The Roach

by Rhett C. Bruno

A string of killings. An identity stolen. Only he can find the truth.

Reese Roberts was the guardian of Iron City. It’s fearless protector. The only one willing to do whatever it takes… until he was shot on the streets and left paralyzed from the waist down.

Now, the vigilante known as the Roach has disappeared. Faded into legend.

It’s been years since Reese could take on crime and clean up the streets. He’s a shriveled old drunk, living like a hermit and waiting for his life to end. All that’s left to do is wallow in the mistakes that led him here. To wonder, if he went too far.

But when a copycat steals his suit and takes justice into his own hands, a new killer emerges, leaving brutal messages behind. He wants to eliminate the Roach for good this time.

It’s time for Reese to reemerge from his shell and fight back. Who else can stop the flurry of killings? Definitely not the corrupt police department. Iron City needs the Roach again. Only, this time, he’ll need to save it without his legs.

Genres: Audiobook, Thriller, Mystery, Crime, Superheroes, Fiction, Fantasy

304 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 8, 2020

About the author

Rhett is happy to hear from his fans and can be reached at rcbruno44@outlook.com. Please subscribe to his newsletter for exclusive access to updates about his work and the opportunity to receive limited content and ARCs.
http://rhettbruno.com/newsletter/. Or join his facebook reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/Rhett...

Rhett Bruno grew up in Hauppauge, New York, and studied at the Syracuse University School of Architecture where he graduated cum laude.

He has been writing since he can remember, scribbling down what he thought were epic short stories when he was young to show to his parents. When he reached high school he decided to take that a step further and write the “Isinda Trilogy”. After the encouragement of his favorite English teacher he decided to self-publish the “Isinda Trilogy” so that the people closest to him could enjoy his early work.

While studying architecture Rhett continued to write as much as he could, but finding the time during the brutal curriculum proved difficult. It wasn’t until he was a senior that he decided to finally pursue his passion for Science Fiction. After rededicating himself to reading works of the Science Fiction author’s he always loved, (Frank Herbert, Timothy Zahn, Heinlein, etc.) he began writing “The Circuit: Executor Rising”, The first part of what he hopes will be a successful Adult Science Fiction Series.

Since then Rhett has been hired by an Architecture firm in Mount Kisco, NY. But that hasn’t stopped him from continuing to work on “The Circuit” and all of the other stories bouncing around in his head. He is also currently studying at the New School to earn a Certificate in Screenwriting in the hopes of one day writing for TV or Video Games.

Reviews

[Montzalee Wittmann · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Roach by Rhett C. Bruno is a book I requested from NetGalley and the review is voluntary. All of the books I have read of Brunei's books have been sci-fi/fantasy but this on is not. I wondered how well I would enjoy it, and I really got into it! Roach is a self made superhero. He had decided to do good and was a one man vigilante. That was until he lost the use of his legs. Now he is a drunk but still cares. The case that cost him his legs comes to haunt him and the few people that he hold dear. The crazy guy gets out and is out for revenge, Roach is one one on his list. Very exciting and quite the page turner! Great world building and well developed characters.

[Kathi Defranc · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Man Shunned By Society Turns To Helping All As A Vigilante

The Roach is a feared man in the Iron City, stopping many from committing horrible crimes on others...Until he interrupts a man raping a young lady...As he continues after the man,intent on removing him from earth, a young cop shows up...And when Roach won't stop, he shoots...Roach has a Kevlar suit he made but the bullet enters off an angle and hits his spine...He can't move his legs...
Five years later he Is still alive but in a wheelchair, spending his days drinking and alone...The woman he saved ends up being a politician's daughter, and they told him that the suspect is dead...But, Is He?...
A dark, realistic story of a man who started life unwanted...In foster care as soon as he was born, with no one to ever show him love or kindness...A great read with interesting twists and changes that have you interested from start to finish.

[Lukasz · Rating 4 out of 5]

As a big fan of superhero fiction, I had to give this one a whirl. I love tropes deconstruction and The Roach does it with style and heart. Reese Roberts used to fight crime in Iron City. Unlike Batman or Daredevil, however, he didn’t believe in second chances and eliminated the scum for good. He was deadly efficient. Until a bullet pierced his spine and paralyzed him from the waist down.

Confined to a wheelchair, Reese turned into a wizened drunk and a recluse who wants to die. Then someone breaks into his lair and steals his suit. The copycat fights for justice, but his appearance activates an unhinged killer who has a score to settle with The Roach and others. All because of one feral knight that changed many lives.

I loved almost everything about the story. I listened to the audiobook version and R.C. Bray did a terrific job - he nailed Reese’s voice perfectly, making it bitter and full of rage. He also fits the gloomy setting of an Iron City with its narrow alleyways, tragic stories and continuous rain.

Speaking of Reece - he’s hard to like, but he also shows how capable a disabled person can be. Reese has a secret lair and an armor that allowed him to fight crime without getting too many bruises. But he’s no Bruce Wayne. He’s more like Frank Castle. Brutal and efficient. Willing to kill to make things “right”. Despite this, I cared for the bloke and loved his narration for its intensity. While he hates most people, his relationship with Lauren (a woman he once saved) and her daughter is as complex as it is touching. Then there’s Isaac and his mother who find a way through Reese’s shell.

Above all, The Roach delivers excellent, fast-paced fun for those who prefer their fiction on the darker side. Twists come where they should and all big twists are perfectly timed. Bruno has a knack for writing action and suspense - I couldn’t put the book down (or, rather, stop listening to it).

Read it if you love superheroes, dark fiction, and well-paced crime stories. It’s great.

