Slip & Fall
Non-Series
Nick Santora
State Street Press (Hardcover)
ISBN-10: 0-681-12749-X (068112749X)
ISBN-13: 978-0-681-12749-4 (9780681127494)
Publication Date: June 2007
List Price: $24.95
Synopsis (from
the publisher): Robert Principe’s law school graduation was
supposed to be the moment that transitioned his family from its
honorable, but often difficult, blue-collar roots to the supposedly
easier white-collar world.
However, when faced with a struggling practice, a pregnant wife, and a
sister in trouble, Rob realizes the white-collar world isn’t as
easy as he thought. He needs money … and fast.
Desperate, he approaches his wiseguy cousin Jackie with an insurance
scheme—a way for the Mob to collect from guys who owe but
can’t pay and a chance for Robert to use his law degree to make a
few quick bucks when he needs it most.
Rob thinks it will be a one-time thing. It isn’t. The scheme
works well—too well. The money flows, the violence escalates, and
Robert soon learns that getting out of a deal with the Mafia
isn’t exactly easy … especially when the FBI is onto you.
Review: Slip & Fall,
the debut novel by Nick Santora, a successful writer and producer of
several television series, is the story of an honest attorney who, in
trying to the do right thing for his family, makes a disastrous choice
that threatens everyone he loves and everything he values.
Robert Principe could have followed his cousin Jackie into the Mafia
but instead attends law school and makes his wife and family proud by
opening a practice in the old neighborhood. His clients are friends who
need to make a will, union men who are hurt on their job but don't know
how to go about getting compensation for their injuries, and the like.
But after only a few years his business starts slipping. His wife is
pregnant, he's behind on his mortgage, and he has other financial
obligations to his family. In an effort to make some fast money, he
contacts his cousin Jackie and they come up with an insurance scam.
Jackie knows a man who owes the Mafia boss a $50,000 gambling debt who
would be willing to take a fall if it meant clearing his debt. Jackie
also knows a chiropractor that would testify to the man’s
injuries. The scheme nets them less than they were hoping before, but
enough for Robert to pay some bills. Though Robert doesn't want to do
it again, the Mafia insists he continue working for them. After trying
to quit, he is threatened with his life, plus that of his wife, unborn
child, his parents and his sister. When he is finally caught, the FBI
offers him an opportunity to make things right. How Robert is able to
extricate himself from the mob, protect his family and satisfy the FBI,
is both powerful and bold.
At its core, Slip & Fall
is a story about families and the love and bonds that bring and keep
them together. It is easy for the reader to identify with Robert's need
to take care
of his family, and though it is regrettable that he chooses an illegal
path
to do so, it's completely credible that he chooses a path that's
available to him, even if it conflicts with his morals.
Santora is a terrific storyteller and has created a very believable
character in Robert Principe. His experience in writing for television
comes through in a book that is well paced, descriptive, and keeps the
plot moving forward. It's all very well done. (Note: the violence in Slip & Fall is very graphic and may not be suitable for all readers.)
Special thanks to guest reviewer Betty of The Betz Review for contributing her review of Slip & Fall and to Authors on the Web for providing a copy of the book for this review.
Review Copyright © 2007 — Hidden Staircase Mystery Books — All Rights Reserved.
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Location(s) referenced: Brooklyn, New York City.
