The Doc had written me this before I did the Thanksgiving post, but I hadn’t seen it until after. So here now, delayed a few days, the Doc’s Thanksgiving wishes. He really is a great guy ...
First, here's me and Momma Stella (in her turkey hat) ...
Come on, Chaz,
Not even a simple Happy Thanksgiving wish for we amicis? A holiday best epitomized by the first Thanksgiving. The native Americans shared with us their food and knowledge of hunting, farming and survival. We in turn shared with them smallpox, syphilis and the promise of high stakes gambling casinos and tax free cigarettes.
In spite of my seemingly jaded introduction this really is my favorite holiday… no cards, no gifts, no rules. Just family and friends gathering to share a meal together and offer thanks to whatever higher spirit they choose. A holiday to celebrate the chaotic wonder of human relations… who would have thunk it?
Happy Thanksgiving Chaz, the Principessa and all the amicis. Doc
Speaking of jerk-offs ... here's Tom Delay ... guilty of money laundering ... justice would be the justice department using RICO (Racketeering Influenced Corrupt Organization) to finish this clown off, but let’s face it, that’s only for eye-talians ... and yous tell me, which is more organized, the crimes of this government (somebody say Wall Street Bailout?) or the action your local bookmaker takes?
Wasn’t this the guy in that Hangover movie? Now his imbecile son is starting a Korean Conflict Part II. Great, just what we need ... maybe it’s me, but I’m pretty tired of all this conflict/operation freedom/war by any other name bullshit. TK says no more boots on the ground ... and if we’re gonna get inolved again, do it from the air ... and if the bad guys don’t get the message and/or rain bombs indiscriminately on the south, nuke’m and have done with it already.
Probably why yous (or the rest of the world) wouldn’t want Knucks with the keys to the big war toy chest ... because he gets bored dicking around ...
Speaking of getting tired of it ... (i.e. Afghanistan) ... even Maureen Dowd in today’s Times column is poking fun at our Afghan policy after an apparent “imposter” made fools of us once again; it seems some guy wasn’t really a “friend of ours (or theirs)” but there we were shelling out good old taxpayer money to fund the fiasco. Bernie Madoff does the Pentagon?
More good news ... our government is not only crooked, it's stupid too ...
Skankie Pride? ... orrrrr capitalism at its best ... the Skankies say: What have you done for me lately, Mr. Jeter? If you can’t live with $15 million per year, go find someone who will give you $16 million ... nothing quite like pinstripe loyalty.
Remember that the next time you (Jeter) wanna dive face first into the stands for a foul ball (which I, as a former baseball fan, appreciate) ... he’s one of the only Skankies I like and the pricks he plays for play him like a fool. Wouldn’t you like to smack the shit out of Brian Cashman?
And by the way, Mr. CASHman/Steinbrenner, et al ... how’d that big fat payroll work out for you this year?
Franzen Update ... 65% (kindle-speak) in and I’m enjoying it thoroughly, but there are a few so-called “crime novels” I still think are better reads (although Freedom is extremely well written) ... (Craig McDonald) Print the Legend, (Lynn Kostoff) Late Rain and my favorite of the year remains (Benjamin Whitmer) Pike.
Speaking of Pike, it’s getting some nice recognition and for me it started with Nigel Bird’s blog (Sea Minor), where you can catch Vickie Hendricks (the Queen of Noir) interviewing herself right now at Sea Minor. John McFetridge over at Do Some Damage will be hosting a discussion of Pike (I tried joining this GoodReads thing but remain technologically challenged and screwed it up). Go here for the details, amici.
And finally, Happy Thanksgiving to all a yous’ Knucklemaniacs ... and you normal types too!
Stay safe, stay healthy and do be thankful ... for family, friends, our beloved New York State Buffalo Bills (2 in a row) and, of course, Benny Goodman (and youtube) ... with Gene Krupa on drums ... Harry James on the horn and Benny on the licorice stick ... this don’t make you jump, check your pulse.
Happy Birthday Charles (not Charlie) Stella … I forget how old he is (28, I’m thinking … he was the ’82 kid, I think). The newly married marathon man is close to finished with his MBA. Charles finished the New York Marathon in 4:08 and had not trained much for it due to work/school. He’s a neat freak of the first order and tall and thin (just like his brother and father) … and he’s sporting a serious Stella widow peak for such a young man.
