Todd Robinson (1)

A small-time hood named Johnny Scumbag gets what he deserves. A jazz pianist gone to seed robs the wrong man and pays heavily. A low-life has sex with a gangster’s sixteen year-old daughter then runs to Las Vegas where he outsmarts himself to death. A terminal patient mistakes a hit man for the angel of death – which he is in a way.

Bad people get what’s coming, and sometimes worse. A couple of the stories feature Boo and Junior, a couple of likeable Boston roughnecks who make a semi-legitimate living. They’re the subjects of a couple of Todd Robinson’s novels.

The people in these stories are rough, volatile and dangerous – sometimes only to themselves. They value loyalty, honesty among true friends and a good, or bad, joke. They despise bullshit, stupidity and phoniness. Not a bad bunch to hang out with.… (més)

Like the other Thuglit collections, this one contains a number of excellent well-written tales. Through The Perilous Night describes what happens when a girl can't leave a man in peace. Going In Style is a
clever yarn about what happens when three geriatrics leave the assisted living facility and head to Skid Row to purchase some heroin. Bet It All On Black is about bookies, loan sharks, and family values.
Brass tells the tale of what happens when a guy is sent out to entertain two hit men from ou of town. Under the Bus tells what
happens when whores get mixed up with politicians. Gallows Point is the story of two retired mafiosos who square off in A final battle. Allure Furs is a coming of age tale in Hollywood told in a honest voice. The final yarn is Of Being Darker Than Light is about biker gangs and cops
and the open road. If that whets your appetite, then dig in.… (més)