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Bourbon & Blood: A Crime and Suspense Thriller (Bill Conlin Thriller Book 1) Kindle Edition

by Garrard Hayes (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 473 ratings
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A terrifying and visceral suspense thriller that thrusts a war veteran into the brutal New York City crime underworld. Bill Conlin returns home to New York City after a dangerous military tour in Afghanistan. Like many veterans haunted by war he has fallen on hard times and is looking for work. Lonely, depressed and out of money he finally meets a beautiful woman and falls in love, but an unforgettable job interview forces him into a life of crime that keeps them apart and endangers their lives. When she is suddenly kidnapped Bill must negotiate with coldhearted killers to buy back her freedom. Will money be enough or will they pay with their lives?

In the tradition of action-packed noir thrillers, comes a crime fiction story about an otherwise good guy "bent" bad when he's pulled into the underbelly of the New York City crime scene.

Drugs, human trafficking and murder... Former soldier and decorated war hero Bill Conlin finds himself immersed in it all when he can't find "respectable" work after his tour in Afghanistan. When his cousin, Jimmy, first tries to talk him into joining Irish mafia boss Frank Sullivan's gang, Bill brushes him off. When he is forced into an interview there's no escape.

All Bill really wants is a normal life with a nice girl, and he's pretty sure the waitress he just met, Dana, is the one. But with his savings running low, and desperate to get out of his Hell's Kitchen near-tenement apartment building, Bill, against his better judgment, agrees to a meeting with Mr. Sullivan--and immediately hits the point of no return... Now with a brand new Lincoln and fancy new uptown digs (complete with a live-in girl whose only purpose is to serve him, and a wardrobe packed with weapons), Bill's tasked to take down a Harlem-based Mexican prostitution ring.

One thing leads to another, however, and the deeper he gets, the more he learns, and the more tangled up he becomes in a lifestyle he never wanted. But how long until he takes matters into his own hands.

Come Connect With Me

Visit my book review blog for more fiction fun. http://www.garrardhayes.com

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Previous page
  1. Book 1 of 2
    Bill Conlin Thriller
  2. Print length
    326 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Sticky notes
    On Kindle Scribe
  5. Publication date
    Nov. 30 2013
  6. Grade level
    7 - 12
  7. File size
    1755 KB
  8. Page Flip
    Enabled
  9. Word Wise
    Enabled
  10. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
  11. See all details
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Total Price: CDN$6.31
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Product description

Review

"There are not sufficient adjectives in the English language to effectively describe this book! It was mind-blowing, to say the very least! The main character, Bill, was awesome! I was rooting for him all the way! The book is amazingly written, it felt like I was right there alongside Bill, shooting and "bustin' a cap in those thugs' asses" "Mind-blowing!!!" (Sonja Myburgh, author of A Bullet For You) "Afghanistan war veteran Bill Conlin is trying to stay straight and out of trouble. What follows is a nail-biting slalom through the streets of New York, as Bill tries to dodge the unwanted attention of Mexican and Russian gangs, as well as keeping on the right side of Sullivan and out of the clutches of the law. However, along the way there is a trail of destruction and collateral damage. A good read." "An atmospheric tale of violence and greed" (Charles R Stubbs, author of Web of Deceit) "Bill Conlin has only one real skill - a special forces skill for weapons, combat, survival. From the poverty tracks to the 24/7 murky money-making machines of drugs, slavery, prostitution, organized crime and moral ambiguity. This is neo-noir, totally compulsive, one man who may seem like he his taking on the world but is, in the final analysis, taking on himself." "Ambiguous Compulsive Noir" (Chloe Thurlow, author of Sophie's Secret) "This book shows a very interesting look at what happened to a great deal of the veterans who are coming home from that war. They are shunned, stepped on and made to feel less than human. Immerse yourself in this tale and see the mental destruction that takes place from within." "Bourbon and Blood" (James M. Copeland, author of Bottom Bones)

About the Author

Garrard Hayes is a lifelong New York resident whose ancestors made their living on the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn. His love of crime fiction and gritty story telling sparked him to write. He lives in New York with his wife, two children and three dogs. Check out garrardhayes.com for book reviews and more.

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B00E6WK0XU
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 1755 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 326 pages
  • Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 0989767108
  • Customer Reviews:
    3.7 3.7 out of 5 stars 473 ratings

About the author

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Garrard Hayes

Garrard Hayes

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Garrard Hayes is a crime writer, blogger and digital designer. He is extremely active in the social media community promoting himself and other authors. He’s a lifelong New Yorker whose ancestors made their living on the streets of Manhattan and Brooklyn for generations. His love of action, crime fiction and American movie culture sparked him to write his first novel. He lives in New York with his wife, two children and three dogs. Please stop by garrardhayes.com for book reviews and more.

Customer reviews

3.7 out of 5 stars
3.7 out of 5
473 global ratings

Top reviews from Canada

Doreen Graham
4.0 out of 5 stars Captivating gang world
Reviewed in Canada on July 3, 2014
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The title of this book is perfect to set the mood and atmosphere of the gangster world. A fascinating story with some frightening characters. I wish the author would show and not tell, but I see great potential for more action stories to come. A few editing issues throughout. I received this ebook for free in exchange for an honest review. I'm glad to support new authors and anticipate great things from this author in future books. I would recommend this book to action story lovers. I could not put this book down until the last page was reached.
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Adam Gainer
3.0 out of 5 stars Deep new crime thriller, with an old timey feel.
Reviewed in Canada on September 11, 2014
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Not a bad crime thriller. The story moves fast and the flow of the writing keeps the tension in the story going until the last page. The subtext notes deep social issues that are rarely spoken about, making this a very interesting and enlightening read.