REVIEWS: The Existential Detective … Alice Thompson … I recently had a chance to review and blurb a terrific book of interviews by a scholar of all things literary (crime fiction included), Len Wanner. Mr. Wanner’s back and forth with a group of Scottish Crime Writers was fascinating. While each of the authors intrigued me enough to want to read a book by them (I’m in the process of doing so now), Alice Thompson grabbed my immediate attention (or maybe it was the title of her latest, The Existential Detective) and I ordered a copy through Amazon.UK. Ms. Thompson is a seriously serious writer of literature with a basket of literary awards in Scotland. Until recently, the only author in the collection I’d previously read was Al Guthrie, a terrific writer of the darker slices of Scotland/human nature. While I’ve also read (and praised) Scottish author Russel McLean’s work going back a few years, I had not read any of the other authors in the interview collection … until now.
The fact Ms. Thompson has an incredibly diverse background only triggered my curiosity regarding the title of her book. Good on ya’ Len Wanner for exposing me to Ms. Thompson; the read was more than enjoyable. Intelligent characters and writing and an ability to keep one hooked and anxious for the next clue (so to speak), the author’s existential detective battles with a back story of guilt from being the parent in charge when his young daughter had disappeared while trying to solve a missing person (his client’s wife) case fraught with visions (or are they?) of the missing person (who’d recently perhaps broken into his office)?
This is a smart read and a nice change of pace for me. In the Agatha Christie tradition of the who done it and why, The Existential Detective will keep you turning pages and thoroughly engaged start to finish. I just this morning passed this off to a co-member of The Manhattan Chapter of the Northeast Regional Book Club Association.
My only beef is with the publisher; it wasn’t available on kindle and I had to purchase it through amazon UK (in those silly pounds they use). Hey, come to think of it, I could exchange my body weight and be rich, yeah?
One more thing: We LOVED the cover.
My blurb for Mr. Wanner’s interview book: Some say tomata, others say tomato, but they all share a similar trait; a genuine passion for their chosen craft—crime fiction writers; whether they accept the genre label or not. Interviewer Len Wanner pokes and prods with his usual intellectual inquisitiveness at what makes these Scottish authors tick and then tock … a must read for writers of all genres and their fans alike. —Charlie Stella (author of Johnny Porno)
Lark & Termite … I was actually looking into an MFA program to pursue and sent an email to Rutgers University. I was politely told that previously published authors are not welcomed unless they’re shooting for something literary. Fair enough; at least they didn’t take my application fee (although after seeing the cost for these things, I decided I should probably drive a taxi driver when I retire). The point of the Rutgers background, by the way, is the author of Lark & Termite, Jayne Anne Phillips (she's the director of the program at Rutgers).
This was an engrossing novel about a devoted and curious sister and her severely birth defected brother; they share a mutual mother but different fathers. It is also a tale of sisters, one of which is their missing mother; the other is the aunt who brought them up. There are men involved too, both the fathers of the two kids; one of which was killed early on in Korea and who never saw his boy and the other lives a constant struggle with his mother (and the silent parent of Lark (the girl)) through most of the book. It’s a terrific read, amici. Told through several of the characters’ voices, starting with the father of Termite (the boy) as his troops are overrun in battle, the story unfolds going back and forth in time. I was upset I couldn’t purchase more of the authors’ works on kindle, however … very upset.
My review of a James Crumley short story (Hot Springs) over at Spine Tingler Magazine is here. Finally Franzen … back a few years when The Corrections had struck literary oil, the ugly one gave it a try (paying full price) but found he could not get beyond the first chapter (or 10-20 pages). At first I figured I was just too stupid to figure it out. It also could’ve been one of my reading tics when I can’t absorb what I’m reading for any number of reasons (I have something I’m juiced about writing, too much caffeine, too little caffeine, etc.). In any event, because we have the book in the house someplace (I hope), I figured I’d take a read at another time. The other reason I wanted to give Franzen another try was all the shit he’s taken from other writers, especially in the crime fiction community, it seems. I figure if the multitudes are this sure about something, they MUST be wrong.
