Reviews
As a fan of both Bourdain's television persona and his non-fiction work, I went into this with high hopes. I'm happy to say that I was not disappointed. I haven't read much crime fiction in the past, mainly due to lack of interest. This book, however, had me hooked from the prologue. Bourdain had a true talent for painting a picture with his words. This could very easily be translated into a script for film or television. The characters have heart and feel real. The story is full of twists and turns. I could almost swear that The Sopranos lifted more than a few ideas from these pages. When I reached the last few chapters, there was no way I could put the book down. The character of the chef was clearly based on Bourdain himself, but managed to avoid stealing the limelight from the other characters. Tommy felt like the kind of guy so many of us grew up with. Even if you didn't, you might still find yourself wanting to grab a drink with him sometime and catch up on old times you never had. We've probably all had a boss like Harvey at some point, as well. For those of us lucky enough not to have an Uncle Sally of our own, we probably know somebody that does have family like him. Bourdain's love for his original profession shined through in the scenes involving food. I was practically drooling anytime somebody was cooking. I highly recommend this book not only to fans of Bourdain, but to anyone interested in a true page turner, and especially to fans of crime fiction or mafia stories.