[Lou Jacobs · Rating 4 out of 5]

BAM! ZING! OOF! .... Rhett Bruno has fashioned an entertaining hybrid novel ... part campy, like the 60s TV series BATMAN with a crime-fighting duo ... and part pulp fiction, like the 30s and 40s creations featuring bigger-than-life heroes, pretty girls and despicable villains. This adventure features the anti-hero, vigilante crime fighter,
"The Roach" who without his armored crime fighting costume, is better known as Reese Roberts. His part could easily be played by Adam West. (Batman) While his "sidekick" Isaac who he has taken "under his wing", could be the re-incarnation of Burt Ward (Robin). "The Roach" was the guardian of Gotham City .... oops ... I meant, Iron City.
He did whatever was necessary to strike fear in the low life criminal scum of the city, who prayed on the weak and unfortunates. Sometime his vigilante methods were controversial. It all came crashing down on him when he was shot in the spine while rescuing the beautiful Laura Garrity, the mayor's daughter. He was left paraplegic and confined to a wheelchair ... and gradually he faded into the realm of mythic legend.
After a long hiatus and unexplained absence, the Roach(?) comes to the aid of two potential victims. And, shortly after the two victims are inexplicably brutally murdered. Reese needs to resurrect the "real" Roach. After being paralyzed he has deteriorated into a pathetic and slovenly drunk , who has recently even considered suicide.
Can the Roach be resurrected again to save the city and other damsels in distress?
Bruno weaves a convoluted tale, filled with intrigue, suspense and dollops of humor and pathos. Aided by populating his narrative with multilayered characters with complicated motives he provides an entertaining read.
Tension escalates into multiple unexpected reveals. Thanks to NetGalley and Aethon Books for providing an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. (at readersremains & mysteryand suspense.com). Publication Date: December 8, 2020 by Aethon Books

[Carol Kean · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gotta love a good antihero! This one has been crippled by a bullet, his career as fearsome vigilante The Roach finished. Villains once feared him. Kids collected Roach action figures. He had a bullet-proof body suit (minus that one spot, that "Achilles heel" that left him open to the paralyzing bullet), a scary-looking gas mask, and a reputation for being as impossible to kill as a creepy cockroach. Now the world believes The Roach, if he existed at all, is officially dead.

But he's alive in his dirty apartment above a 1980s lair that is as not like the Bat Cave, and his wheelchair is not enhanced or anywhere near being an awesome roach-mobile. Reese is cynical and irritable, pretending not to enjoy the attentions of the woman he saved too late: she was raped, and she chose not to abort her rapist's baby. Now she's an accomplished lawyer and daughter of the Mayor of Iron City, but she makes weekly visits to Reese, her now-paraplegic rescuer.

"He’s a shriveled old drunk, living like a hermit and waiting for his life to end. All that’s left to do is wallow in the mistakes that led him here." and then to come out of hiding and fight crime once again - from a wheelchair this time.

The novel opens with Reese planning to roll himself into the river, but a timely cry for help keeps him going a while longer. This time, he gets no gratitude from the victim of two bullies. Gotta love the description of the chubby sidekick: he "looked like a little Hostess Cupcake ready to get the cream squeezed out of him."

The bullied kid, Isaac, keeps coming back to haunt the old guy in the wheelchair. And Reese (who isn't all that old) finds ways to take advantage without really exploiting the kid. Isaac needs to learn how to handle bullies, and nobody learned that lesson better than Reese, who was raised in a foster home.

Corruption, lies, abuse of power, more lies, betrayals - all the expected thrills of the thriller genre lurk in the shadows, waiting for Reese to expose them. One of the biggest exposes will come at the end, along with a vivid reminder to us all that foster homes, set up to be safe havens for children in peril, all too often imperil the children in the "care" of abusive, sick, evil criminals. If you follow the news, you might have seen that a large number of sex trafficking victims are recruited out of foster care. If you read John L. Monk, you'll get an eyeful of awful stories about kids in foster homes. (And lots of redeeming moments as well.)

The PTSD, the sordid memories, the many life events that haunt Reese, are illustrated here with stunning clarity and high impact. In real life, orphans and victims of child abuse don't become comic book superheroes. Reese may vanquish evil as The Roach, but he pays a real-life price for playing judge and executioner. Reese has a conscience. It may not stop him from doing what he does, but he does feel enough remorse to try rolling himself into a river in chapter one.

Never a dull moment in this novel, and hardly ever a bright moment, either. The ending caught me by surprise. Really? Really?? There must be sequels. If you read for escapism and a place where good triumphs over evil, you might find this book to be more frustrating and heartbreaking than you can handle. If this is not Book One of a series, I'm officially depressed.

But I'm also impressed. Rhett Bruno can spin an antihero you'll hate yourself for liking. Go Reese! GO ROACH! (Yes. I'm looking for Book Two, and what the future might hold for a 21st Century Reese-as-The-Roach!)


NOTE: Thank you for the ARC, NetGalley, Aethon Books, and Rhett Bruno!

[Philina · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a wonderful read! (Very) dark, gritty, brutal and absolutely fast-paced.

I have no personal experience with comics, only with watching a lot of superhero movies/series. I personally love Daredevil and see a few parallels in The Roach (maybe also one or two allusions to it in the text?, „Murdock Park“ and the „Night Nurse“?). Both stories are on the dark and brutal side of things. Both ask the question of what is justice, what is revenge, is there a fine line in-between, if and to what extent collateral is permissible and leave it open to the watcher/reader to reflect and make-up their minds themselves. The Roach most certainly is no clean, white knight kind of superhero, but I wouldn't call him anti-hero either. Yes, he does have an alcohol problem and a cutting tongue, but he has got a good heart and qualities like courage, empathy, etc. As Daredevil, he struggles with the question if what he does is morally correct.

I very much liked the "roundness" of beginning and end happening in the same place. I also enjoyed the "visual" writing style. The author has a way of describing action that I can perfectly picture a movie or a comic version in colorful pictures.

Lastly, I liked the "politicalness" of this story.

„I've said it plenty, but nothing seems to change no matter who’s in charge. [...] One thing improves, something else takes a dive.“

As you can see, the Roach is highly cynical, but this statement clearly provides food for thought.

In a nutshell, I loved it and I would recommend it to everybody who is not afraid of darkness and brutality.

