2017 London Book Festival Winner! For underworld enforcer Richard “Rico” Sanders, it seemed like an ordinary job. Retrieve his gangster boss’s priceless pigeon-blood red ruby necklace and teach the double-dealing cheat who stole it a lesson. A job like a hundred before it. But the chase quickly goes sideways and takes Rico from the mean streets of Chicago to sunny Honolulu, where the hardened hit … where the hardened hit man finds himself in uncharted territory when a couple of innocent bystanders are accidentally embroiled in the crime. As Rico pursues his new targets, the hunter and his prey develop an unlikely respect for one another and Rico is faced with a momentous decision: follow his orders to kill the couple whose courage and character have won his admiration, or refuse and endanger the life of the woman he loves?
Praise:
“This charming, classically-told crime thriller is a must for noir fans.” – 5 Stars, Best Thrillers
“Being a hit man wasn’t hard for Rico — provided you played by the rules. Having to deliver a necklace of red rubies for his boss, he has the bad luck to have them taken from him by a small time gambler owing money. The boss didn’t like the news, demanding that Rico go after the chiseler. It didn’t take much detective work to ferret out that the gambler and his estranged wife had taken off for Honolulu, and that’s were Rico went. Fearing getting a bullet, the gambler called the loan shark, telling him he found the necklace and would bring it back. What he really planned was to take off with his wife for parts unknown. Landing in Honolulu, Rico catches up with the gambler and eliminates him, but the necklace is gone. He now has the local cops after him, and not much time to find the necklace. Back in Chicago, following his lead, things don’t turn out exactly as expected… Pigeon Blood Red has a dramatic and satisfying conclusion, leaving the reader nodding his head with approval.” – 4 Stars, Readers’ Favorite
“In an adventure of each party attempting to outmaneuver the other, readers are brought along for the journey of lost loves, extramarital affairs, murder, revenge, and greed. In a novel with as much action as love, it is sure to be a story that will fulfill the desires of readers of all ages, genders, and areas of interest. Ed Duncan’s novel is one with a variety of characters and a plot line with just as many twists and turns… For a story with such a number of elements involved, the tale that was created was one that was both interesting and worth a read.” – 4 Stars, Red City Review
“Duncan crafts a twisted thriller in his gangster-laced debut.” – Recommended by the U.S. Review
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I read a lot. I read novels all the time. One of the first things I look for in a novel is the developing story. This book started as quickly as any I have read but without a cogent story beginning. Had it contained some thread which carried throughout the book as a story line I would have given it five stars, except that I didn’t feel the characters were developed completely. I am going to read the sequel in order to see if I have misjudged the first book, but I do not believe that to be true. Action filled, easy, fast reading, it deserves the four stars for sure.
Not Your Ordinary Killer
How many times have you read a mystery where you felt sympathy for the killer? Author Ed Duncan has created a cold-blooded killer with a warm heart. That is, warm and loving for his lady. Duncan’s characters are extremely well-drawn. The killer knows what his lady does for a living. I got the feeling he did not truly approve but accepts it. Likewise, she knows something about him that, at times, scares her. Together, they give each other room to live their separate lives, albeit, always protective of each other. That is, each would kill to protect the other. This story wraps around Rico’s life, though Jean plays a prominent role.
Duncan’s writing is lean, mean, and clean. The unexpected brutal action and intense suspense never stops. This is an edge-of-your-seat story about the life of Rico, and the first in the series of stories. If you enjoy suspense with shocking twists, filled with legalities and clandestine criminal action, read Pigeon Blood Red, and hold onto your seat.
I have also read the next story, The Last Straw. Just when I thought life for Rico could not become any more shocking, it only gets more intense and frightful. You know I am going to read the next story in the series, Rico Stays, as well. Duncan’s writing and his knowledge of the criminal mind is exceptional, not a word wasted, not a shock undeserved.
What a treat it is to read a fast-paced hard-edged thriller when you know the author is in complete control and will take you to that point of release at the end, the literary climax, that vital point in any novel, but especially in a thriller. Duncan is a commanding writer who toys with his readers as all good thriller writers should. The author knows how to squeeze a story through a pin prick in a dam wall, the story unfolding in tantalisingly measured steps, the hallmark of great thriller writing.
Meet shady Rico and his side-kick Jerry, the corpulent and vile underworld figure, Frank Litvak, and a very expensive necklace. When hapless store owner and womanising drunk, Robert, snatches the necklace off the backseat of Rico’s car, he has no idea what he is letting himself in for. Then there’s Robert’s wife, Evelyn, her friend, Rachel, and her old lover, Paul. A small collection of main characters and at first it is hard to know where to place your sympathies, except for Litvak! There’s a slow build, the sense of the threads intersecting without knowing how, the added complexities along the way. A portrait of Chicago, then Duncan takes the story to Honolulu, as the necklace itself takes up stage centre.
Tightly plotted and cleverly told, Pigeon Blood Red has a gritty noir feel and the prose is crisp and clean and laced with a sharp wit. The characters are well-crafted and believable. The reader is given a bird’s eye view, adding to the tension. The twists continue right to the end, which does not disappoint. Shining through Pigeon Blood Red is the narrative voice, a voice I can hear, a voice that resonates in tune with the story. To being with, I could see Pigeon Blood Red would make a great movie and about three quarters in, all the way to the last page I was still thinking that. Highly recommended.
