Set over the course of twenty-four exhilarating hours, Undercard is the story of four childhood friends, now in their early thirties, unexpectedly reunited by a high-profile prizefight in a Las Vegas casino… and an even higher-profile murder. When Tyron Shaw returns to his hometown of Las Vegas after eleven years in the Marines, he’s surprised to discover that two of his best friends from … friends from childhood are all anyone is talking about: Antoine Deco, three years out of prison, hasn’t lost a boxing match since his release, and tonight
is fighting in the undercard to the fight of the decade; and Keenan Quinn, a police officer who killed an unarmed teenager and escaped punishment from the courts, is the subject of a protest tomorrow morning.
Tyron has trouble reconciling either story with his memory of these men, and the situation escalates when he runs into the love of his life, Naomi Wilks, a retired WNBA player, basketball coach, and estranged wife of Keenan. As Tyron reconnects with his old community, he will learn over the next twenty-four hours that much has changed since he left Las Vegas… and there is much more that he never understood.
The Reef, an aquarium-themed casino and the hottest resort on the Strip, is the backdrop for this bullet-paced narrative, where loyalty to one’s friends, one’s family, and one’s community are ever at odds, and every choice has deadly repercussions.
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Under Card by David Albertyn is a very good novel. On the surface, it has the makings of a typical mystery/thriller, set in Las Vegas at an M.G.M. type casino, replete with sharks, both human and otherwise, gangsters, crooked cops, and celebrities. All of the action takes place during one day and night. Four friends from long ago reunite to right wrongs and rekindle relationships. One of the friends is a boxer, the other a disgraced cop, a former marine, and an ex-W.N.B. A. player.
On a regular night, Sin City is a cauldron waiting to boil. Add a big fight, shootings, revenge, and torrid emotions and you end up with a fine example of a literary thriller written by a first-time writer who should be around for a long time to come.
UNDERCARD by David Albertyn is the first book that I have read by this author. I’ve seen this book classified as both literary fiction and crime fiction. It takes place over a period of 24 hours in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Tyron Shaw has been honorably discharged after eleven years in the Marines. When he returns home, two of his childhood and young adulthood friends are in the news. Antoine Deco is slated to fight in an undercard boxing match tonight and Keenan Quinn, a police officer who killed an unarmed teenager, has been found not guilty. The third person is Naomi who he still loves, but is the wife of Keenan.
The characters had plenty of flaws and some virtues and felt very real. Conflicts arose out of characterization and circumstance rather than feeling forced or contrived. The atmosphere was dark, gritty and often foreboding, but this was occasionally broken up by some lightness. The prose was well-written and absorbing that was paced well.
Overall, this was a dramatic, intense, tragic and absorbing novel. Themes include family, friendship, foster care, racism, corruption, hatred, PTSD, revenge and much more. If you enjoy dark and gritty dramas and/or boxing, then this may be the next book for you.
Thanks to the author for a complimentary copy of this novel and the opportunity to read and provide an honest review. Opinions are mine alone and are not biased in any way.
A remarkable debut. Fast-paced, and incredibly timely, David Albertyn’s novel follows four friends over twenty-four hours in Las Vegas. Entrenched in the boxing world, Undercard explores issues of race, class, and police brutality.
The novel also illustrates conflicts that can arise between our commitment to friends, family, and society, and how history changes depending on the lens we choose to view it through.
How much do we ever know another human being? Undercard illuminates the complexity of the human experience and how little we can truly stand in another person’s shoes.
Complex and dynamic this not-to-be missed debut is now out in the US and on Audio.
A superbly paced thriller with a knockout ending!
In David Albertyn’s Undercard, the interconnected pasts of four childhood friends are expertly revealed and serve as the ominous undercurrent for this outstanding debut.
The characters will make you question the nature of brotherhood and loyalty, while the action will make you want to finish it in one sitting.
One night in Vegas can take a man from the gutter to the top of the world and back down again. In Undercard by David Albertyn, four childhood friends are reunited in the city that keeps the world’s secrets. Fresh from his last combat tour in Iraq, marine captain Tyron returns to Vegas to find his in-and-out-of-jail foster brother, Antoine Deco, is scheduled to fight at the biggest casino in town. Their other former friend, Keenan, an ex-police officer recently acquitted but definitely guilty of shooting an unarmed black man, has become the poster child for police abuse. Keenan’s wife, Naomi, a retired WNBA player, and Tyron’s ex-girlfriend, teeters on the edge of ending her marriage. As the title suggests, Albertyn’s thriller revolves around an undercard fight, and certainly delivers the sights, sounds, and impact of a heavyweight bout in the city of unforgettable nights and regrettable mornings. On a much deeper level, the author skillfully tells the stories of four characters in search of their identities, pushing each to the breaking point of the best and worst night of their lives. With echoes of Sleepers and LA Confidential, Albertyn delivers a hard-hitting thrill ride that takes love, sex, friendship, and loyalty to the mat until someone throws in the towel or walks out a champion.
(I bought a Canadian version of this book before its US release)
Tyron Shaw returns to his hometown of Las Vegas after spending eleven years in the Marines, but instead of a hero’s welcome, he finds two of his estranged childhood friends in the local spotlight. One–Antoine Deco–is fighting in the undercard for the boxing match of the decade at the strip’s hottest casino, The Reef. The other–Keenan Quinn–is a disgraced cop who escaped punishment after shooting an unarmed teenager and is the subject of an upcoming protest. Matters are complicated when Tyron encounters Naomi, the love of his life and Keenan’s estranged wife. As the next 24 hours unfold, Tyron must reconcile a past he never truly understood with the consequences of present actions.
UNDERCARD is a riveting, roller coaster that starts at full throttle on page one and doesn’t let up until the last page. Albertyn invokes a 24-esque style by spanning the storyline over a single day, and does it effortlessly. The conflict in the twisting plotlines is rooted deep in his characters’ individual pasts and, as each thread unravels, it is apparent to the reader that there is much to still learn on the next page.
UNDERCARD stands out as a book that is extraordinarily poignant for current events. The shooting of an unarmed black teenager by Keenan–a white police officer–and the ensuing outrage and protests seem as if they were ripped straight out of yesterday’s headlines. . Albertyn compels the reader to face the repercussions of such an event on, not only the community, but also the life of a guilt-ridden cop who made the mistake of pulling the trigger. The perspective is one that is rarely seen these days in the news.
Albertyn’s book is a gritty, fast-paced thriller with Sin City as the perfect backdrop. UNDERCARD is well written, compelling, and is an outstanding debut from an author that is destined to become a shiny star in the crime fiction genre.