I received an advance review copy from BookSirens for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Ola G · Rating 2 out of 5]

4/10 stars

First things first: I kindly thank the author for sending me the copy for review. It's clearly a work of passion and long-lasting, maturing love for vigilantes and superheroes; heck, it reads like a love letter to a Batman and Rorschach's hypothetical child.

It's just not a book for me.

I was very close to DNFing the whole affair several times over, from the very first chapters. The protagonist is an immature, vengeful, angry and traumatized teenager locked in the body of a aging, disabled man. And as it's written in the first person perspective, the effort of reading the unending stream of bile and hatred interspersed with violent fantasies and really unimaginative name-calling is really quite exhausting. I imagine this was the author's intent - to show the moral ambiguity of vigilantism, the cost of wilful taking of life, on both sides of law or morality; to show that vigilantes are not that different from the villains with whom they fight, that choosing a side in the conflict is secondary to being in the conflict. In that, Bruno certainly succeeded - maybe even a bit too much, as the overarching concept dominates the story and the admittedly one-dimensional characters. There's very little character development and it is limited only to the epilogue, which at least for me was a case of "too little, too late."

The whole crime scenery, from gangs to crazy killers to pathetic donut-eating cops and corrupt, uncaring elites seems lifted straight - and totally seriously - from Batman comics; in fact, the descriptions of even the most gruesome mutilations have something of an average DC comic book unreality about them. The main character is in fact what I imagine the author considered a more realistic version of Batman, without his fairy-tale wealth and Alfred's patient guidance, broken by his enemy in the past and never fully recovered, embittered and devoted to the easier option of killing rather than apprehending whomever he deems evil. He's not the sharpest knife in the drawer, addicted to alcohol and wallowing in self-pity, living in the past, feeling no longer needed and angry at everything and everyone, starting with himself. When that past comes back to haunt him and those that he still feels a connection to, he embarks on his last quest, a hissing swan song of the infamous Roach. The story is predictable, filled with gore and unending deprecating remarks directed at everyone and everything - and that particular affectation lost its allure pretty quickly and became tiring.

To be fair, for the first 95% of the book I was going to give it one star and get it over with. But the last pages redeem this bleak rant of a story somewhat, giving it a more nuanced outlook. It's an acquired taste, certainly, but I'm sure that The Roach will find its devoted fans.

I have received a copy of this novel from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks.

[Brittany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a retelling of a short story from years ago.
The following is part of my review of that original short story plus my thoughts of the new one.

“The Roach” original is one of the very best short stories I’ve ever read.
My father introduced it to me a long long time ago.
He loved it. It said something to him down deep.
I’m his daughter and I love the short story too.
I see what my Dad saw.

My father constantly harassed the author, the superb “Rhett Bruno”, to write a new, full story. To bring back the roach.

And Mr. Bruno finally did, much to my pleasure and excitement.

The original short story was written way back before my father fell critically ill.
Now he won’t get to see this new book, but I’ll still try and read it to him. He deserves it.
He’s no longer mentally capable to read it for himself.

My father’s story is sad and the short story, as well as the newer version, is sad, heartbreaking, but then again heartwarming, hopeful.

It’s the realism that makes it so excellent to me as it was back when my father first read it to me.
It shows us the dirty side of life that most of us never see, but also the good in some people too.

Just like the original short, this new version is much the same in its excellence and is about a modern superhero vigilante way past his prime or maybe he’s really just a criminal.
Fair or unfair?
Figuring that out is up to you.

This new book titled just “The Roach” instead of the older short story titled “The Roach Rises” is everything I’d hoped it would be.

It’s got all the depth and detail of the first story but expands it in an awesome new direction.

This book is not to be missed.
Sure, it’s fiction, but it tells and shows the seedy underside of the human condition.
There are countless cities just like this one with real people instead of fictional characters, but they’re all one in the same.

Mr Bruno is an excellent author who knows how to give his stories, especially this one, enough realism to make you wonder how some people, a lot of people, can do things to others in such a cruel and guiltless way.
It’s what serial killers, rapists and murderers are made of. No conscience at all. Brains wired all wrong.

This is simply an excellent story.
In a way, it’s a fun read, but it’s also a wicked and horrible look into places most decent people either don’t know about or don’t want to confess knowing about. Turn the other cheek, it’s easier.

I loved this new book. I hope you do too.

Please read it and review it.
Just like the first story, this new one deserves your praise or your displeasure.
You get to choose.

Thank you,
The McDonald’s

[Todd Oliver · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wanted to start this year's listening with a great book. I'm off to a late start because of being sick with COVID. Of all the books I could have picked, I chose one called The Roach! I'm already familiar with the author from his Children of Titan series, and I'm very familiar with the narrator! Bray is one of the best! I don't think I could have picked a better book to start my year with! If you're a fan of Batman or any other vigilante comic character, you'll love The Roach! This isn't a story of his glory days taking down the bad guys. It's after all that.

Reese Roberts is now old and paralyzed from the waist down from after being shot. The story does tell quite a bit about his past and about why he chose this life. After he thought this life was behind him, a copycat breaks into his home and steals his suit causing a new murderer to come out, leaving messages for The Roach. Reese Roberts now had to track down the copycat and the killer!

I have to commend the author. It isn't often that an audiobook can make me tear up, but this one certainly had me wiping my eyes at the end.

[Ziggy Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 rock solid stars, with thanks again to the author for the ARC provided free-of-charge in exchange for an honest review here and on amazon pending release.

"The Roach"is as well-written and exciting of any of Rhett C. Bruno's amazing selection of books but it is a dark and quite frankly depressing look at our society. This offer makes anything labelled 'noir' read like a teenage romance novel dipped in pink lacquer and covered in glitter.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book despite it not doing much to lift me out of the gloom that is the year 2020. It had a bit of a slow start (I wish I hadn't known it was once a short story because I kept thinking 'oh here's where it got extended) but in usual RCB fashion, it raced (literally) to a jaw-dropping, edge-of-your-seat finish helped along the way with some plot twists I never saw coming. It's still the same "far above average writing and story-telling that's just getting better all the time" brand of Rhett C. Bruno book that I've come to admire so much over the past months - I would never have met my yearly target without his books - but holy cowbells dude. I am literally dizzy just thinking about what the hell happened here.

