Product Description

Danny DiMedici's ex-wife Laura is missing, there's a corpse in her blood-spattered beach house, and Danny is the prime suspect. Desperate to get to Laura before the cops, Danny returns to the underworld he had known as a drug-dealer, a world of fast sex and hard drugs, casual violence and sudden death. Danny walks the knife-edge between law and order and dark dealings, but as the line begins to blur he must decide, once and for all, where he stands.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1746586 in Books
• Published on: 1991-04
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 340 pages

From Publishers Weekly
Erstwhile drug dealer Danny DeMedici is the prime suspect in his ex-wife's disappearance and her boyfriend's grisly murder, and his efforts to clear his name are ruthlessly thwarted by his enemies. "This impressive first novel . . . is a curious and winning combination of noir violence, L.A. attitude, drug-inspired lunacy and sheer storytelling bravado," said PW .
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From Library Journal
Inexplicably, rights to this fiction debut were the subject of a frenzied bidding war among U.S. publishers last winter. Retired drug dealer Danny Dimedici passes the days by swimming, spending what's left of his ill-gotten capital, and mooning over his divorce. When ex-wife Lauren disappears from her beach home and a dead scientist is found hanging naked from her ceiling, Danny is dragged into a silly extortion scheme over a pop-science miracle drug. A vigorously trendy theme and interesting cast of peripheral characters fail to redeem the novel's dangling subplots and unsatisfying conclusion. However, heavy media push from the publisher as well as notoriety derived from the controversial moral implications of Ferrigno's unrepentant drug-dealer hero should generate some demand. Previewed in Prepub Alert, LJ 12/89. BOMC alternate.
- Mark Annichiarico, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Review
'I never miss a book by Robert Ferrigno' Michael Connelly

Customer Reviews

Definitely Recommended! Great characters but convoluted plot
I was hooked on this book about the third paragraph when the main characters frustration about his divorce is described as feeling like throwing a fat man through a plate glass window...just to hear the noise

The perspective of Southern California's sub-culture as viewed by an ex drug dealer (pot only, thank-you) is fascinating as are some of the compelling characters who include:

- the outwardly glamorous, successful ex-wife, whose true nature could make Charles Manson appear compassionate - the vietnam vet brother-in-law, formerly an alligator-sweater-wearing preppie college golf star, now enjoying a hermit-like high tech existence in the ground zero environment of an abandoned oil plant - Cubanito, a refugee from Castro's most horrifying prison camps, who now combines the lifestyle of a Rolex wearing Ferrari driving drug dealer with a Dale Carnegie type entrepenurial attidude that could only happen in America.

The plot does become hard to both follow and believe, but the author's talent for character development as well as dialogue and observations that stick in a reader's mind more than compensate.

2 1/2* Not His Best
After reading the mostly excellent "Flinch," I turned to Robert Ferrigno's heralded debut novel and was very disappointed. Unlike "Flinch," the plot is sometimes unclear, he relies on clumsy stereotypes, and motivation is not always believable.

Ferrigno throws in so many contrived oddball situations that it's almost like he doesn't really believe in the strength of the story itself. While humorous exaggeration is common to mysteries, Ferrigno doesn't balance this with enough realism to make this a credible story, and this lessens our involvement.

There are some good scenes (especially with the jocular but intimidating "Cubanito"), clever dialogue, and genuine suspense (along with his usual graphic violence), but the book does not compare to his later efforts. Recommended only for completists who want to read all of his work.

One of my favorite novels of all time
Engaging, clever, witty

Even the cliches are good

Read this novel when it was first published, recommended it to everyone I knew and still do so.