“Sometimes you have to burn your world down before you can live in it”
Brian, a clean-cut, recent college grad, takes a side job in an underground casino in New York City to make extra cash to help his derelict brother out of a jam. Nothing goes as planned, and soon Brian is forced to team up with a charismatic co-worker to rob the mobsters who run the casino.
Lion on Fire is the third book by … Fire is the third book by Ted Galdi, the Amazon #1 bestselling author of Elixir and An American Cage. He’s been featured by Kirkus magazine, ABC, FOX, iHeartRadio, and many other media outlets.
Main character Brian is shocked to learn that his younger brother not only has been dealing cocaine, but foolishly lost a whole package of it, and now owes his boss $30,000. If Brian’s brother doesn’t come up with the money in a few weeks, he’s dead.
Brian decides to help. However, he realizes scrapping together that sort of cash in such a short timeframe is nearly impossible legally. So he approaches Dusty, another driver at the limousine company where he works, and asks him about the whispers of lucrative, yet illegal, side jobs he’s heard among the staff.
After proving himself trustworthy with an initiation test, Brian is invited to participate in an underground driving network that shuttles wealthy individuals to extravagant, though illicit, gambling events set up in multi-million-dollar Manhattan penthouses.
At first things go smoothly, and Brian pockets a lot of much-needed extra income. However, they turn jarring once he finds out a high-profile Russian gangster is behind the gambling events, and becomes mixed up with him not only professionally, but personally.
With tensions rising, and the fate of Brian’s relationships with his parents and girlfriend now entangled with the underground casino, not to mention the life of his brother, he winds up in a position where pulling off a mafia robbery may be his only chance to get himself and his loved ones out of this mess alive and intact.
Lion on Fire is a fun, fast-paced, action-packed gambling thriller, and also an emotionally charged buddy story, which pairs do-gooder Brian with the charmingly wild and alluringly mysterious Dusty, who not only guides Brian through the dangerous world of the mafia casino, but ushers him toward a new and profound view of the world as a whole.
The book is perfect for fans of crime fiction that’s edgy while having a soul. A Russian mafia thriller featuring a revenge plan and heist, it’s loaded with adrenaline. However, it is just as touching as it is exciting. At the core of a plot about organized crime and pursuing police officers is the budding friendship of two young men who initially seem very different.
Set in New York City, Lion on Fire takes readers on a ride through a colorful cross section of neighborhoods and the lives that populate them. It’s written in the tradition of the Manhattan thriller, showcasing both the glamour and the grit of the city.
With this unique story, you’ll find yourself quickly turning pages as your pulse rises, while cheering for characters who make their way into your heart.
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‘Lion on Fire’ author Ted Galdi had me from the beginning cryptic sentence with a mysterious duffel bag and a character hell-bent on reaching a destination on time. As the plot grew, my interest grew and I had to read on, no putting it down. Main character, Brian, has always been a good kid and little brother, Kip, not good, drug dealer in trouble. Big brother to the rescue, gives readers an exciting storyline with Mr Galdi’s play by play action packed narrative of Brian in cahoots with the Russian mob. Gotta read this book for a whirlwind trip with Brian as he and friend, Dusty try to outsmart the mob. It’s a great read! Ted Galdi’s writing style with well chosen descriptive words and exciting storyline put him on my fav author list.
This was the most thrilling and unpredictable book ever, loved it
His famous phrase catcher….” Who is Ted Galdi?” Mine WAAASSS: “Yeah who is Ted Galdi?” After someone reads only a handful of chapters that really no longer matters…… Its why the hell didn’t I know about these books sooner?!!! Just wow! Looking forward to actually finishing this book and reading more!!!
This is an exciting thriller and shows how things can go wrong despite the best of intentions. College grad Brian, a clean-cut man who tries to help his younger brother out of a jam. Before long, Brian’s up to his ears in trouble as he runs into the Russian mafia. Will he be able to hold them off long enough to help his brother, or will the plan he’s worked out with his friend Dusty result in a bitter end?
