STEPHEN SOLOMITA - THE STRIVER

Synopsis/blurb….

A young and ambitious New York gangster; two dedicated New York detectives. The city just isn't big enough for them all . . .

Teddy Winuk has it all going on. He's young, ambitious, dedicated, ruthless and blessed with enough energy to fuel a crew twice the size of the one he's assembled. Teddy has a game plan, too, a marketing strategy worthy of the financier he once aspired to be. New York City is home to more than three million immigrants from all over the world. Naturally, a small percentage is in need of the drugs and the loans he's prepared to supply. All he needs to do is reach out to them through a network of junior partners drawn from those very communities.

Yes, Teddy Winuk is on his way up, yet like all entrepreneurs, there are hurdles to overcome. Two especially, in Teddy's case. First, the John Pianetta crime family and the tax they impose on the profits of ambitious criminals like Teddy. Second, a pair of New York detectives named Boots Littlewood and Crazy Jill Kelly. Funny thing about Jill and Boots. They just won't give up.

My second outing with this author having read his Monkey in the Middle back before I began the blog. I’m scratching my head wondering why I’ve kind of forgotten about him and if not for this one popping up on Net Galley, he might have remained that way. (I’d probably have remembered at some point as I do have a few of his early books with Stanley Moodrow on the unlogged mountain of books I’m sorting.)

New York, an Italian mob family, an up and coming hood, a rape in progress, a murder, an investigation, a couple of cops with a personal history, our rape victim and her surprising efforts at evening the score, our murder victim’s crime lord father and the threat the death poses to his reputation and empire, his own ill-conceived inquiries into the slaying of his son, pimps, prostitution, gambling, drugs, police politics, a touch of romance......

Character, setting, pace, plot and action are all present in abundance. It’s interesting how Solomita creates engaging and likeable characters that are operating on both sides of the law and that you know inevitably are going to end up butting heads come the end of the book. It’s like he’s playing with the reader.

Solomita in addition to the action and inevitable violence touches on stronger themes where we consider family, church, neighbourhood, community, friendship and love in addition to money, power and ambition.

A fantastic story with a satisfying outcome; another top rated read for this month.

5 from 5

I’m looking forward to more from this author in the future. Solomita's website is here.

Acquired on Net Galley