The Alcoholic Mercenary
By Phil Hughes
They said, “See Naples and then die!”
Rachel had thought it was to do with the natural beauty of the place. A misconception she soon lost after climbing down from the C130 troop carrier. The suspicious death of her predecessor, followed by the murder of a sailor, and an enforced liaison with a chauvinistic and probably corrupt cop saw to that.
“See Naples and then die!”
Some said the saying was anonymous. Some attributed it to Goethe. Still, others said it was Lord Byron, or maybe Keats. When the young brother of a mercenary hitman became her main suspect, Rachel leant towards Keats. Didn’t the poet die here? Somewhere near, for sure. Probably coined the phrase on his deathbed.
And then, the cherry on the top of her ice cream soda, she could smell grappa on the breath of the mercenary when she interviewed him. The only thing worse than a violent man: a violent man who drinks.
The only thing worse than a violent man who drinks: a violent man who drinks and considers himself Rachel’s enemy.
It is said that once you have seen the city of Naples, you can die peacefully since nothing else can match its beauty. Well, that is not the case in this book! Yes, the characters face death head-on, but there is not a lot of beauty in the underworld that is ruled by powerful organised crime syndicates. And hence we have the setting for The Alcoholic Mercenary by Phil Hughes.
I thought this story was wonderfully narrated. At times it felt like I was watching a movie rather than reading a book. It has all the ingredients of a bestselling crime thriller. The author has captured the era as well, the late 1970s may not seem that long ago to some, but so much has changed since then and it was interesting to read about a familiar world without all the bells and whistles that come with the modern-day. I especially enjoyed reading about Agent Rachel Welch and how she navigated a world where men dominated.
Although I enjoyed reading about Rachel I found it more difficult to connect with Boccone. He is one complex individual and as soon as I thought I had got a handle on his character he goes off and does something else. I guess his unpredictability helped move the story forward, but I did not care for him the way I did Rachel and I am not sure if the author wanted me to care for him. He is a loose cannon that can go off at any moment.
I think this book would certainly appeal to those who like historical crime fiction. It was certainly a good read and one I enjoyed very much.
The Alcoholic Mercenary is available on #KindleUnlimited
Phil Hughes
Although educated in Classical Studies, Phil is the author of several historical crime novels. Having spent many years living in the Mafia infested hinterlands of Naples, Phil bases his nov-els on his experiences while living there. Much of what he includes in his stories is based on real events witnessed first-hand.
Having retired from writing and editing technical documentation for a living, Phil now lives in Wexford with his partner and their border terriers, Ruby, Maisy, and the new addition Ted. He writes full time and where better to do it than in the Sunny South East of Ireland.
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I am so glad you enjoyed The Alcoholic Mercenary. Thank you so much for hosting today's tour stop.
ReplyDeleteAll the best,
Mary Anne
The Coffee Pot Book Club