If you haven't picked up on it yet, I'll say it again: this is a brutal book. Like, "I'm just going to sit in the corner for a few days now and just not think about anything" brutal. I mean, I really enjoy the 'superhero' genre, but this is akin to seeing what's up with The Dark Knight after a 5-year drunken binge and he's lost all his money, his 'stuff', his legs and everything else ... and oh by the way he killed a bunch of folks including his parents because really they were a-holes, um, brutal. Forget all the DC comics fluff I watched earlier today on Toonami, even the future grumpy version of Bats doesn't compare to this guy. Like The Joker wouldn't be considered that fudged up at all in comparison. Just stay out of the Roach's way and see who lives and who dies in the process. Because it's only going to get uglier and after a while you'll believe the sewers are a better place to be than with him when he's in a bad mood!

Sure, I saw - or maybe I projected - some of Cassius Vale of 'The Circuit' series and Malcolm Graves of 'The Children of Titan' fame in our protagonist. They all have that gruff, unshaven sense of "justice" at the end of the day, even if its splattered all over their boots after being applied to some deserving "soul". And those were amazing SERIES that had us seeing the best to the worst of each of these anti-heroes as well as those around them and, well, the Universe, too. But damn, Reese Roberts is all kinds of messed up. And "Damn, The Return of Damn", this book makes way too much sense being placed squarely here in a version of OUR world in OUR time (more or less). I'll never view politics the same way again and I'm already skeptical enough as it is in that department!

But you know, being so totally screwed up may be Reese's most redeeming quality in many ways. No, I never found him sympathetic per se but he had "reasons". Even if I didn't wind up forgiving him at least I can admit I felt where he was coming from. The 'epilogue' softens this up a tad as we fade to black, but wowzers. So yeah, Bruno once again has written a book I really enjoyed even though this one left some scars along the way and not just because of what happens to literally every major player.

I really don't want to say more than that because ANY hints or spoilers would just ruin far too much and every reader should have the chance for the gut punches (and stabs and shots) that happen. But yeah, you're going to get brutality, abuse, murder, blood, guts, brains and more... and not a damn zombie in sight to blame! Trust me, you're going to want to read this one yourself true believers! And none of that breaking the 4th wall crap along the way to get you through it unscathed!

So yeah, maybe along the way you'll question your own youthful sense of hero worship you've had since you first picked up a Fantastic Four or Spider-Man book because this is just oh so very very real. Justice is just a word anyway. At the end of the day, it's anyway about who wins the give and take game.

[Robin Price · Rating 5 out of 5]

Iron City is looking for a new identity. Once part of America's industrialized north-west it is now in the rust belt and a dangerous place to live.
Five years ago a bullet to the spine put the Roach in a wheelchair. He was once a vigilante cleaning up the mean streets of Iron City. Now he is little more than an urban legend but his arch nemesis still wants him dead.
Weirdness abounds in a stunning evocation of street justice gone wrong. This is an alternative America, set in a hazy 1980s, but all too relevant in a post-Trump superpower brought to its knees by a pandemic.
Violently haunting. A novel with many layers.

[Lizp · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this gritty and gripping read.

Reese the Roach has been incapacitated by a bullet. He was a renowned vigilante, feared by so many. People believe he’s dead. But he's alive in his filthy apartment, ensconced in his wheelchair thinking of a woman whom he saved who is now a lawyer.

He emerges from hiding and fights crime in his wheelchair, Ironside style.
He’s haunted by a bullied boy, Isaac, who needs to learn how to deal with bullies.

Corruption, lies, abuse of power, etc are all revealed by Reese the Roach, who suffers from and battles PTSD. He exposes the perils and evils of foster homes, often manned by the sick, abusive, and evil. In the opening chapter he intends to roll himself into the river but is stopped by a cry for help..

This is a fast paced, dark, often depressing, well written book. It has an interesting ending. I recommend it to others.

Thank you to Booksirens and the publisher for the ARC.

[E. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was better than I thought it would be.
Dark, Gotham-esque, but not fantastical at all. Very real and human.
Even though the Roach had already made a mark on Iron City, it seemed to be a “beginning” story, or maybe a “re-beginning”, so hopefully there are more to come.

[Rhonda · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars: 5/5 Star Rating

Well, this is definitely a different sort of book than I usually read. I was surprised by many things happening in this one! This is a story of a vigilante and a sort of whodunit as well. The Roach, the vigilante gone stale and now paralyzed and living as a hermit and alcoholic, has a copycat. He now seeks to catch the copycat before more innocent people are killed and his name and legend are sullied.

This book does have some strong language in it. The story was quite engaging and definitely kept me on my toes at every turn.

I received a digital ARC of this book from netgalley and Aethon Books. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Troy Osgood · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. What a great book. Dark, hopeful. And the ending...

Everyone needs to read this.

[Zeljka · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are not many books with protagonists in wheelchairs. At least I've never read the one before. That's why the blurb for this one intrigued me. I applied for reading it through BookSirens. Thanks to the publisher, I received the copy and read it.

I wondered if the author would do justice to the disabled people basically invisible in this shallow world thriving on appearances. And he did. There are so many things we take for granted. I like that this book manages successfully to raise our awareness of these issues, but it is not being repetitive, saying the same things all over. The author did proper research. Our character hated his new way of life, but he adapted, and there was no room in his thoughts for playing helpless victims even though he actually was one.

At first it was difficult to like the main character, especially as the story was told in the first-person perspective, because there was so much negativity and venom coming from his thoughts. Our Roach was basically a hero impossible to like and the reason why vigilantism is NOT a good thing to root for, and I had to be extra patient for his rudeness and pessimism. However as the story picked the pace, the character morphed into something so much more than a brooding antihero. He failed to see what the other people saw in him, that he was equally lucid as before, and enough smart to apply the whole new set of skills to spite his disability. He failed to see what the other people saw too, that his vigilantism was not without its faults. He failed to see himself truly. The book was an amazing character study in that aspect.

