Charlie Swift is an old school kind of guy. Runs a tight ship. Respects his boss. Takes care of his mom and kid brother. And, he's a stone cold killer. When a fancy new-wave hood, hungry for the primo Orlando territory Charlie enforces, offs most of Charlie's boys in a bloody mob takeover, our man steps in to make things right. But when word gets out that his boss has gone missing and there's a traitor among his crew of gun monkeys, Charlie knows payback ain't gonna be easy. Shot up, boozed up, and beaten up, Charlie finds the toughest challenge he's ever had to face isn't snuffing out life, but preserving it.
Gun Monkeys
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle. Learn more
| ||||||||||||||||||||
Book Description
Product Details
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
Product Description
From Library Journal
Unusual protagonists, a bantering tone, and dark humor characterize this hard-boiled mystery by first novelist Gischler. Narrator Charlie "the Hook" Swift is primary enforcer/hit man for crime boss Stan, but a crew from Miami tries to "squeeze" them out of business. When Stan's targets at a strip club turn out to have been policemen, things begin to go haywire: the rivals move in, killing Stan's guys, and Charlie winds up with a sought-after set of crooked ledgers. Violent action and murder continue, with money laundering, an understanding mom, and the FBI thrown in for good measure. For collections of noir crime fiction.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.
From the Publisher
2001 Edgar Award Nominee for "Best First Novel by an American Author"
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Browse and search another edition of this book.
Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By richie
Format:Mass Market Paperback
Gun Monkeys is an action packed book about a hit man by the name of Charlie Swift. Charlie is to get ledger books that can bring a mob boss down, but everyone on his side starts disappearing, even his boss. The rest of the book is his journey to find his friends and bring down the mob boss Beggar Johnson.
I really enjoyed the novel because there is never a dull moment. Every time you turn the page something exciting is happening. For example people are always fighting with each other, or shooting at each other, or cussing each other out. It is like a suspenseful it keeps you on the edge of your seat or in this case wanting to read more.
I also liked the language used, because if I would get tired of reading, a bad word would pop up and wake me up. The book had a lot of bad words, so I never really got tired of reading it. It reminded me of movies and real life. The language being so realistic is what kept me reading this excellent novel.
I really enjoyed the novel because there is never a dull moment. Every time you turn the page something exciting is happening. For example people are always fighting with each other, or shooting at each other, or cussing each other out. It is like a suspenseful it keeps you on the edge of your seat or in this case wanting to read more.
I also liked the language used, because if I would get tired of reading, a bad word would pop up and wake me up. The book had a lot of bad words, so I never really got tired of reading it. It reminded me of movies and real life. The language being so realistic is what kept me reading this excellent novel.
By Larry Gandle
Format:Mass Market Paperback
It seems like every year one of the Edgar committees rescues from obscurity a previously unknown undiscovered work. Many times these works are true gems in the rough uncut state. The nominations tend to bring some prominence to authors most of whom would probably never have been heard from again. For example KJA Wishnia and Margaret Moseley. GUN MONKEYS is that kind of book and Victor Gischler is that kind of author.
Charlie Swift is a thug. He is a hit man for an Orlando gangster named Stan. When the leader of a rival gang wants to move into the territory, he calls for a hit on all of Stan's gang. The result is virtually all of Charlie's friends are killed in the attack. Stan, however, is missing and being the loyal soldier, Charlie devotes his energy into finding Stan and discovering what is going on. The path to the truth will be strewn with the blood of dead bodies.
Victor Gischler is a refreshingly new voice in noir crime fiction. Characters are tough, dialogue is gritty and the violence routine. Most important, he is a helluva good storyteller and his first effort never fails to entertain. The book is not perfect, however. There are several times the story proceeds in an endless fashion and it is quite evident the author didn't know where his characters were taking him. I would think that an editor from a large publisher would have identified and corrected that problem. Nonetheless, Victor Gischler has written an impressive book and one well worthy of Edgar recognition.
