Review: Nitty, gritty, honest
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 11 18, 2013
Welcome to Hollywood’s Golden Age, where glitz and glamour are found eveywhere you look, but when you pull back the curtain it’s another story. In Tarnished Souls, Brita Addams brings to light the reality of just how deep a hold the Mob has on the unions, and just how much money the studios had to pay to keep things running smoothly. Five years before, Mob boss Salvatore “Sal” Sebastiani had sent Frankie Monetti to Hollywood to take advantage of the many opportunities for making money-either legally or illegally. He’s done very well for himself and this brings him to the attention of the law, and those who put him in power think Frankie has been skimming off too much money for himself. Arvin “Gent” Vitali-hit man and lifelong friend of Frankie-has been sent to Hollywood to bring Frankie back to New York to answer for the double cross, and to clean up the mess left behind. Will Gent bring Frankie back to New York to be killed or will he help Frankie find a way to free them both?This is a character driven story with a smooth plot flow, and a richly detailed backstory that fills in any gaps in the storyline. The characters are vividly drawn, and we get a fascinating look into what life was like in the Mob in the 1930′s, and what really went on behind the curtain of Hollywood’s Golden Age. The author’s writing style is crisp, clean, and very original, displaying a very well researched and accurate knowledge of what life was like during that time. I really liked how no punches were pulled on just how brutal life in the Mob could be. The story has a HFN cliff hanger of an ending, and I can’t wait for the next book to come out. If you want a nitty, gritty, but very honest look into the past, then you need to give this book a try.