I was given a free e-copy of this novel by NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinion.
When NYPD detectives Paul Rossi and Hamilton P. Turner begin investigating the Sutton Place murder of an Italian air force pilot, the last thing they expect is that they will and find themselves sucked into the potential cover-up of the Ustica massacre, the most horrific aviation crime in Italian history, in which all 81 souls on board perished, where Italian President Francesco Cossiga blamed a missile deployed by the French Navy for the disaster.
But as they begin investigating, Rossi, recovering from a broken marriage, and Turner, an African-American opera buff, poet, and former lawyer with ambitions to be mayor, come up against NYPD bureaucratic obstacles and stonewalling by the Italian Consulate in NYC. Lieutenant Laura Muro, the policewoman sister of the victim, comes to New York to aid the investigation, but soon the trio finds themselves in the crosshairs of the Gladio, Italy’s powerful, shadowy political cabal whose reach extends to the highest reaches of New York political and ruling class. (Goodreads synopsis)
I enjoyed the plot, but that’s about it. The rest was confusing and just cringe worthy.
First, what year was this supposed to be? There was so much prejudice-based dialect every time the two officers were in the One-Nine that I actually wanted to throw the book in the trash. Then there was the Lieutenant that just was lazy, and violated protocol. There was mention of the mafia and the mob, and how the now mayor took them down, but even he seemed ridiculous. I know people in power are ridiculous but I felt this was overly emphasized.
Second, the personalities of our two “heroes”. Our narrator, Paul Rossi, is the typical stereotype. Former husband, former drunk, trying to quit smoking, and ex-wife hates his job. He bothered me the most because I felt he was a whiner. I just couldn’t figure him out, and I really wish there had been some kind of personal growth for him. But no, he stayed whiny throughout the whole novel. His partner, Hamilton P Turner, was a bit more likable. Not by much, but a bit. He seemed like he was constantly educating himself, because as the say throughout the novel, “He won’t be a cop forever.” However, his “horn dog” behavior and ooze of charm made me dislike him for his “gift to women” attitude.
There were blatant signs of double-cross that I think the two cops ignored, and at times it seemed like they didn’t trust each other enough to believe their word. There are scenes with a journalist that, let’s be honest, should have landed the little jerk in jail. But our two cops let him go, and then were angry when he showed up again.
Overall I rate this novel 2 out of 5 stars. The whole thing felt forced somehow.
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