This morning, after falling off the 12-step amazon kindle purchase wagon yet again (twice this week already), I bought Franzen’s latest, Freedom. I’ve just started so all I can say so far is, intriguing (much the way I felt about reading Updike’s Rabbit Run) … so much so, for the 2nd time since I’m working here at the Chrysler Building, I missed my subway stop while reading and finally looked up at 68 Street. So, so far, I’m all in.
WTF … remember that $26K in taxes (extra, besides what they took from our paychecks) the wife and I had to pay for working 7 days a week, writing novels and killing ourselves so the big shots at Goldman Sachs could reward themselves for bankrupting their company and the economy? Well, we were reminded of it this past week and it really stirred some bad blood when (as Doc pointed out), Charlie Rangel was issued a “stern rebuke” for ducking his taxes. Great, I get to pay back 4/5th’s of my 12-14 hour weekend work in taxes but Charlie Rangel gets to skip paying same while not working nearly as hard (and while using rent controlled apartments meant for those who need it). Like Poppa Tommy used to say (emphasis added/sarcasm intended) … “It’s a good country, America.” Bills-Bengals … normally I’d love for my beloved New York State Buffalo Bills to kick Cincinatti’s asses six ways to Sunday (especially Carson “oops, threw to the wrong team again” Palmer), but there’s too much at stake now. We desperately need that 1st round draft pick and should not run the table now that we’ve lost our virginity in the win column. Keep it close, fellas, but don’t get stupid on me … again.
I always have a burnout period after Election Day.
Who watches football after the Superbowl?
As for Rangel ... as long as they give him a "stern" rebuke then justice will be served. Not some half-hearted, wishy-washy rebuke. With the threat that next time we might even expect him to pay the back taxes... or at least some of them. How can you bastards expect him to pay taxes when he doesn't even speak Spanish.
When you owed all those taxes you took the cowards way out by giving them all that money. You should have shown some balls and let them give you a stern rebuke instead.
Never try to start a Volvo with a Honda key, a lesson I learned firsthand Wednesday night when a little sleepy and always dopey, I did so and managed to enable the Volvo’s anti-theft device, the “immobilizer” (a locked ignition that wouldn’t turn). Of course the Principessa Ann Marie was in her nursing classes and my cell phone was in its usual perch (on my desk at home) so I was left with few options. Since I had caught my mom’s cold on Monday and Ann Marie’s sinus infection (turned possible pneumonia--seriously, she may have it), I could either feed quarters into a pay phone (feeling blessed that I had found one) and call one of two numbers I know (my mother or Ann Marie (except Ann Marie was in class and couldn’t answer her phone), or spend the night in a Staten Island parking lot. I chose calling Mom (eye-talian boys always choose Mom). The toughest broad I know came through like always and managed to get hold of Ann Marie during her break. Ann Marie’s friend’s husband (the guy I share trips back to Manhattan with to pick up our wives after their classes) saved me from spending the night in a Staten Island parking lot. He drove me home where I then got to read the Volvo manual (which, of course, belonged in the car—pretty close to my cell phone, by the way). And then I learned about Volvo’s “immobilizer” (which in future manuals will have a picture of my ugly mug and a Honda key and the following instruction: DO NOT DO WHAT THIS JERKOFF DID).
Making a very long (and frustration filled) story short, the next day the tow trucks could not tow me because the Volvo was surrounded by a million other cars and the truck couldn’t access the car. Then at night, after we explained to AAA how the wheels and everything else were locked, they sent the wrong tow truck (it didn't have dolleys). An hour or so in the cold later, one wonderful woman at AAA suggested a locksmith. Understand we (Ann Marie and I) were (and still are) sick and had to wait outside on the corner for the tow truck (then locksmith) because the car was in a hidden from view parking lot. Ann Marie, against my better judgment, went along with the locksmith (with me saying, “it’ll never work. We’re fucked ... let me set it on fire, fuck it," etc.) ... there’s nothing quite like angry defeatism (a lesson for America?) ... so the locksmith finally pulls up and no exaggeration, within three minutes (THREE FUCKING MINUTES) has the Volvo started and we were on our way. He reset the tumblers (so much for Volvo’s “Immobilizer”). I tipped him $20 ... because I didn’t have a hundred on me. No, I couldn’t afford it, but there was no way I wasn’t going to reward a guy who did his job and was appreciative of our frustrations. Understand that Volvo assured us we’d never get the thing to turn and that we HAD TO HAVE IT TOWED.
