BOOK REVIEW - COLD FURY by T.M. GOEGLEIN - COLD FURY # 1 - PUTNAM

By: T.M. Goeglein

Published By: Putnam

Released : Available Now

Details : Paperback,

RATING: 3.75 OUTFIT STARS!!

Blurb: Goodreads

Jason Bourne meets The Sopranos in this breathtaking adventure.

Sara Jane Rispoli is a normal sixteen-year-old coping with school and a budding romance--until her parents and brother are kidnapped and she discovers her family is deeply embedded in the Chicago Outfit (aka the mob).

Now on the run from a masked assassin, rogue cops and her turncoat uncle, Sara Jane is chased and attacked at every turn, fighting back with cold fury as she searches for her family. It's a quest that takes her through concealed doors and forgotten speakeasies--a city hiding in plain sight. Though armed with a .45 and 96K in cash, an old tattered notebook might be her best defense--hidden in its pages the secret to "ultimate power." It's why she's being pursued, why her family was taken, and could be the key to saving all of their lives.

Action packed, with fresh, cinematic writing, Cold Fury is a riveting and imaginative adventure readers will devour.

Cold Fury Book Trailer from T.M. Goeglein on Vimeo.

I REALLY liked this book trailer!!

BOOK REVIEW by Michelle :

Mobsters, a teenage girl, brief case full of cash, a powerful notebook, hidden tunnels under Chicago, a speakeasy , corrupt police, cool cars, Harry the rather smart dog, rats and ...errrr....well, ever seen the movie ‘Ben’? A missing family, Als a plenty, and a huge learning curve for our female lead Sara Jane.

The respect shown for the Rispoli family name soon has Sara realizing that all was never what it seemed........ not even close.

Sara has found herself embroiled in a mystery, mafia style, with limited information and a trail left by her father she must get to the end of. Her beloved parents and little brother have gone missing.

Are they dead?

Her Uncle Buddy, what is his deal? Can he be trusted?

YA genre Mafia characters complete with the names, the scars, Chicago accents and the attitudes. Quite a colorful group of characters. 

There is the paranormal??? hint of this story with the Cold Fury. We get hints of the power within the mojo that certain family members possess. I am very intrigued to know more. I do have questions left bobbling about, but that is OK. It adds to my intrigue.

I enjoyed this first instalment but I did have some moments where I did a little WT?!! I understand education is important but when you have a ski masked wearing villain who is after you and quite conveniently he never manages to quite do away with you or keep a hold of you, but you think going to school in between is the goer...wt?? lol!

This book took me approximately a third of the book to get into the story. Goeglein spends time with back story ... then we go forward.

I can tell Goeglein has a love of Chicago and Al Capone. I LOVED!! how he used Capone Doors and tunnels in his story. What a wonderful idea/myth?? ( see link I have attached below) to use to adapt and embellish. It really was fun watching Sara discover and work it all out. 

Sometimes I found the convenience of certain scenes a bit too easy. I would have loved more of the Als.

He looked me over from head to toe and politely enquired whether there was anything else I needed. I said no, but asked his name just in case.

“Al,” he said with a wink. “Just like everybody else around here.”

Sometimes I felt a bit like the author was trying to show a lot of the places in this one book that her family were a part of rather than getting the reader to connect with the characters and feel some depth there.

The two boys in this book, I kept waiting for Max Kissberg to show up more. I felt he could have been used better. Doug, the self named ‘side kick’ was fun and I felt a bit sad for him.

Then we have Tyler, I will say no more about Tyler, but again we have this introduction, I felt like we dipped our toe in the water with Tyler and Max for future books to develop their characters. I would have loved their characters to have been used more in this book. I can’t help thinking there is a certain twist I have in mind with these two, just me and something that was written in this book.

I did wonder about a catch up with Willy. He was there for Sara Jane , would have laid his life down for her , he gets beat up, then no more Willy in the book. I really loved Willy. He seemed a very solid character and very trustworthy, somebody that Sara could rely on.

I LOVED what Goeglein did with Rispoli & Sons Fancy Pastries. I shall say no more.

This book had parts that I loved and parts that I personally felt needed to be better woven in and maybe not have so many things quite so convenient for Sara. This is the Outfit after all and the danger that comes with being a part of the family.

A great debut start to a series that has wonderful potential.

Michelle

Limited but interesting info on : Al Capone's Tunnels. Did they exist?