Filthy Rich (Vertigo Crime)
Grade 10 Up–Richard Junkin is a former pro-football player turned used-car salesman after blowing out his knee during a key play. Unfortunately, he is too honest to be a good salesman and consistently loses customers. His boss offers him a new opportunity: to be his daughter's personal bodyguard. Caring only for the New York club scene and making headlines to embarrass her father, Victoria doesn't make Junk's new job easy. It doesn't take him long to fall hard for her, and she takes full advantage of his good nature. The story takes a dark turn when Junk catches a man attempting to rape Victoria and kills him. The two get ensnared in a delicate web of violence and intrigue as they try to keep the murder a secret. Azzarello has created an authentic noir world in which the characters are not only out for themselves, but also out to get everyone else. Santos's black-and-white artwork mixes a simplified but realistic look with the heavy shadows reminiscent of Frank Miller's work, creating a gritty, dangerous feel throughout. Fans of hard-edged crime fiction along the lines of George Pelecanos and Joseph Finder will find the territory familiar but still thrilling as Junk learns that the only way he can survive in this heartless world is by becoming more cutthroat and manipulative than anyone else. Violence, drug and alcohol use, and graphic portrayal of sexual situations make this a title for mature readers.–Matthew L. Moffett, Pohick Regional Library, Burke, VACopyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.