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Tuesday, 12 November 2019

#BlogTour The Bowery Sluggery by Leopold Borstinski


Today it's a pleasure to take part in the BlogTour The Bowery Sluggery by Leopold Borstinski.
About the Author
Leopold Borstinski is an independent author whose past careers have included financial journalism, business management of financial software companies, consulting and product sales and marketing, as well as teaching.

There is nothing he likes better so he does as much nothing as he possibly can. He has travelled extensively in Europe and the US and has visited Asia on several occasions. Leopold holds a Philosophy degree and tries not to drop it too often.

He lives near London and is married with one wife, one child and no pets.

Follow @borstinski on Twitter, on Facebookon Goodreadson Amazon,Visit leopoldborstinski.com
Buy The Bowery Sluggery


About the book
A turn-of-the-century Jewish boy punches his way into the gangs of New York.

When Alex Cohen arrives in 1915 America, he seizes the land of opportunity with both hands and grabs it by the throat. But success breeds distrust and Alex must choose between controlling his gang and keeping his friend alive. What would you do if the person you trusted most is setting you up to die at your enemies' hands?

The first book in the Alex Cohen series is a violent historical novel, which rips through the early years of the Jewish New York mob. Leopold Borstinski's gripping crime noir beats at the chest of every reader with a bloody fist.

Review
Let's be honest - Alex Cohen aka Fabian Mustard isn't exactly the kind of character the reader feels any kind of empathy with or sympathy for. Does he have any redeeming qualities? I think the one consistent positive quality is the way he supports his family and ensures that they stay both safe and have a roof over their head.

It certainly isn't loyalty to his fellow comrades, because his loyalty only reaches as far as his own financial gain or territory, and when they are under threat he doesn't play nicely at all. He is very adept at forging his own path in the world, regardless of the obstacles. It has made him hard, callous, unpredictable and violent.

It looks as if readers will be able to follow Alex Cohen through the years. One wonders whether and how his propensity for violence and lack of compassion will determine the rest of his life. Whether he will experience love with an emotional bond and perhaps somewhere along the line discover the Alex who lives beneath the shadow of the Slugger.

It's a piece that reminded me of Boardwalk Empire and Gangs of New York. Borstinski builds his character around the factual historical background of the era and place. The feeling of displacement that causes the different nationalities to draw their own invisible walls and boundaries in the melting pot of a city.

It's historical urban crime with the flavour of mob, the mentality of man on the street and criminal brutality that remains consistent throughout time.

Buy The Bowery Sluggery at Amazon Uk or go to Goodreads for any other retailer. Publisher: Sobriety Press; pub date 10 Nov. 2019. Buy at Amazon com. At Google. At Barnes & Noble.

Read my review of Mama's Gone by Leopold Borstinski
Read my review of The Case by Leopold Borstinski

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