An intriguing mob drama…
Christophers’s latest mob drama tells the story of a young woman who finds herself in the middle of the war between the seedy underworlds of New York mafia after a mob boss falls for her, while raising questions about right versus wrong, human consciousness, free will, and true love. The beautiful and brilliant Nina Lorizzo is leading a fairly normal life with a high-profile job and a best friend by her side after her parents’ tragic death. When the right-hand man of a powerful mafia boss, Santo Furri arrives at her doorstep one night seeking help, Nina does whatever is necessary as a good Smartian. But her one humane act made her a liability for the mob leader, resulting in Nina forced to do secretarial work for the mafia. Unable to resist the handsome Santo’s advances, Nina soon develops a soft corner for him. But the couple’s love is doomed as Nina gets killed soon after their son’s birth. Unable to deal with his grief, Santo sends his son away. The father-son duo comes face to face years later when Santo while on a trial finds his son is one of the DA team’s members who are trying to send him to prison for life. In this engrossing story, Christophers gets deep inside the working of the Italian mob world operating in seedy underbellies of New York City as well as cruelty, loss of lives, and destruction that sprung up in the wake of their action. Santo is depicted as a man of varying abilities and good heart, whose sense of justice and fairness ultimately puts his family in harm’s way. Nina with her hardheadedness and fiery temper makes for a worthy heroine, though her falling for Santo (with his shady background) seems too convenient, considering she’s a highly educated, practical woman: a bit more resistance on her part as Santo tries to woo her will have registered well with the reader. The large cast of secondary characters is equally well-drawn and believable, but the two most engaging are Carla, Nina’s lifelong friend who is willing to go to any length for the former, and Tommy, Santo and Nina’s son (though, he becomes one of the protagonists by the end) whose naive ideology and strong values make him stand against his own father in the court. With its intriguing storyline, smooth narrative, and well-developed characters, the novel makes for an engrossing crime drama.