I wish also that the other characters in the story were also more intriguing. They were either good or evil, not much in between, and their motivations were murky. Considering the story was told from the point of the view of the unreliable narrator, this actually makes sense.

The plot and the denouement were both thrilling and realistic, worth making into a comic movie (or a graphic novel) with the twist (or two). At first I thought this book would be just another bleak and depressing look of our world, however it turned out to be so much more.

[Ivy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t want to put this book down. I love superheroes, but I’m not a big fan of comic books because I end up skipping through the pictures to read the words. For years I’ve been wanting a novel version of the superheroes I loved and this novel filled that need. This is a new vigilante but he fits right in with the heroes you’re used to. Think Batman or Daredevil. This novel read like a dark, gritty superhero movie but better. It was interesting to read all of Reese’s thoughts behind his actions. That’s something you don’t always get in normal superhero stories. Everything was very well described from each movement to each injury. This novel was also very thought-provoking in its mention of the interworkings of cities, politics, and corrupt systems. The only complaint I can think of is the ending, and that’s just because I personally wanted it to be different. But it definitely ended how it should have so I can’t really complain.

I received a copy of this ARC from BookSirens in exchange for my honest review.

[Raymond · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars rounded up because the protagonist is so different than you'd expect in many ways. He is a former vigilante called The Roach but is now confined to a wheelchair and deep in alcoholic despair. There is one kind soul who keeps him going and she gives you some hope for the Roach's future.

I was completely unable to guess where the story was heading right from the first chapter. There were a few twists that took me by surprise but they made sense.

One negative is that there are too many typos. I expect at least one or two in every novel, but this one probably had at least six.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Readers Together · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fun book to listen to. RC Bray brought the characters to life perfectly. The Roach was the perfect antihero. His story is one that will make people consider their moral compass. When is killing okay? Factor in the brilliant way the story progresses and the intrigue of who and why. Then, there is the fact that the ‘hero’ of the story is dependant on a wheelchair and it throws a whole new light on what people are ‘able’ to do. It was so good to see representation that we don’t usually see, especially in thriller stories.

[James Tracy Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Roach

Not what I quite expected but it was definitely worth the read! A washed up vigilante style "hero" must fight his own demons and disability to save those he cares about. Gritty and coarse, the story follows The Roach, as he is thrown back into the action and its a one, two punch to the stomach with each turn of the page.

[Jas · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Roach is the story of a Vigilante of the same name, that operates in a fictional city called ‘Iron City’, part of the Rust Belt that is in the United States and runs from New York through multiple states and ends in Wisconsin. It gained notoriety in the 1980s, which is when this story is set.
Iron City is like a lot of places, which its rich parts, that are always taken care of by the Local Governments, and then, the poorer, run down parts, where the lower socio-economic population live, as well as the Crime Gangs, the Druggies, and in this case, The Roach.
This is a really fascinating story, and whilst it is in the genre of Sci-Fi as it kind of fits into the ‘Superhero’ story genre, the story itself actually is actually more of a Psychological Thriller, with elements of Mystery, Crime, and a little bit of Horror.
Bruno has written a gritty, and powerful story, of what happens to a ‘Superhero’, when they lose their superpowers.
Without giving too much away, this is what has happened to The Roach – for even though he was just a ‘Man’, he was shot in the spine one night, rescuing a young woman who was being viciously raped, and this has left him totally paralysed from the waist down, unable to use his legs or anything else. As such, The Roach is unable to be the Vigilante he used to be.
Now, he is just Reese Roberts, an irritable, foul mouthed, alcoholic, trapped in his wheel chair, and unable to act upon those that he sees tearing his city apart.
The story moves back and forth, telling parts of The Roach’s history, various things that have happened in his past, as well as aspects of Reese Robert’s past, and of course, there is the current story now, set about 5yrs after the incident that fateful night.
There was an interesting chain of events that occurred that fateful night, for the girl that was raped, not only fell pregnant, but she was also the daughter of Iron City’s Mayor.
As a result, 5yrs later, she has a little girl whom she loves dearly, and, for saving her life, and coming to her aid, Laura, the woman, tries to look after Reese, even though he would rather just drink himself to death. The Mayor would certainly rather he did. The only person who came out of it happy, was the young Police Officer, who, for bringing down the man who raped the Mayor’s daughter, and saving her, quickly rose through the ranks of the Police, under the eyes of the Mayor of course, Nepotism and Corruption are a wonderful thing.
So 5yrs later, when someone emerges pretending to be The Roach again, and taking credit for cleaning up a couple of crimes, which then leads to multiple gruesome murders, Reese has to put aside his misery, and become what he has not been able to for so long, Iron City’s Guardian, the real Roach.
And thus begins a rather frantic race against time to try and hunt down this killer, before he kills again, and again, or kills someone Reese knows and cares about.
It is a really interesting story in one way, in that being a huge fan of Batman, I found myself comparing the two stories, two ordinary men as such, putting on a costume, and becoming brutal, rather bloodthirsty vigilantes based on the tragedies that were their childhoods. I won’t go into too much detail or comparison, as it will give too much away, but it would make for a really fun book report (you know, apart from the fact that the parents or teachers might have an aneurism over the subject matter and the adult content of the story “Hey Mum, I got a book report on Comparing Vigilantes who beat up criminals who rob and rape people – awesome hey!!” Maybe I’ll do the book report?)
But the comparisons are really fascinating at a psychological level, and it would make for a very interesting discussion.
It again, just goes to show how intricate and complex Bruno’s story and Character is.
Bruno long ago established himself as a master in character driven story telling with his other series such as the Buried Goddess Saga, and the Children of Titan, but this takes him to a whole new level, and shows just how clever he really is, and how brilliant an Author he is. The Character of Roberts/The Roach, is such a stunning look into the mind of a man who is a damaged, psychopathic killer, but at the same time, he has such a strong sense of justice, and such a strong moralistic code, that he controls this psychopathic element, only unleashing it on those that he believes that are truly unworthy of living for their crimes against other people. The Character is so beautifully written, and I really don’t want to give too much away, but he is one of the most powerful characters I have read in a very long time, and the intricate detail that Bruno goes into with his thought processes are truly fascinating. It is so unusual to get to read about what runs through the mind of a character such as this, because mostly, we only get to read about their actions from the point of view of another party, not from the First Person point of view. It has made for an exceptionally thrilling story, and one that you just won’t be able to put down. I will give him one thing though, he does have a wicked sense of humour.
There are numerous other Characters in this story, Laura as I have mentioned, but there is are multiple others. I am not going to mention them individually, as I do not want to give away any spoilers, you will find out about all these characters as you read the story. I just wanted to say, that each of the Characters in this story, are extraordinary, it is not often that you come across a book that has a Main Character that is one of the best Characters you have ever read, but then you have this entire supporting cast that are just as sensational, and it is totally mind blowing.
It would be very difficult to make this into a movie, as the quality of actors they would need to play these parts would be spectacular.
The other thing that Bruno has down really well, is the handling of Bruno’s disability, and use of his wheelchair. Having a chronic back injury myself, and at times, having been restricted to a wheelchair due to nerve damage in my legs and being unable to walk, (although I must state, that I cannot fully empathise with what it must be like to be fully paralysed from the waste down, I have that to look forward to in the years to come – but I just wanted to point out my empathy to anyone in that situation), I can say that Bruno did a spectacular job of describing just how difficult it is to get around in a chair, and how sore your hands and arms feel. Even, after being so active (I was a Police Officer for 11yrs, who used to run every 2nd day), who utterly despondent it can make you feel. But again, Bruno’s writing is just masterful, he has obviously done a lot of research to make sure that he can make this as realistic as possible.
And that realism has also extended to all aspects of his world-building, there is so much incredible detail in every aspect of this book, from his descriptions of the city, to even just the streets, they are done so well, you feel like you are in one of the filthy back alleys, you can smell it, he describes it with so much depth, you can almost taste it. You can feel The Roaches pain, see his hideout, and smell the bleach in the stark white hospitals. This is a brutally in-depth story, and it is so well done.
I will give a warning for anyone that has a history of violence, there is a lot of very graphic violence in this book, including some rape scenes, and given who intense, just who real these are represented and portrayed by Bruno’s incredibly skilled writing, it may upset some readers.
For most though, you are in for a truly incredible experience that you will not forget, and one, that days later, weeks later, you are going to be thinking about just how thrilling, inspired and just how authentic this story was.
This will be one of those books that wins awards for2021, as it is easily going to be one of the best books written for 2021. If you love a good Psychological Thriller, Superhero Story, if you have ever loved Batman, or just like a good Vigilante story, or just like a really great story full stop – read this, you won’t be disappointed. (Or better yet, listen to it, R.C. Bray was incredible)

