Gangsterland

Reviews

“This darkly funny crime novel showcases Heller’s comedic and narrative skills, with hit men, mobsters, and FBI agents loose in Las Vegas.”

“As sharp as a straight razor. But a lot more fun. Count me a huge fan.”

“Harrowing, funny, wise, and heretical, Gangsterland is everything a thriller should be.”

“Gangsterland is rich with complex and meaty characters, but its greatest strength is that it never pulls a punch, never holds back, and never apologizes for life’s absurdities. If this novel were a person, you could ask it for a bookie.”

“Infinitely readable, infinitely funny, and infinitely better than anything else you’ll read this year!”

“In his plotting, dialogue, and empathy for the bad guys, Goldberg aspires to the heights of Elmore Leonard. For those who miss the master, Gangsterland is a high-grade substitute.”

“The story is at its best when it’s mocking our unquestioning acceptance of whatever morsels of wisdom our leaders decide to feed us…Gangsterland…is a modern story, written for readers who like their imaginary characters to live in the real world.”

“A cleverly spun novel that forced me to abandon my wiseguy moratorium. Goldberg has an amusing flair for contemporary hard-boil, and he knows his crime and crime-fighting procedures.”

“Goldberg’s new book is clever bordering on wise, like Get Shorty on antacid.”

“The Mafia plus the Torah makes for a darkly funny and suspenseful morality tale…[Goldberg] can spin a good yarn.”

“Goldberg injects Talmudic wisdom and a hint of Springsteen into the workings of organized crime and FBI investigative techniques and makes it all work splendidly.”

“Sal’s transformation—and intermittent edification—into Rabbi Cohen is brilliantly rendered, and Goldberg’s careening plot, cast of memorably dubious characters, and mordant portrait of Las Vegas make this one of the year’s best hard-boiled crime novels.”

“Clever plotting, a colorful cast of characters, and priceless situations make this comedic crime novel an instant classic.”

“A wholly unique tale from a wholly unique voice.”

“Tod Goldberg has long been one of the most interesting writers around, and Gangsterland is his biggest and best book so far.”

“Just when you thought the mafia novel was dead, Tod Goldberg breathes new life into it. Gangsterland, the best mafia novel in years, is a dark, funny, and smart page-turning crime story. It’s also a moving, thoughtful meditation on ethics, religion, family, and a culture that eats itself. I loved this book.”

“Gangsterland is Tod Goldberg at the height of his hilarious and incisive and hell-bent powers as a writer of who we are and what we thought we wanted and how we tried to stay alive in America—if we were insanely funny and contemplative hit men. No one does Vegas, the desert, money, and mayhem like Goldberg. I stayed up six nights in a row reading, unable to put this book down because I couldn’t wait to see how he’d play each card.”

“Let’s get this part out of the way: Gangsterland is a thriller, and provides a crackling good read for any fan of the genre. But the truth is, to call this book merely a thriller is inaccurate. It’s also a whip-smart comedy, a sublime morality play, and a gleefully blasphemous investigation of what and why we worship. There’s something for everyone here. Just make sure you set aside a good chunk of time, because once you start reading you won’t want to stop.”

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