Assholes ...
Thank God for my wife (the future nurse) ...Ooops, I meant this kind of sick ... Of course Ann Marie FINALLY went to a doctor on Friday (our guy, Dr. Addeo) and learned she may need treatment for pneumonia ... and where is she today? At the hospital doing her clinicals morning to night with a day at the school tomorrow to look forward to ... and then another week of full-time work (with classes on Monday & Wednesday night). Why is she at a hospital while she’s sick, you ask? Because the program doesn’t allow them to take off (or they get to repeat the insane semester all over again).
I love my wife. She’s incredible ... and a hell of a lot smarter (and calm) than I’ll ever be. I owe her big time for NOT LISTENING TO ME one more time.
Of course Doc had some suggestions ... and here’s what he had to say when I wrote him about it.
I drive a firetruck, so I don't have luxury options like an "immobilizer". That only comes on fancy European sports sedans. I wonder how much extra you have to spend to get a feature that makes your car not run. I'm also curious as to how much of an impact this "Immobilizer" has on the exceptionally high suicide rate in Sweden.
Doc
On to topic #2 ... Bill Maher ended his season with his best show I can remember ... I suggest taking a view of it. Most of yous know I don’t always agree with Maher and/or Michael Moore (mostly because while they show fairness at times regarding the party they choose to support (by actually criticizing it rather than offer blind faith support), TK finds them disingenuous when push finally comes to shove and they ALWAYS cave in regarding third parties and opt to support the same party that proves over and over again (as far as the left is concerned) it will IGNORE THEM.
Top #3 ... Kanye West ... what a dick. TK has nothing else to say about him.
#4 ... Stewart v. Maddow … I watched the replay on Maddow’s site during lunch at work. It was interesting and I found Rachel very defensive of not only her show but MSNBC, which only proved (to me) that what Stewart was trying to say (that they contributed to the RED v. BLUE mentality that has stalled this country in a downward spiral) she wasn’t hearing. I suggest checking out the entire interview. I don’t know how Maddow votes, but I suspect she makes the same mistake Maher and Moore make (voting against their own interests when they ignore truly liberal third parties), so when she asked him about the Rally to Restore Sanity, I found it a bit duplicitous that she took Maher’s side on the fact that Stewart (more or less) equated Fox with MSNBC.
That said, it was nice to see and hear intelligent dialogue again ... even if it was Stewart (being totally polite) who kept Rachel’s edge of the seat defensiveness in check. Stewart was trying to get the point across that all conservatives/republicans AREN’T lunatics and that he was against the use of TEABAGGER to describe some of them for obvious reasons (no matter how tempting the laugh may be). Stewart’s point was that calling one guy a TEABAGGER leads to that guy (and his ilk) calling the other side, SOCIALISTS (as if that’s a bad thing), etc. Maddow feels comfortable saying “but they started it” ... and Stewart, it seems, was saying: “And how’s that working out for you.” (meaning both sides)
We at TK classify ourselves (except for Doc) as liberals a lot closer to socialism than conservatism, although we refuse to follow an ACLU platform on all things liberal (i.e., we’re for secured borders but not from fear; more from common sense—we simply can’t afford to offer citizenship to every kid of an illegal who happens to be born in the U.S. That policy has outlived itself) ... or to permit government waste to run roughshod while corporate America gets to make the rules through the government they obviously own. We’re not against anybody making profit ... we just don’t see the point in a government of rich kings pissing on the masses and frankly don’t see enough of a difference between the two major parties for us to think they’ll ever be enough of a CHANGE for it to happen in our lifetime.
And for the record, no, I’m not overly concerned about my great grandchildren ... not really. It’s my mother, wife and kids I’m concerned about and believe if we take care of them with some measure of fairness, their great grandchildren will probably do the same for themselves ...