[Susan Walt · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have received this book as an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review, through BookSirens.

Author Rhett C Bruno has been nominated for the USA Today & Washington Post Bestselling & Nebula award for multiple books. He currently writes full time and lives in Connecticut with his wife and dog Raven.

The Roach. A very unlikely name for a vigilante, fighting against crime in the City of Iron. That is until he gets shot and is rendered a paraplegic.

Since this happened while rescuing the governor’s daughter, Laura Garrity, from a rapist, he is provided indemnity and continues living his life as Reese Roberts.

He turns to alcohol to escape his meaningless life, leading him to the end of the pier, where he plans to commit suicide by drowning. But hearing sounds of distress, ever the vigilante, he just had to come to the aid of a boy being bullied by his peers. This leads to the start of a very unlikely friendship between Reese and Isaac.

Despite his protests, Laura stops by regularly to check on him, bringing with her little Michelle, conceived during the rape.

Reporter Chuck Barnes, always suspected Reese to be the Roach, showed up once again on Reese’s doorstep asking more questions about the Roach. During this conversation, the parents of the boys that bullied Isaac also shows up with the police. When Laura talks to the police, Michelle slips away after her ball bouncing in the street.

When Reece sees a truck coming her way, he rolled after her, grabbed her and threw her out of the way before being hit by the truck. He ends up in hospital in a coma for over a month.
Back at home again he discovers that someone broke in and discover his “Roach Liar” and stole his Roach costume. Shortly after sightings of the Roach started. Reese feels angry and violated and set out to find the thief.

Then two people saved by the resurrected “Roach” are brutally murdered. This puts Reece in a race against time to find the murderer before the last person saved is also killed. During his investigation (with the help of Isaac), he discovers that Laura’s rapist (Vinny Statman) was not dead as he thought but was sent to a mental institution. Knowing the identity of the killer, Reese knows that he will go after the governor and Laura, and rushes to their aid at a function they are attending.

Reese confronts Vinny at the function, Vinny grabs and take off with Michelle, and a high-speed chase ensues, with Laura behind the wheel. Will she be able to rescue her little girl from this monster?

What I love
The main character is a man with a troubled past, choosing to rid his city of criminals. Rough about the edges, and despite becoming a paraplegic, he still tries to do the right thing against all odds. Regardless of how many times he gets hurt, he just keeps going.
We share his thoughts and feelings, and with him remember his past, giving us insight into why he became the man he is.
Iron City looks be a somber and depressing place – clearly depicted through the descriptions in the book. A fitting home for a Roach.

What I did not love
Considering that he has been wheelchair-bound for five years, I find some of the scenes unbelievable. Even though Reese might have retained some fighting skills through muscle memory, his muscles are weakened through many years of inactivity. Although it could be put down to pure grit and determination.

Overall Assessment
The Roach is a gritty novel of a man fighting for justice. Even though his methods might be questionable, in his heart he is just trying to do the right thing and create a safer city.
The author portrays an unlikeable hero, but the reader starts to emphasize with him through memories of his troubled childhood.

