Author Brian Selfon worked in criminal justice so its no surprise that his debut novel would have an authentic feel. He’s an excellent writer that brings poetic life to these unlikeable characters. The initial story revolves gangster Henry and his friend Emil who are both painters. Brian Selfon has a knack for finding humanity in these monstrous people. The structure is a bit confusing and suffers from a non-linear time frame. So even with the elegance of his writing, he fails to engage the reader. ( )

The story starts off well enough, although the family-loving money launderer is a bit overdone. Still the Brooklyn setting is nice and the mystery of what happened to a runner with $250,000 in cash on his way to make a deposit is pretty good UNTIL. UNTIL the author about 2/3 of the way through the book just seems to get tired of the story and let the most interesting character and the rest of the story go off the rails. The ending is just a fizzle. The publisher should have sent this one back for a re-write.

The audiobook is pretty well narrated, but some of the female voices are really annoying. Of course, the character herself is annoying, so maybe this makes sense. ( )

A dysfunctional criminal family thrown together by circumstances. Then a murder and they find their lives falling apart as secret after secret is slowly revealed. So well done! ( )

Shecky Keenan's family business is running dirty money. He is a family man of sorts who cares about his makeshift family of his niece and nephew who are in the "biz" too. The niece is recently released from prison and seeing a therapist and struggles with drug addiction. The nephew is responsible for business personnel and hires an artist friend who is killed. This is a business fraught with problems and there are many. Through it all Shecky always tries to make sure that they have a nice home and a good meal on the table. ( )

This novel had a rough, violent start and I almost put it down. Much to my surprise and pleasure, it turns into a tender meditation on family and loyalty. Uncle Shecky, an unmarried money launderer in Brooklyn, has taken in his nephew Henry and his niece Kerasha and makes a loving home for them, while making Henry his assistant in his criminal life. Kerasha, recently released from prison, is a crackerjack burglar and a recovering addict who is trying to adjust to life outside and to fend off her urge for heroin. Henry, a budding artist, meets and idolizes Emil, another artist, and they become close as Henry recruits Emil as a cash runner. Enter detective Zera, who was trafficked at twelve in her native Montenegro and is rescued by a human rights group. She seeks vengeance by tracking down the players in a Brooklyn trafficking operation, snagging Shecky and Henry in her net. I told you it wasn't pretty! But the author allows the impure hearts of Shecky and his family to grow and for the truly bad guys (and a few innocents) to receive their just desserts. ( )