Reviewed by Sadonna

TITLE:  The Venetian and the Rum Runner

AUTHOR:  L.A. Witt

NARRATOR:  Michael Ferraiuolo

PUBLISHER:  Self-published

LENGTH:  15 hours and 16 minutes

RELEASE DATE:  January 19, 2021

BLURB:  

New York City, 1924

Once their paths cross, their worlds will never be the same.

Danny Moore and his crew only meant to rob the hotel suites of rich guests. He wasn’t supposed to find himself in gangster Ricky il Sacchi’s room. And il Sacchi wasn’t supposed to wind up dead. Now, Danny has the attention of another notorious gangster.

Carmine Battaglia is intrigued by the Irish thieves who would have made off with a huge score if not for il Sacchi’s death. They’re cunning, careful, and exactly what he needs for his rum-running operation. But Danny’s already lost two brothers to the violence between New York’s Irish and Sicilian gangs, and he’s not about to sell his soul to Carmine.

With a gangster’s blood on his hands, Danny needs protection, whether he likes it or not. And that’s to say nothing of the generous pay, which promises to pull him and his crew – not to mention their families – out of destitution.

Working together brings Danny and Carmine to a détente and then to something so intense, neither can ignore it. Something nearly enough to make them both forget the brutal tensions between their countrymen.

But the death of Ricky il Sacchi hasn’t been forgotten. And someone is determined to make Danny bleed for it.

The Venetian and the Rum Runner is a 144,000-word gay historical romantic suspense novel set during Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties.

Content warning: graphic violence, PTSD.

REVIEW:

Danny Moore is a leader to an Irish gang of thieves.  But on New Year’s Eve and what should be their greatest score, it seems that Danny and Bernard, one of his crew, have managed to break into the room of notorious gangster Enrico il Sacchi. Worse than that though, Ricky arrives early back to his room in the company of a lady.   When they argue and Ricky is threatening and looming over her, Danny can’t stay hidden and while he saved the lady, Julia Battaglia, he now is in the crosshairs of one of the most important and deadly families in New York.

When Carmine Battaglia is brought in to take charge of his sister Julia, he discovers the rest of the crew of Irish thieves. He sees an opportunity to find the man who probably saved his sister and managed to get into the New Year’s Eve party and pull off such a heist. But when Danny comes to see him when summoned, there is little more than hate in his eyes.  Danny’s lost two brothers already.  New York City has been brutal to both Irish and Italians.  The luck and talent to survive in corrupt and brutal New York in the 1920s.  Between the dirty cops, the made men and the petty thieves.

Grudgingly, Danny agrees to work for Carmine.  It’s not like there are any choices in ways to make money and take care of their families.  Carmine’s respect for Danny’s men and their skills and the more work he gives to Danny and his crew, the more contact they have.  And Carmine can’t get Danny out of his head in between their meetings.  And Danny is the same.  But their violent lives continue to get in the way and their jobs get more and more dangerous.  There is a price to pay for the chances they are taking.

Despite the situation with the il Sascchis, Carmine is determined to keep Danny safe.  But Danny has a target on his back after a batched job that puts him back in the sights of the mob.  And the danger continues to escalate.

Whoa!  This is a really really slow burn.  I began to wonder if anything would ever happen between Carmine and Danny 🙂  But given the time and place and the realities of both of their lives, it makes sense.  There is a long buildup of trust between the two of them as would have been necessary.  But just when they come to an understanding things go so sideways 🙁  When Danny and the whole crew get into the trouble, Carmine’s determination The danger that is never far from Danny makes things more urgent between them after a near miss.  There is a lot of heat between them and it’s so well written.  In addition the supporting characters are vivid and have their own stories.  This included Carmine’s family, Danny’s crew and even his priest.  It’s a smoldering heated story with alternating action and passion.  As usual Michael Ferriauolo is superb and his period music adds another level of enjoyment.  Bravo!  Well done and highly recommended.

RATING: 

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