4 out of 4 stars
Share This Review
Lowdown is a well-written crime novel that merges the Italian mob lifestyle with romance. The story focuses around two main characters, Jimmy and Milena, but shares pieces from other characters as well. Jimmy and Milena are both from Italian families and their paths cross at a "family" gathering. They are immediately smitten with each other. There's only one catch; Milena is married to Vinnie, another member of the mob family. Despite the circumstances, Jimmy and Milena grow their relationship over the next few years behind the scenes. As they are making plans on how to escape together, Mikey Rizzo, part of another mob family, turns snitch and puts the entire mob ring at risk. Milena is forced to flea the country with her husband, while Jimmy is arrested and sentenced to 50 years in prison. Both have given up on a future together, but are unable to push the other out of their minds.
As mentioned previously, the novel is well-written. It is easy to transport yourself to the 1970's and read the dialogue with the infamous Italian accent and swagger. As a female reader, it was easy to connect with Milena's character as she struggles to find herself and follow her heart. Of course you're always pulling for a happy ending in a romance novel, even one entangled with a crime novel. Schneider brings in a lot of Italian words and phrases, but does a good job using context to define them. Despite an unconventional flow, which will be discussed next, I was drawn into the story and wanted to find out if Milena and Jimmy ever do get their happy ending.
The only complaint I have about the book is the flow of the story. The chapters jump from character to character, as well as jumping across time. Some chapters are written about the past, while others are written about the present. Thankfully these changes only occur with a chapter change, so it is still easy to follow the transitions. I don't think this approach detracts from the quality of the novel, it's just not to my taste. Aside from that, I found no flaws in the writing. With just over 300 pages, it's a quick read that does not disappoint.
In my opinion, the focus of this novel is on the romance between the main characters, not the criminal happenings of the Italian mob. For that reason, I wouldn't really recommend this book to anyone seeking a typical "crime" novel or even an Italian mob thriller. The writing style, full of cursing, killing, and sex, does cater to a more mature audience. But again, the details of the criminal activities are limited and at times incomplete. Well perhaps not the audience intended by the author, I would probably recommend this novel more to female readers than males.
Overall, I have no real complaints about Lowdown, other than my own personal preferences. Anthony Schneider did a fantastic job of transporting me to the New York Italian mob lifestyle and provided a pleasant mixture of romance and suspense. I would have to give this book 4 out of 4 stars for the flawless presentation.
******
Lowdown
View: on Bookshelves
Like rachel_jacks's review? Post a comment saying so!