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  • The Venetian and the Rum Runner

  • By: L.A. Witt
  • Narrated by: Michael Ferraiuolo
  • Length: 15 hrs and 16 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (7 ratings)

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The Venetian and the Rum Runner cover art

The Venetian and the Rum Runner

By: L.A. Witt
Narrated by: Michael Ferraiuolo
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Summary

New York City, 1924

Once their paths cross, their worlds will never be the same.

Danny Moore and his crew only meant to rob the hotel suites of rich guests. He wasn’t supposed to find himself in gangster Ricky il Sacchi’s room. And il Sacchi wasn’t supposed to wind up dead. Now, Danny has the attention of another notorious gangster.

Carmine Battaglia is intrigued by the Irish thieves who would have made off with a huge score if not for il Sacchi’s death. They’re cunning, careful, and exactly what he needs for his rum-running operation. But Danny’s already lost two brothers to the violence between New York’s Irish and Sicilian gangs, and he’s not about to sell his soul to Carmine.

With a gangster’s blood on his hands, Danny needs protection, whether he likes it or not. And that’s to say nothing of the generous pay, which promises to pull him and his crew - not to mention their families - out of destitution.

Working together brings Danny and Carmine to a détente and then to something so intense, neither can ignore it. Something nearly enough to make them both forget the brutal tensions between their countrymen.

But the death of Ricky il Sacchi hasn’t been forgotten. And someone is determined to make Danny bleed for it.

The Venetian and the Rum Runner is a 144,000-word gay historical romantic suspense novel set during Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties.

Content warning: graphic violence, PTSD.

©2020 L.A. Witt (P)2020 L.A. Witt

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Slow. Too slow?

This novel takes a long time to get going. It takes a very long time for any real connection to form between the two main characters. If that's 'pining', count me out. While I'm equally no fan of love by the second chapter, this is excruciating.

Yes, it's an historical novel but the necessary scene-settng shouldn't get the way of pushing the plot forward. There are way too many liquor runs. Danny and his crew have to prove themselves to the gangsters to make sense of what follows, but we don't have to see each episode.

The gangs and ways of evading Prohibition come across well. The expected violence is realistic but restrained in tone. What's less well done is giving any real sense of 1920's New York. It feels as though the action is happening in a vacuum. That's a pity because some local colour would've been good.

Not one for me.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

Started off well then fizzled out for me

I tend to blow hot and cold with this author. I loved "If The Seas Catch Fire" and was hoping for more of the same, but this didn't work as well for me.

The story felt flat, as did the attraction between the main characters, I just wasn't drawn to their story and tended to skip a fair amount as it felt repetitive.

Michael did an admirable job of the characters and wasn't too heavy on the accents, I loved his performance.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Excellent book

Loved the book as it has loads of action, great MCs and support characters. The narrator is great as aways.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Enjoyable Story

Enjoyable story that is well written with likeable characters and good world building. The narration is very good as well.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

No seas caught fire in the writing of this book

Set in a similar gangster genre to When The Seas Catch fire by the same author, but in prohibition times. Apart from the musical interludes and the Art Deco cover, there was no atmosphere of the times, no incidental descriptions of clothing, or decor, of the cars, or the buildings. It was refreshing to have no swearing. This was a time when men wore spats, double breasted suits, used tommy guns, but not in this book.

Witt can write good characters, and good action filled plots, but none of that found it's way here. The story was as stilted as the relationship between the bland MCs. I only lasted the distance as I was busy doing something else whilst listening.

The real reason for prohibition was to create a monopoly for the fuel companies. Many motors previously ran on alcohol made in home stills or on hemp fuel. Hemp was also demonized and banned at this time. Henry Ford designed his first cars to run on hemp fuel. DISAPPOINTING

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1 person found this helpful