Bottom line
I am not sure why, but I battled to get into the book in the beginning. I did find the book to be quite somber due to Reese’s depression and the city where he lives. Since Reese is a paraplegic, action scenes require much more descriptions of his actions, which slows the pace of the novel. But the plot is realistic and leads to a logical conclusion.

I do not recommend this book for people with an aversion to profanity, even though the language used is true to the character of the Roach. But this book will be enjoyed by readers who like Dark Thrillers, Murder Mysteries, and books about Vigilante Justice.

Trigger Warnings: Profanity, Violence, Rape, and Abuse.

[Tory Thai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fantastic writing, characterizations, plot and world building.

In all honesty though, i still didn't like it and was eager to be done with this despite the quality really being superb.

I just didn't relate well to the main character who was consistently flawed and a downer for good reasons. I found him to be depressing and sorta difficult to like. I really enjoyed how rich his character was though and he truly felt like a living breathing human with real problems that led him to be this way. He was a tragically flawed protagonist that gave that classic noir fiction vibes.

It was fantastic character building to make this character so unlikable to me that it sometimes made me uncomfortable.

One aspect I did like though is how amazing he managed to be and the respectful representation of someone in a wheelchair being just as valid, useful and a hero as anybody else could be.

The sometimes gruesome mystery, conflicts and action that would go on throughout the plot was what really kept me engaged. I found the whole thing just was drenched in gritty, bleak and rich that I sometimes pictured everything in my head like it was a stylish black and white movie or stylized thick black lines comic. I found the story telling to be very well done, good pacing and a gripping narrative kept me wanting to see what happens next despite the tone consistently making me uncomfortable. The choice of a main character really enriched that dark story telling with him overall depressing but caring demeneor.

It was very obvious this was a noir fiction story telling throughout the plot with the gritty use of violence, plainly shown corrosive use of money, sex, right/wrong being morally grey with our vigilante, corrupt police/legal/politics, self destructive behavior. Etc. Honestly you can just look up a noir fiction definition and this book had everything in it.

The world building was great too, it was easy to identify the major player side characters, what they stood for, who they are and how they are contributing to the narrative and city. I really found it all easy to relate to and the descriptive writing style again made it easy to picture.

I just never could shake my dislike for the tone of the book and it's overall presentation making me so uncomfortable. I think sometimes it was a bit overloaded for my taste with this dark atmosphere. That in no way is a bad thing though as it was clearly intentional and presented well with the themes and tone but my personal preferences just cause me to never really like what was going on because it caused me to be uneasy a bit too often. I definitely will be recommending this though still to other people who I find might like this noir mystery.

[C.T. Phipps · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

THE ROACH by Rhett C. Bruno is a deconstructionalist superhero tale in the vein of Watchmen. One of the things that Alan Moore suggested in said work as, and this is a shocking idea, that people who decide to beat up criminals in a costume are probably not mentally sound. The Roach is something of a combination of Batman, the Punisher, and Rorshach with more of the latter than the former.

Reese Roberts is no longer the Roach, though, because he's been crippled in the line of duty. A gunshot injury has left him confined to a wheelchair and with nothing but regret as well as simmering anger to keep him going. He has a single friend in the young woman he saved from her rapist and almost no one else. Reese is suicidal because of his status but he wasn't in a healthy mental place to begin with and the fact he's considered a serial killer isn't something that's easy to argue against.

This isn't a happy story. This ostensibly takes place in the "real world" or something significantly more grounded than your average comic book world. There's no magical therapy or cure for Reese's condition and he's never going to get out of the chair. He also is a thoroughly detestable person if you don't have values that believe all criminals are pure evil and deserve to die. However, it's never BORING to be inside Reese Roberts' mind and that is the best thing to say about any book.

The plotline is about all of the Roach's sins coming back to haunt him and dealing with the final mission that got him crippled. I felt there were perhaps a few too many coincidences but compared to your average comic book, it's the height of plausibility. We also have a lot of memorable characters as the Roach touches multiple lives for both good and bad.

As a writer of superhero fiction myself, it's a rare story that I would say is a "hard R-rated noir detective thriller" but this certainly qualifies. It touches many ugly places and the protagonist is not someone that the author hesitates to make unlikable. He is an awful person and quite possibly ill but he's also very charismatic as well as someone that I wanted to know the next move of.

Rhett C. Bruno has an extremely engaging style that sucks you right in and I totally believed in his fictional city of Iron Heights. I will state that readers should be warned this book contains such triggering subjects as suicide, rape (offscreen), child abuse, and graphic violence. It is definitely grimdark as all get out.

[Derrick Smythe · Rating 5 out of 5]

For a super hero story about a super hero who has no super powers and a diminished ability to utilize handy gadgets like batman, you'd think there would be little that 'The Roach' could actually do. You'd think this would be a slow, depressing drag of a story. And I think these false assumptions are actually part of what makes this story so engaging. This story digs into the fascinating dark psyche of a broken man whose moral compass one might not always agree with, but is rationalized through the use of a heartbreaking backstory that slowly paints the full picture of how he came to be. The more you learn, the more you root for the guy! Plus, he's surrounded by others who are truly innocent so you find yourself worrying about collateral damage while you hope and pray that the dirt bags get what they have coming! I quickly grew emotionally invested in several characters, hanging on the edge of my seat as I listened to find out whether or not they would survive. That's just good story telling. It's also worth noting that the setting is wholly unique even while utilizing the familiar tones of Gotham, Hells Kitchen, etc. This allows Bruno to not only borrow the run-down trope of rust-belt urban decay, but to add to and make it his very own. Lastly, R.C. Bray does an amazing job becoming 'The Roach'. Having since learned that this story was written with his narration specifically in mind makes complete sense. I could almost believe that Bray actually spends his free time ridding the streets of sexual predators every here and there, but I know he's too busy voicing other amazing stories to swing it. Best thing I've listened to in quite some time, especially noting that I rarely stray from epic fantasy.