And finally #5 ... Most of yous know that this was TK’s Super Bowl matchup earlier in the season—the Bills v. the Lions. Sometimes things don’t work out the way we envision them (change we can believe in?). Well, now that things haven’t worked out, this is our week, amici. Mortgage the house (or rob your neighbors and put up the goods with your local bookie) ... if our beloved new york state buffalo bills are EVER going to win a game this season, this week’s match-up is it. The Detroit Lions come to town and after giving up their home field advantage by playing in a dome (for years now—a truly dopey move), the Bills will have their shot at a WIN. Although we think the Lions are the better team, we think the cold may be too much for them ... oy vey.
We hope the cold will be too much for them.
So maybe you shouldn’t mortgage the house (or rob your neighbors) ... just do what we do every week ... try and ignore the game until about 3:30 or so (when it’s close to the 4th quarter) ... watch the Moonachie Yets or the Moonachie Giants or some other game ... and then take a look-see at the scoreboard on NFL.com and keep your fingers (and toes) crossed and pray (to the football Gods if you’re an atheist) that SOMETHING GOES OUR WAY THIS SEASON.
“This taut, compulsively readable tale of mob life in and around New York City, Stella’s first novel since 2012’s Rough Riders, has the smack of authenticity on every page … Stella serves up a tasty goombah stew with a splash of Guinness, and no one can make this recipe simmer better than he does.” —Publishers Weekly
As usual Stella’s ear for dialogue is amazingly authentic and accurate, which not only lends credibility to each of his characters but also adds to the headlong pace of the narrative. These themes and the way they influence almost every character elevates the novel from a simple story of murder and revenge. At the same time they demonstrate Stella’s familiarity with present-day criminals and cops, and his mastery at presenting tales that illustrate their world and inner emotions. For those who have yet to discover the joy of Stella’s work, TOMMY RED is a good a place start as any. —Alan Cranis (Bookgasm) “Holy crap. I've said it before and I'll say it again. Why the hell isn't Stella on every mystery lover's must-read list. . . . This taut, tightly presented story of misplaced loyalties and retribution is nicely tied up in a fast-paced tale that, once you get used to the rhythm of the dialogue, just begs you to turn the next page.” —MenReadingBooks
“Stella was often compared to George V. Higgins and Elmore Leonard at the beginning of his career, but now the world of East Coast gangster fiction is all his.” —Mysterious Bookshop
“Tommy Red by Charlie Stella. Mob hit man gets into a snafu. This novel is only 165 pages long. Since this is a Stella novel you can bet it's 165 pages of greatness.”—Lake Mills Library
“Tommy Red builds to an explosive climax that should satisfy readers looking for action, while at the same time offering complex characterisation and thematic complexity that is beyond the reach of most crime novels.” —Crime Fiction Lover
“Stella reminds the reader of some recent episodes that the police would probably like for us to forget, most prominently the Eric Garner incident. Even the mob guys think it makes the cops look bad. There's a lot going on in Tommy Red, and big props to Stella for wrapping it all up in about 150 trade paperback pages. Good stuff and highly recommended.” —Bill Crider
“There are few writers (except possibly Elmore Leonard and George V. Higgins), who can write mob dialogue as well as Charlie Stella … Charlie makes navigating my way though the plot fun. And funny. How can you not laugh at this line. It was a little after one o'clock in the morning when he was thinking he'd like to bite the ass of that Mother of Dragons broad about to take a bath. (Game of Thrones).”—Patti Abbott
“No one writes better dialog, nor allows it to carry the story more than Stella, nor pulls it off better. Tommy Red could deteriorate into a series of scenes of guys bullshitting, but every sentence is an insight into a character’s mind, and one never knows when a prime plot point will emerge from a discussion about the merits of hockey versus football … Tommy Red a riveting tale told in an engaging manner. You know, just as you’d expect from Charlie Stella.” —Dana King (One Bite at a Time)
Stella’s capers are populated with criminals who are more clever than smart and lawmen who get stymied by clever but eventually prevail with smarts. A delight.— Booklist (Wes Lukowsky)
