Synopsis

Meet a debt collector who’s tough as nails. Well, manicured nails.

Abigail Barnes is young, pretty, and petite. But don’t let her small stature or good looks fool you. She’s a collector for bookies, loan sharks, and other people who want to get paid what they’re owed.

Running from trouble in Baltimore, Abby arrives in New Jersey looking for work. She gets a job collecting for a low-end bookie in Hoboken who is later found bludgeoned to death, his safe open and empty. With investment tycoon Alexander Bayne planning to move his large investment firm from New York’s financial district across the river to Hoboken, New Jersey, pressure mounts from the governor, the mayor, and the police commissioner to solve the murder quickly.

So the cops lean hard on local crime boss Ronnie “Slacks” Falcone to help find the killer. He learns that Abby was in the bookie’s office near the time of the murder putting her directly in his crosshairs. She soon finds herself being hunted by a gang of hoodlums, the mob, and the police. With all these forces allied against her, she knows she can’t run and she won’t turn herself in because even though she didn’t kill the bookie, her checkered past would still guarantee that she be sent to prison.

Abigail has no choice but to find out who killed the bookie – without getting killed herself in the process.

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Review

Have you ever wondered how people might get into the debt collection business? And I’m not talking about the ones that call and bug you on the phone. I’m talking about the “mobster” type collectors that come and give you a little personal motivation to pay your debt. When you think about the stereotypes of these individuals, it is always a big, burly man with a permanent scowl on his face. Enter Abigail. She is a petite blonde who has a way of taking men down. Don’t let her size and looks fool you. She is trained in Krav Maga and knows her way around a gun. She is not someone I would want to run into in a dark alley.

The story starts with an adventure between Abigail (Abby) and Hector. Hector has just robbed a liquor store and is wandering around in his underwear and trying to hijack Abby’s car. Abby is intrigued by his situation. This encounter enables her to find work as a collector. However, when one of her clients ends up dead, she is in the hot seat as a suspect. It is up to her to suss out the truth and bring the killer to justice.

I enjoyed the tension throughout the story between the different “mob” characters. I love trying to figure out whodunit, and just when you think you know all the answers, the truth surprises you in the end. Very few characters are likable, but then I attribute that to their chosen career. However, Abby, Hector, and Gino are three that you might just come to love like I did. These characters are ones I wouldn’t mind seeing in more books. The author hints at a sequel, and I hope one is in the works. Fingers crossed!

This crime novel is filled with what you might expect to read about regarding a “mob” family. However, the addition of Abby adds levity to the book because they underestimate her. Oh, and I love that no one seems to be able to remember her name, so they call her all sorts of names. Considering how everything goes down, this is probably a blessing in disguise.

If you enjoy crime novels, pick this one up. You won’t be disappointed! We give it 4 paws up.

About the Author

STEVEN MAX RUSSO has spent the majority of his professional career as an advertising copywriter and agency owner. He is the author of two previous novels, Thieves and The Dead Don’t Sleep. He has also dabbled in short stories and flash fiction.

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