Charlie Swift is a thug. He is a hit man for an Orlando gangster named Stan. When the leader of a rival gang wants to move into the territory, he calls for a hit on all of Stan's gang. The result is virtually all of Charlie's friends are killed in the attack. Stan, however, is missing and being the loyal soldier, Charlie devotes his energy into finding Stan and discovering what is going on. The path to the truth will be strewn with the blood of dead bodies.
Victor Gischler is a refreshingly new voice in noir crime fiction. Characters are tough, dialogue is gritty and the violence routine. Most important, he is a helluva good storyteller and his first effort never fails to entertain. The book is not perfect, however. There are several times the story proceeds in an endless fashion and it is quite evident the author didn't know where his characters were taking him. I would think that an editor from a large publisher would have identified and corrected that problem. Nonetheless, Victor Gischler has written an impressive book and one well worthy of Edgar recognition.
By A Customer
Format:Mass Market Paperback
I agree with the reviewer below. This is an OK thriller, but the illogical actions of the "hero" ruin any realism. He spends much of the book on the run yet continues to return to a location he deemed unsafe (his mom's house) - this makes no sense. And too often, incidents are initiated for dramatic effect, yet never followed up on or referenced again in any true manner (the run in with the FBI agents in the car and the resulting aftermath is one example). Overall, a quick read but with no depth and requires a complete suspension of belief and logic. Perhaps with his second book, the author will plot a novel that entraps the reader, instead of constantly losing us through careless plotting.
Want to see more reviews on this item?
›
Go to Amazon.com to see all 32 reviews
4.2 out of 5 stars
Most recent customer reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gischler is my new hero
One of the most impressive debuts I've ever read, Gun Monkeys is a return to the two-fisted days of Mickey Spillaine and Richard Stark, with an important twist-it's funny as... Read more
Published on Feb 24 2004 by J. A. KONRATH
3.0 out of 5 stars
Could have been terrific
This is a darn good read--a page turner from first to last. I like the premise and the writing so much I hope the author will correct the flaw in his next book. Read more
Published on Jan 1 2004 by mrarchiegoodwin
4.0 out of 5 stars
Great First Novel
Gun Monkeys is a great first novel. I picked it up, intrigued by the name, and I didn't put it down till I'd read it from cover to cover. Read more
Published on Nov 27 2003 by Gun Chimp
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tough as shoe leather with powder burns
This guy Vic Gischler knows how to write prose that makes you keep reading, even when his main character's a professional killer. Read more
Published on Sep 17 2003 by LGwriter
4.0 out of 5 stars
Are we supposed to like this guy
It's hard not to. A professional killer works his way onto our good side, while being not so good himself. Enjoy.
Published on Aug 4 2003 by John Bowes
5.0 out of 5 stars
Gun Monkey Speaking
Gischler hasn't written detective fiction here, but criminal fiction. This is the kind of book neo-noir fans like, with its muscular prose, language of the day, and... Read more
Published on Jan 22 2003 by Doris Lane
4.0 out of 5 stars
Wow111
If Victor can continue to churn out novels like GUN MONKEYS he will earn the title of "The new Elmore Leonard".
Published on Nov 29 2002 by Kent Westmoreland
5.0 out of 5 stars
exactly what you want from a crime novel
The first sentence of "Gun Monkeys" is a perfect distillation of everything I'm always looking for in a crime novel: grisly, curt and most of all laugh-out-loud funny,... Read more
Published on July 24 2002 by robert phillips
4.0 out of 5 stars
Gruesome great read
Charlie Swift is one of old Stan's gun monkeys. He is killer, protector, enforcer for Stan, the head of the Orlando crime syndicate. Read more
Published on July 16 2002 by A Vandermeer
5.0 out of 5 stars
A Great Read
A very nice blend of Richard Stark, Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen ... hopefully we'll be hearing more from Mr. Gischler.
Published on Jun 20 2002 by C. G. Howie
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
Feedback
Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
