Gun Monkeys
By Victor Gischler

     Merriam-Webster defines "noir" as being crime fiction featuring hard-boiled, cynical characters and bleak sleazy settings. That certainly describes this novel. Charlie "The Hook" Swift is an enforcer and hit man for an Orlando, Florida hood.

     Gischler writes in flawlessly smooth prose that really keeps you reading, and cheering for this professional killer. You should hate him, but he's a very sympathetic character even thought he's crude and cold-blooded.

     When a crew of mafia types come up from Miami and tries to squeeze out Stan's operation, Charlie is sent to a strip club to wipe out a batch of them. Four of the guys that Charlie eliminates turn out to be cops, and the suspense escalates to fever pitch. Charlie manages to grab a briefcase with "cooked" books and ledgers belonging to the Miami group. That puts him on their most-wanted list, and most of Stan's boys are killed, with Stan, himself disappearing. The scuttlebutt is that Stan has been hoarding money for years, and the rumored multi-million dollar stash is up for grabs, and may the most bad guy win.

     Charlie's romantic interest is the widow of a man that Charlie and another hit man beheaded with a loaded cream-filled donut. With violent action and murder on every page, along with money laundering, FBI agents, an every-man's lovable mom, a little brother that wants in on the action and witty dialogue, this book will satisfy the most jaded of mystery/suspense lovers. It was an exciting and entertaining story that I just couldn't put down. I hope that Gischler has some sequels in the making. Charlie became one of my favorite bad guys.