Book: Dead I Well May Be
Fiction/Nonfiction: Fiction
Author: Adrian McKinty
Have I Read this Author Before: No
One Sentence Summary: We follow the adventures of a young immigrant from Ireland who is brought to NYC by a cousin and inaugurated into an organized crime ring that exposes him to experiences including drugs, extortion, murder, disappearances, and a brutal stint in a Mexican prison
Best Thing About the Book: Great writing and although I am not knowledegeable about organized crime, nor is it my typical reading material, the book was engrossing and rang true; very little “telling” and lots of “showing”
Worst Thing About the Book: It took me awhile to get into it; the beginning introduces many characters and I struggled to keep them all straight. Midway through the book it gets easier with fewer characters
Did it Make Me Want to Keep Reading: Yes and No. It was difficult for me at first, but about midway through the book it really caught my attention and was hard to put down
What I Learned: So much that I never needed to know! It’s definitely graphic and disturbing at times; one example: Our narrator participates in a Belfast six-pack, which involves shooting a victim 6 times (ankles, knees and elbows); he survives but probably wishes he didn’t
The Bottom Line: A very engrossing book that frequently made me cringe but at at the same time I wanted more
Would I Read this Author Again: Yes
Next Book to be Read by this Author: The Cold Cold Ground (the first in a detective series)
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