed for Angela and her daughter.
In the end, it all comes down to the kind of choices one makes. Lee Tolan did a very good job of doing exactly that. Every wrong turn sends his life into a bigger spiral of problems as if he never learned to distinguish between good and evil. It was all about survival for him.
In essences, I like to vote for the underdog but his ability or inability to grasp life's lessons made it difficult to really get him.
The sibling rivalry had a lot to do with that. Always trying to outsmart or outwit his brother which did not work out for him, at all. After finding his brother's dead body it seemed he was lead to one disastrous moment to the next after that. Trusting the wrong people and not listening to the smart ones.
The book was simply just okay and maybe not my sort of thing.
I had trouble getting into the storyline. The plot was covered with too many gaps and it was hard to follow. Although I can appreciate the mistakes of the character it did not move me to really like him as a person. The only redeeming feature was the care he showed for Angela and her daughter.
In the end, it all comes down to the kind of choices one makes. Lee Tolan did a very good job of doing exactly that. Every wrong turn sends his life into a bigger spiral of problems as if he never learned to distinguish between good and evil. It was all about survival for him.
In essences, I like to vote for the underdog but his ability or inability to grasp life's lessons made it difficult to really get him.
The sibling rivalry had a lot to do with that. Always trying to outsmart or outwit his brother which did not work out for him, at all. After finding his brother's dead body it seemed he was lead to one disastrous moment to the next after that. Trusting the wrong people and not listening to the smart ones.
The book was simply just okay and maybe not my sort of thing.
April 12, 2019
Twins Grant and Lee Tolan haven’t been getting along for quite some time. Grant is the smart one. Lee, not so smart and often in trouble. But when Lee finds himself owing rather a lot of money to some Very Bad Men, he seeks out his sibling in the hope of a helping hand. However, when he finds his brother dead, Lee is left with only one possible solution – switch identities.
This novella by Joe Albanese starts with a neat idea that drops the hero into a wonderfully complicated mess. The story romps along at a jolly pace and the voice of the main character is lively and likeable. My only issue is the changing point of view, which I always find irritating (starting with the hero telling the story then suddenly switching to the all-seeing narrator in order to tell us stuff the hero can’t possibly know). Other than that, it’s an entertaining tale of drugs, money and dead bodies that’ll please anyone who likes downtrodden and out-of-luck heroes who get a chance to turn things around.
This novella by Joe Albanese starts with a neat idea that drops the hero into a wonderfully complicated mess. The story romps along at a jolly pace and the voice of the main character is lively and likeable. My only issue is the changing point of view, which I always find irritating (starting with the hero telling the story then suddenly switching to the all-seeing narrator in order to tell us stuff the hero can’t possibly know). Other than that, it’s an entertaining tale of drugs, money and dead bodies that’ll please anyone who likes downtrodden and out-of-luck heroes who get a chance to turn things around.
August 7, 2019
Caina is the second story I’ve read by Joe Albanese, the first being Candy Apple Red. It’s not my usual genre but having read and very much enjoyed my previous read, I wanted to explore other titles by this author. And I wasn’t disappointed.
The main character, Lee appears to be a deadbeat low-level criminal, who can’t even get that right. His life choices have led him in completely the opposite direction to that of his wealthy, successful, slightly older twin, Grant. But as the story unfolds we see all is not what it seems with either brother and you can’t help rooting for him, even when the life-threatening situations he finds himself in are usually of his own making.
The story is fast paced with lots of action and dialogue, which personally I like. I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I’m not going to break down the story. Read it for yourself; you won’t be disappointed either.
The main character, Lee appears to be a deadbeat low-level criminal, who can’t even get that right. His life choices have led him in completely the opposite direction to that of his wealthy, successful, slightly older twin, Grant. But as the story unfolds we see all is not what it seems with either brother and you can’t help rooting for him, even when the life-threatening situations he finds himself in are usually of his own making.
The story is fast paced with lots of action and dialogue, which personally I like. I don’t want to give away any spoilers so I’m not going to break down the story. Read it for yourself; you won’t be disappointed either.
February 15, 2019
Caina is a captivating novel about twin brothers who are as different as brothers can be. Seemingly, one can do no wrong, the other no right. They become estranged as adults until the criminal brother finds himself desperate for funds, and goes looking for his twin. That's when the fun begins. A gritty story of gangs, cartels, Mafiosos, and undercover agents, Caina combines great dialog, wit, and fast action into a page-turner of a story that you won't want to put down. Put this one on your reading list!
September 8, 2018
Love, loyalty, and death
Caina was a very powerful and raw story. It was very well-written, as it took the reader into the lives of twin brothers, Grant and Lee. However, these two were total opposites and had a strained relationship, but something brings them together, death. I enjoyed this story, and it brought the reader into a unique plot that brought pain, action and survival on the line. It was a book that I won't soon forget. I look forward to reading more stories from this new author.
Caina was a very powerful and raw story. It was very well-written, as it took the reader into the lives of twin brothers, Grant and Lee. However, these two were total opposites and had a strained relationship, but something brings them together, death. I enjoyed this story, and it brought the reader into a unique plot that brought pain, action and survival on the line. It was a book that I won't soon forget. I look forward to reading more stories from this new author.
May 28, 2019
I received a copy of this book for a fair and honest review. This follows Lee who is looking for a little help from his twin brother. So he goes to see him and discovers somethng grisly. So he takes over his brother's live only to discover a very and scary side to his brother's life. He comes to see that he might not have known his brother all that well. There are just enough twists and excitement to keep this book flowing.
October 25, 2019
I loved the witty writing in this crime/thriller and the unpredictable twists and turns throughout the story! The quick, action packed storyline alongside the humorous, sarcastic telling from the main character’s POV made for an entertaining and light-hearted read. I especially enjoyed the dialogue between the characters and how well it flowed, parts even had me laughing right out loud! A great all around read for crime/thriller fans, or even those that don’t typically dabble in this genre.
November 30, 2019
This was a fun book to read. It started a little slow but then takes you on an adventure that anyone can relate to who faces modern society. Joe Albanese is clever and fun and doesn't disappoint when it comes to maneuvering through the underbelly of crime in the US with aplomb.
August 11, 2020
Very suspenseful wanting to know what was going to happen next. Good short read!
January 28, 2019
I received a print copy of Caina from author Joe Albanese for review.
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. Although not a new premise; basically one twin taking the identity of the other, it is engaging and suspenseful. The moral could be; the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, but you don't see the weeds until you've climbed the fence.
Our main character Lee, finds this out when he assumes the identity of his more successful twin Grant. Lee is not a complete loser but he is pretty close. He learns all is not as he interpreted it. Good character development, a good mix of good, bad, and shades of gray in between.
The plot is very complex, more than I expected anyway and it is unclear for most of the book who the good guys and who the bad guys actually are.
Good read for those who like action, suspense, and redemption. Enjoy!
I enjoyed this book quite a lot. Although not a new premise; basically one twin taking the identity of the other, it is engaging and suspenseful. The moral could be; the grass is greener on the other side of the fence, but you don't see the weeds until you've climbed the fence.
Our main character Lee, finds this out when he assumes the identity of his more successful twin Grant. Lee is not a complete loser but he is pretty close. He learns all is not as he interpreted it. Good character development, a good mix of good, bad, and shades of gray in between.
The plot is very complex, more than I expected anyway and it is unclear for most of the book who the good guys and who the bad guys actually are.
Good read for those who like action, suspense, and redemption. Enjoy!
July 9, 2018
I hope you all enjoy it!
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