[VT Dorchester · Rating 3 out of 5]

A relatively dark superhero-redemption tale that suffered a bit from the occasional typo, and I occasionally found myself a little confused by some of the action and plot. I think there may have been the odd 'continuity error' that could have been cleaned up if the book had been granted another editorial pass.

I also couldn't decide if the 'Iron City' of the book setting was meant to be Pittsburgh, New York or Detroit - If I had to bet I'd bet on Detroit. Not that it really matters.

While much of the book has a cynical outlook, the final chapter is an unexpected surprise in it's optimism, the epilogue seemed entirely unnecessary.

There were times when I felt that there was a humour to the story that I simply wasn't accessing - perhaps I needed to have a greater familiarity with superhero stories to fully appreciate this one.

This hero felt inventive and different to me, at least as a relative novice in the 'superhero' genre.

It took me about six hours or so to read in total but because I wasn't fully 'grabbed' by this tale those six hours stretched out over two days, as I would put the e-book reader down and wander off for awhile before returning to this story.

It didn't fully grab me but it kept me coming back. There was a twist I didn't see coming, and there were a couple I sort of guessed at.

I sensed that the author was toying with the idea of adding onto this book into a series. I would wish them well with that, although I probably wouldn't be interested in reading more of any such series myself.

I received an advance review copy for free from BookSirens.com, and this is my honest review.

[Opal Edgar · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Roach by Rhett C Bruno is an unusually grumpy novel from the point of view of a forcefully retired vigilante. Reese, the very much anti-hero main character reminded me of that Grumpy old man show where what they do the whole time is complaining about human nature, how horrible it all is… and at the same time there is humour in his lines and he can’t help but hope against all odds that he is wrong about people.
Admittedly, he has a terrible life, had a terrible life and has nothing to look forward to. This doesn’t make it easy to look on the bright side of things. The only brightness is Laura, the last woman he saved, keeps coming back to look after him, and the one he got shot in the spine for saving. But being stripped from his vigilante role because he is not physically capable of standing anymore leaves him with nothing. Being a roach was his very identity. Except of course things don’t stay still. And life still has a lot of things it still wants him to sacrifice so as to keep the people around him safe.
This is not the typical superhero book, this isn’t even the typical overcoming difficulties book either, this is something else. I wouldn’t call it fun - just like Sin City is not fun. But if you want some dark humour, some disillusioning and reillusioning (yes I made up that word), this is the book for you.
Reese has attitude, is very grouchy, is un-killable, has dark thoughts swirling in his head all the time, is probably crazy, but he is so full of good intentions at the bottom of it all.

[Monique · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I wanted to love this novel I just couldn’t. I loved the idea but the MC ruined it for me.

The novel follows Reese Roberts, a superhero/vigilante living in Iron City. His glory days are behind until an old nemesis comes to haunt his life.

The world building was good, very bleak though. The city slowly succumbing to poverty, vacancy and general hopelessness was the perfect backdrop for this novel. I really enjoyed how Bruno touched on how job losses and lack of new jobs leads to poverty which leads to crime. And that crime can be reduced naturally by giving citizens a new future to look forward too (aka meaningful work to support themselves).

The plot was good but I found the middle bogged down a bit. I loved how Bruno contemplated how vigilantes and superheroes can easily be interchangeable as they both cause untold destruction, death and misery. This was my favorite part of the novel as it makes you question superheroes (I was initially reminded of Marvel movies) where the superheroes can do no wrong.

The characters were the weakest portion of the novel. Reese got super annoying really fast. He was a whinny, alcoholic who was stuck in the past. For five years he hosted a pity-party and refused to leave, and I hate those type of people. It felt like that was his only trait.

The ending of the novel was the best part. Reese had finally grown into three-dimensional character who had taken responsibility for his life and owned up to his mistakes.

Thank you to NetGalley and Aethon Books for this ARC.

[Beverly Laude · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great book! From the very beginning, when you meet a former vigilante now confined to a wheelchair, the author draws you in to the story of Reese Roberts. At one time, he was a vigilante, cleaning up Iron City while going by the moniker of The Roach. Even the name is a great description of what he did!

After five years in a wheelchair, Reese decides that his life isn't worth living and he has decided to jump into the river. However, at that exact moment, his instincts kick in when he hears a scream. Once a Superhero, always a superhero, right?

This is a very dark book with a dark story, full of despair, violence, and emotion. But, there is also hope and love sprinkled throughout. At times I was reminded of Batman, but The Roach is so much more. Even though Reese is a very violent man with a violent past, I found myself feeling extreme empathy for him and his life. Mr. Bruno has created a character that will haunt me for a long time and I can definitely see myself listening to this book again and again.

And, R.C. Bray IS the Roach. I can't imagine anyone else narrating this book or this character. Even though he has a very deep, gruff voice, he is still able to voice the female characters without making me cringe. Anytime I see Mr. Bray's name as the narrator, I know I'm in for a great listen!

I was given the chance to listen to this audiobook by the author/narrator/publisher and chose to review it.

[Ben · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something different from Rhett Bruno who usually writes in the sci-if genre.
An absorbing story about a self- proclaimed vigilante who sets out to free Iron City of those who prey on the poor and defenseless who live where the police often fear to go. The book is set sometime in the early 1960’s it appears form the descriptions of some current events, which gives it a bit of retro feel.
The novel is about The Roach, so called because the costume he wears, a black leather topped by a gas mask gives him the appearance of a insect. On one of his nightly trips, he hears a woman screaming. He finds her in a alley being violated. The Roach drops the guy with punch, grabs the knife from his hand and is about to kill him, when a rookie cop shows up, misreads the scene and shoots the Roach.
His spine is severed; he is crippled for life. But his crime fighting days are not over, and the rest of the story is about his coping, darkly and dangerously. At times he seems to have a death wish. Seems to despise himself , not for what crimes he committed but not being able to do more.
Well written, great character development, great wold building.
Notes: violence, rough language, and many dark scenes.