Along the way the reader is treated to some of the finest characterization it’s humanly possible to capture on paper… Stella’s always dark, often violent, occasionally humorous Rough Riders more than stands on its own, and is more than worth your time. — Book Reviews By Elizabeth A. White Sort of like Goodfellas meets Fargo. Check out Eddie’s World and start right in on Rough Riders. You’ll love the ride … Then read everything else he’s done.—East Coast Don (Men Reading Books) Mr Stella makes his story supremely compelling and has certainly made me a believer. I very much look forward to reading his next book – in the meantime, chase this one down, it works like a beaut. —Tipping My Fedora
Let me say right here that I loved this book. Though complex, the plotlines are deftly managed and everything dovetails towards its satisfying conclusion. Stella has a great ear for dialogue, with the New Yorkers clearly speaking a different vernacular to the Dakotans. —Crime Fiction Lover
Stella writes about criminals and cops, killers and cons, as if he knows the territory. This is one of those books that you rip through, eager to see who'll be the last man standing, as you never know who'll get the next bullet. Big, grim, boisterous, funny, and frightening all at once. Check it out.— Bill Crider
Stella’s characters’ voices sound authentic: no macho posturing — just their brutal, hard world. This is one of the leaner crime novels currently out there. For those wanting a serious character piece where the payoffs deliver, reach for ROUGH RIDERS. —Bookasm, Bruce Grossman
Rough Riders has a plethora of characters, many of whom you won't want to like but just might. What seems like true dialogue spews from mouths, FBI and locals alike. I found it very hard to put this book down, even to eat a meal. Author Charlie Stella has a way with words that makes him a master at his craft. Don't miss this one. —Bookloons Reviews (Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth)
This is a fast and furious thriller that brings back the antagonists in Eddie’s World in a good, the bad and the ugly storyline. Rotating between the northern Great Plains and the New York area, fans will enjoy this action-packed noir although the Feds are too scandalously uncaring about collateral damage or simply deadly avarice. –Genre Go Round Reviews (Harriett Klausner)
Johnn Porno Reviews ...
“Mr. Stella is a natural. As soon as I finished Johnny Porno I gave the book to my son so we could both be wiser-guys. Now I’m going to find all his other novels. He’s a true master.”—Dow Mossman, The Stones of Summer
“... Elmore Leonard fans are going to love Stella’s entirely original contribution to the slice-of-criminal-life genre, down-and-dirty division ... This is the seventh novel from Stella (Mafiya, 2008), who has made the underside of the New York underworld his home.”—Elliott Swanson (Booklist)
“Set in New York City in 1973, Stella’s vibrant seventh crime novel catches the cadence and daily grind of organized crime grunts … Stella tosses an eclectic cast of characters into the mix … admirers of Elmore Leonard and George V. Higgins will be happy.”—Publishers Weekly
“Johnny Porno is in many ways a master’s class on how to write a novel ... The dialog flows so smooth you’d swear you were over hearing someone’s conversation... He drops you in the middle and lets the reveals of the narrative come naturally through the dialog... Bottom line is that Johnny Porno is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year.”>—Brian Lindenmuth (Spinetingler Magazine)
“Stella has fun with DEEP THROAT throughout the book, including the idea to sell fake autographed panties ... the book is so well-crafted and well-paced that it’s going to make more than a few best-of lists when the time comes. Stella never goes for the cheap outs, letting these characters develop over the course of his story ... Not only is it a throwback to the 1970s generation, but one that blows away most set in the present day.”—Bruce Grossman (Bookgasm)
“Based on my experience with Johnny Porno — I haven't read his other books but plan to remedy that soon (Charlie Opera is $2.00 on Smashwords) — I must say that Charlie Stella is one of the best writers the crime genre currently has to offer. He's a natural wordsmith, putting down the way people really talk in a way that still reads smoothly — not an easy task. The fact that Stark House Press, who previously focused on reprinting "lost" pulp novels, chose Stella as their first original author — after author Ed Gorman recommended him upon reading the manuscript — says a lot about his peers' respect for him.”— Craig Clarke (Somebody Dies)
