Review: A delight
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 01 26, 2014
Writing a story about the Mafia is treading ground that has been so used up there's barely space for another body.  But once in a rare while comes along something that's fresh and unique that is a delight to read. Here is one such novel.Tony Bartolicotti, aka Tony Partly Cloudy, a Brooklyn Italian on the periphery of the New York "family", was born with a nose for the weather, a gift that allows him to sense unexpected meteorological events.  He becomes a meteorologist and then a one-of-kind on-air weatherman.  His lunkish looks and "fuggedaboutit" accent and his gift turn him into a huge hit—and draws the attention of the Vegas Mob. It would spoil the read to tell more.  As a whole, the situation is only something a talented novelist would dare attempt – that's the whole point of fiction, you get to make things up – but author Rollins pulls it off with deft aplomb and terrific humor that ranges from chuckle-worthy to "oh my poor ribs" howls of laughter. But there's also a serious element. Usually novels that attempt to say something about stereotypes and political correctness are often themselves politically correct literary stereotypes, but Rollins turns things upside down and gets you thinking about these things from the inside of the story out.  Highly recommended.