If you enjoy gritty noir filled with violence and some surprises then Pigeon-Blood Red by Ed Duncan is for you. And even better, it’s a series with three books in it!
As other reviewers have mentioned, this would make for a great movie. Besides the thrilling storyline, I could see fabulous costumes and outrageous scenery for some of the scenes down in Hawaii. I don’t want to say anything about the plot, so as not to spoil anything, but I thought for this genre the amount of violence and adult relations was a perfect mix.
And Duncan’s a master at character study. Although some of the characters may seem a bit stereotypical for this genre, Duncan still managed to keep each character unique and engaging. If it wasn’t for the fantastic character development, Pigeon-Blood Red could have been a pretty quick read.
A great debut for a crime and noir book.
Rico and his friend Jerry work for a very dangerous man Frank Litvack and they are given one job – to keep a blood red Ruby necklace safe. But Rico manages to lose it and he is tracking it. That is when things get messier because of Rico’s estranged wife.
The story was thrilling with very well etched characters. Enjoyed it.
In my mind, what a really good crime novel needs are in-depth characters, a detailed setting & plenty of twists. This book delivers on all counts. Rico & his sidekick Jerry are everything you would expect of a hitman & his accomplice, with foibles that make them human to expertise that ensures they deliver on the job. The setting is great, starting in downtown Chicago & moving forward to find their target in Hawaii, the scenes are described in such detail that I could easily imagine this as a TV series, something in the vein of ‘Ray Donovan.’ The punchy plot isn’t over-complicated, but adding Rico’s love life into the mix takes the main character’s perspective to the next level. A very well-rounded book with top notch writing.
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: 203
: /ℎ
: 01/16/2018
: (4 stars)
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This is the first book I have read from this author. Thank you Kelsey @bookpublicityservices for my #gifted copy.
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: I thought this was a very interesting book. I normally do not read true crime thrillers as it is not my favorite type of book to read.
The plot of this book was fun to read. We follow Richard “Rico” Sanders who is an underworld enforcer. We go from the streets of Chicago to Honolulu and a lot of things go on in both locations.
The writing of Ed Duncan was a lot of fun to read. He definitely put a unique twist on a true crime book that had a couple of mob vibes to it. I could definitely see a lot of different people reading and enjoying this book. I recommend this book to anyone who likes true crime thrillers. This book is a fast read coming in at 203 pages. I would definitely be interested in reading more books by this author.
The main man in this story is Rico, the no nonsense enforcer of gangster, Frank Litvac. Due to the bungling of his less experienced partner Jerry, his boss’s priceless necklace dripping with pigeon-blood red rubies, falls into the hands of Robert McDuffie, a failing businessman and gambler who is deep in debt to Litvac. Rico is given the job of retrieving it, and teaching the thief a lesson.
Due to a mix up the retribution doesn’t go completely according to plan but when Rico is told to correct his mistake he has a change of heart and takes matters into his own hands.
I liked the premise of this story and it rattled along at a decent pace but because of this there wasn’t much by way of suspense building, and there should have been a lot with what was going on in it. For me the characters were a little flat and I find if you don’t have richly developed characters that react emotionally to the situations they find themselves in you really don’t care what happens to them. The exception to this was probably Jean who I had a soft spot for and I also particularly enjoyed Paul’s backstory.
This book would be enjoyed by those who like a straight forward gangster type thriller.
I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This has not altered my opinion of it one iota.
Unfortunately this book was not for me, It has amazing reviews on amazon but I lost interest very quickly, it felt like there was a lot going on but nothing was actually explained as to what was going on. I understood that a guy owed a mob boss a lot of money, it felt like the normal mob boss/crime lord story.
If you are into crime lord/mob boss stories then give it a try! It just personally was not for me.
I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.
Pigeon-Red Blood by Ed Duncan is a mystery/crime novel. It’s the first book of the Pigeon-Blood Red series.
The book is separated into three parts. In the first part, we have the description of the “bad” characters, how the Pigeon Blood Red necklace was stolen, and who took it. In the second part, we learn about the lives of the innocent bystanders who are going to be involved in the hunting. Also, half of that part is located in Honolulu where the action happens. In the third part which is located back in Chicago, the couple earns Rico’s respect and there is his dilemma between saving his girlfriend’s life or following his boss’s orders. The story is enthralling and a bit complicated because it goes back and forth between present and past. There is a steady flow of information which makes it easier to capture your interest. This story reminded me a lot of the old crime movies, it doesn’t contain much bloodshed it solely focuses on the mystery and the main character’s principles. I loved Rico from the very beginning. He was like a calm force.
He never raised his voice, he was good to the people who were close to him but he also was deadly. What attracted me to him was that he wasn’t bad of a choice but because of where his life took him. (Not sure if it makes sense to you but I had to say it) My favorite part was the ending.
I finished it in one night, I couldn’t stop until I knew Rico’s decision. I highly recommend you to give it a chance and I will rate it with
4 stars.
*3 Stars*
Copy kindly received via Book Publicity services, in exchange for an honest review.
This was an intriguing story that jumps between a few characters as the storyline plays out. Chicago mobsters, a hit gone wrong, failing relationships, this one has it all.
Whilst the writing style is not totally one that I usually like, and I didn’t connect with the characters too much, I did want to know what would happen and see how things were ultimately going to play out. Not how I expected, that was for sure.
All in all this was interesting enough and I would read more about these guys in the future.