Monday, 15 August 2022

JON MESSMANN - A PROMISE FOR DEATH (1975)

 


Synopsis/blurb…

The explosive sixth and final novel in the classic Revenger series...back in print for the first time in nearly fifty years.

The Don of the New York underworld, embroiled in a mob war and worried about the safety of his family, offers Ben Martin the inside information he needs to take out all of the rival crime families in the city. In return, the Don vows to quit the mob, leaving the city virtually free of organized crime, granting Martin his long-sought, and seemingly impossible, victory in his one-man war against the Mafia. Martin knows he's making a deal with the Devil. In the end, when the Don is the only mobster left standing, unopposed and more powerful than ever, will he really walk away? Or will he have Martin killed instead? It's a deadly risk Martin is willing to take for the chance to truly end his very personal war...and leave the bloodshed behind.

This new edition includes an Afterword by Joe Kenney, founder of the Glorious Trash blog.

BOOM – 6 and out! First off, hats off to Lee Goldberg and Brash Books for republishing Jon Messmann and bringing his books to a new audience.

Here we have....
an attack on an innocent, some vigilante revenge, a cunning plan, a meeting, an uneasy alliance, a kidnapping, a rescue, Martin doing what Martin does best, some romance, and a final twist.

Enjoyed the book, loved the series. I enjoyed the action, the planning, the plotting, the scheming, the execution, the love trysts, the whole shooting match.

I liked the main character, his stoicism, his unwavering belief in right and wrong and his principles, even if they aren't srandards that most mortals can live up to. Messmann offers more than just a beat 'em, shoot 'em kind of prose. There's some depth to his characters and the dilemnas that they face - usually poor choices leading to highly expected consequences - at least from Martin's perspective, or innocent victims as collateral damage in the schemes of ruthless men.

I look forward to trying more from Jon Messmann in the future. 

4 stars from 5

Read – June, 2022
Published – 1975
Page count – 166
Source – Kindle Unlimited
Format - Kindle

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2 comments:

  1. Margot Kinberg15 August 2022 at 05:12

    Ben really does sound like an interesting character, Col. And it's an intriguing premise for a novel, too. You make a well-taken point about the sorts of characters Messmann writes in this series. It shows that just because a series has a lot of action, etc., that doesn't mean the characters can't have depths and nuances. Glad you enjoyed the novels.

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    Replies
    1. col291015 August 2022 at 06:24

      Margot, I know it's a series and book that's more my thing than yours, but I guess we all like what we like. I'm really glad I crossed paths with it.

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