“Psycho cops, bent cops, straight cops, Feds, wiseguys, good women, bad women,really bad women, guys on the make, gamblers, dumbasses, good guys, bad guys. This book's got 'em all (and more), and all so well-drawn that they seem like real people. There are also three or four plots going in, and they all converge in the final pages. I don't know how Stella managed to keep all the balls in the air, but he doesn't drop a one. Stark House's first original is a winner.”—Bill Crider, author of the Sheriff Dan Rhodess series and several other novels
“Stella is of the George V. Higgins school and tells the story through compelling dialogue ... Like Higgins, Stella isn’t afraid to let action occur offstage, to be described by the principals after the fact. In Stella’s hands, this adds to the suspense, as he understands every overt climax lessens tension at its conclusion, while covert climaxes continue to ratchet it up.”>—Dana King, (New Mystery Reader)
“Charlie Stella has a gift for nailing the colorful characters in this seedy little corner of New York. The dialog couldn’t be more authentic, and from page one I was transported to a hot, gritty landscape full of guys who say ‘yous’ and women who are used to being used ... I relished how the focus was on the guys at the bottom of the totem pole, and I got to see what happens to the drivers, runners, and climbers who associate with organized crime. It ain’t pretty.”> —Rebecca Baumann, (Dirty Sexy Books)
A plot whose pacing is as fast as a pack of greyhounds and at the same time, miraculously, as crazily and craftily constructed as a Marx Brothers movie or a Rube Goldberg machine. A hungry menagerie of good guys and bad guys at feeding time. A writing style that’s top-shelf. Some side-orders of Suspense. Romance. Black Humor. All seasoned liberally with Sex, Violence, Drugs, and Rock and Roll. What else will readers find in JOHNNY PORNO? A novel that shouldn’t be this much fun or pleasurable. That’s Charlie Stella’s real crime.—Lynn Kostoff, Author of Late Rain (Tyrus Books 2010), A Choice Of Nightmares (New Pulp Press 2010), The Long Fall (Carroll and Graf 2003)
“This is a hell of a novel. Epic, yet human scale... It s wonderfully fresh and alive.”—Craig McDonald, author of Head Games, Toros and Torsos and Print The Legend
Johnny Porno is a terrific Nixon Era crime caper reminiscent of Elmore Leonard. The story line is fast-paced, filled with action and violence, and stars a seemingly hapless chump struggling to survive in a cesspool. With the fun look at pop culture in circa 1973 enhancing the plot, readers, especially boomers, will enjoy Johnny Porno’s New York joy ride.—Harriet Klausner (The Mystery Gazette)
“... this has all the trappings of classic Stella – decent guys, wise guys of various standing in the mob, good/dirty cops, but most importantly, dialogue that makes you want to stand up and beg for more. Through Stella, you can practically smell the garlic on the breath of the wiseguys trying to intimidate, strain to hear cops jerking each other around through hot dog stuffed faces, wince at the lunacy of an ex-wife going off the deep end, and nod approvingly when someone does a decent thing for Johnny. Why Stella’s books aren’t flying off the main table at the front door of Barnes/Noble and Borders is, in itself, a crime.”—East Coast Don (Men Reading Books)
“Charlie Stella's JOHNNY PORNO: absolutely excellent. Guy does dialogue like no one else.”— Russel D. McLean, Author of The Good Son and The Lost Sister(From an Interview with CRIME SCENE NI (Northern Ireland))
“Johnny Porno is exactly that – a hard man chasing the tail that won’t pay for the tears. By first reminding us of William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and then translating its rhetorical question into the vernacular of our romantically challenged times, Stella’s way with words does the near impossible; it finds a way from pornography to romance in the paradox of power and impotence peculiar to all of us: ‘Fuck’s in a name?’”— Len Wanner, University of Edinburgh.
Charlie delivered papers, unloaded watermelons, cooked at McDonalds, cleaned dishes at a catering hall, worked in a cardboard factory, rolled posters, worked in his father’s head shop, was a bouncer, worked security, buffed hallways, cleaned apartments, humped sheetrock, was a ten year union window cleaner atop Manhattan’s skyscrapers, was a word processing operator-supervisor-manager and director, coached football, has had novels published here, Russia, Italy, Poland, Mexico and the UK, and did that knockaround stuff for 18 years before meeting his wife, the woman who straightened him out (in a good way). He earned his MFA degree from Southern New Hampshire University at age 57. He continues to write crime novels and has expanded his horizons to include ghostwriting non-fiction—Dogfella: How an Abandoned Dog Named Bruno Turned This Mobster's Life Around--A Memoir will be published in May of 2015.
Come on, Chaz,