Ted’s created a superb plot with realistic characters. Through in a twist here and there and you’ll be burning the proverbial midnight oil as you continue turning the pages as you’ll want to find out what happens next. This is the first of Ted’s books I’ve read, and it won’t be the last!
Straight arrow Brian, son of a cop, needs big money to save his little brother from a murderous drug dealer. Getting that money unravels quickly into breathless, page turning action. Excellent writing, realistic dialogue, a fascinating protagonist and his engaging best friend, and a plot that takes the reader step by step into deadly error.
This is a terrific book that I really enjoyed reading. Brian and Dusty are limo drivers for an NYC limo company. Brian’s younger brother gets himself deely in debt with a cocaine dealer and has a limited time to produce the money that would have been made if the cocaine had been delivered to him as expected. Brian doesn’t want their law enforcement father to know about this, so Brian finds out that there’s extra money to be made driving underground casino customers to and from the casino locations. When Dusty and Brian become friends, the sky is the limit, as far as what they will see on the job. The Russian Mafia runs the casinos and the language is authentic to the story. If you don’t like the f-word then read another story. I love how Ted Galdi wrote about verbal and physical abuse against women not being okay into the story. It’s a thrill ride of a story thst is loaded with action and suspense. There are murders and mayhem as well. I loved the ending. It’s a book that’s hard to put down.
No spoilers here.
Lots of action and intrigue and a good story. I stayed up late to finish it.
Ted Galdi’s prose is dynamic, straight-forward, and to-the-point, and I very much enjoyed this novel. You’re hooked from page one when you learn just how honest, up-tight, and upright Brian plays his cards and his life and how much he questions what he’s doing to help his younger brother get out of the deadly mess he’s gotten himself into. You also realize how much he loves his brother and his father to even consider what he’s about to do, and that just makes the story and the stakes within the story even that much higher. Brian doesn’t want his father to ever be disappointed in either of his two sons because his father is a retired NYC detective.
In order to help his brother, Brian asks his friend Dusty about doing extra work at the limousine service where he currently works and has heard there’s real money available over the weekends. Dusty grills him a bit, then suggests he talk to Barney, who owns the limo service, who again talks to him about the position, then sends him on a timed “test” limo run. Needless to say, he’s hired, and life becomes more real than he had ever imagined.
I would recommend this novel to anyone interested in a fast-paced, very literate novel with some breathtaking scenes and loads of action. Mr. Ted Galdi is certainly an author to keep in your future radar–he’s very talented!
I just discovered Lion On Fire by Ted Galdi and I cannot express how happy I am that I have. Ted Galdi is a seriously developed Author, and there is zero disappointment in Lion On Fire where he exhibits his great mastery over words to deliver a book. Jam packed with not only action but a great plot and great story telling talents, with wonderfully developed characters and a very well written plot as well. Zero disappointments in Lion On Fire. NO SPOILERS. No summary. Ted Galdi summaraized the book and every word she spoke in his summary holds true. I am now a HUGE fan of Ted Galdi!!
“Lion on Fire” is a great book that grabs you from the first page and keeps you turning pages far into the night. The main character, Brian finds himself making one bad decision after another as he tries to save his brother Kip. Will Brian find himself making the ultimate sacrifice for his younger sibling or will he be able to survive and save the day? This was the first book that I’ve read by Ted Galdi, but it certainly won’t be the last.
The story is well written. Brian needs money to help his idiot brother out of a bad spot. He then gets in over his head with the Russian mob but can’t do anything about it without putting a hit on his own head. He has to find a way out. It’s not a genre that I like but I can’t fault the author. There is prequel a short story, where Brian goes to his friend Dusty for help to make extra money. There doesn’t seem to be a point with it except to introduce the reader to Dusty.
Brian a clean cut person that does not get into any kind of trouble decides to help his brother that has gotten into a bit of a mess—what could possible go wrong?
Their father is a dedicated policeman.
I could not put this book down, non-stop action and story line that is easy to follow.
Sit down and get comfortable and enjoy the read.