Well done.
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Greg at 2 Book Lovers Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
Reviewed in Canada on October 17, 2013
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I thought that the author could have done so much more with the main character. I found Bill to be a one dimensional person that I really didn't care about. The premise of the story was good but I find a story to be much better when the author creates a main character that I "care" about. It looks like there could be a sequel, but I will not be looking for it.
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Top reviews from other countries

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Ralph E. Vaughan
5.0 out of 5 stars Bourbon & Blood...and Plenty of Both
Reviewed in the United States on January 18, 2015
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In "Bourbon & Blood" author Garrard Hayes gives the reader plenty of both. Returning Afghan war veteran Bill Conlin is looking for work. When his cousin Jimmy hooks him up with a local crime syndicate, he doesn't quite know what he's got himself into, until it's too late to get out, which is after he sees a guy being brutally tortured...the unlucky fellow is the person he is replacing. That's what happens, he's told, to guys who disappoint the boss.

Although Bill is rough and tumble, doesn't hesitate to shoot someone intent on killing him, and can break bones without a second thought, he does have something of a moral compass, which often leads him astray within the context of clashing crime organizations. When ordered to disrupt the brothel activities of the Mexicans, he ends up rescuing several girls forced into the sex-slave trade. And, of course, as is usually the case, no good deed goes unpunished.

When he's partnered with the morally reprehensible Kenny, he finds himself caught between the Mexicans, the Russians, some corrupt Feds, and some even more corrupt local cops. Not to mention in hot water with his own bosses, the Irish Mob--when Kenny is not trying to sell him out to other mobs, he's telling lies to their boss, moving him closer to meeting the same fate as the guy he replaced, who, perhaps not so coincidentally, also had Kenny for a partner.

This is a very violent crime novel, with gunplay and beatings at every turn, and a few graphic torture scenes make this a story not for the squeamish. On the other hand, it is very well written and plotted. The characterization is spot on, and while you can never condone the actions taken by Bill, even when he's trying to make the best out of a bad thing, you do find yourself pulling for him as a person as he seeks to survive the savage maelstrom into which he has foolishly jumped.
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Martin Barkawitz
5.0 out of 5 stars Grandioses Gemetzel
Reviewed in Germany on July 11, 2014
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Bill Conlin ist ein Kriegsteilnehmer, der in ein düsteres New York zurückkehrt und sich von seinem Cousin zum Jobben für den irischen Mob verleiten lässt - doch wer mit dem Teufel isst, braucht einen langen Löffel, wie das Sprichwort so schön sagt.

"Bourbon & Blood" ist ein harter und blutiger Thriller voller überraschender Wendungen und Plot Points. Gibt es "New York Noir"? Wahrscheinlich - wenn ja, dann gehört dieser Roman zweifellos in diese Kategorie. Ich freue mich schon auf weitere Abenteuer dieses desillusionierten Helden!
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Mish Medhat
5.0 out of 5 stars Exhilarating read, full of adrenalin-pumped action – read it, you won’t be disappointed!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on June 30, 2014
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I started reading this book thinking it was very 1950’s film noir-ish, but it transformed into very much a RocknRolla type thing, but then something utterly amazing happened and I felt I was reading a novel that would easily match the intricate plot line of The Departed. I enjoyed every second of reading this book! I couldn’t get enough of Bill Conlin and I could see Jason Statham doing justice to this role! You know a good book when you get completely absorbed and forget the world around you, and as far as I was concerned I was right in there with Bill, Jimmy and the gang, ducking the bullets and doing dodgy deals. As a writer myself, it is always interesting to see how violence is portrayed, and how far an author will go. My books are graphic and extreme violence is everywhere. This book is a little less explicit but as far as I’m concerned, you can’t tell a story about New York gangs from rival Irish, Russian and Mexican crews without a bit of blood, guts and gore! It’s all in context and makes the story a really riveting read. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes gutsy crime thriller with more twists than your average country lane. To my mind, it was a fabulous and I look forward to the next book in the series.
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Jenny
4.0 out of 5 stars A brilliant read
Reviewed in Australia on August 1, 2014
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I bought this book because of all the twitter hype and I'm glad I did. Fast paced, thriller all the way through. I was hooked from the beginning and the ending has left me hanging wanting more. I'm looking forward to more from this author.
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Graham Downs
4.0 out of 5 stars Fans of the Mafia video games will love this!
Reviewed in the United States on February 21, 2017
Verified Purchase
First, a bit of context: I'm a huge fan of the Mafia series of video games. When I first started reading this book, I thought it read like "Mafia: The Novel". And it was awesome!

Having now finished the book, I do still feel that way. The story was at the same time familiar, and original. Unlike the video game series, it's set in modern times, but the basic premise is the same. A war veteran is down on his luck and struggling to find work, and he gets roped up in the mob by doing a relatively "simple" task, but things quickly escalate from there.

It's well plotted, with lots of twists and turns, and they all seem to resolve themselves quite satisfactorily.

Editing-wise, it starts out good, but the writing quality starts to slip more and more the deeper you get into the book. I'd hardly call it "unreadable", but there were some things that ripped me out of the world, like missing quotation marks and some missing or incorrectly used words here and there.

The other thing is that it ends on a cliffhanger. Generally, I don't like cliffhangers and avoid books that have them, but I re-checked, and there was no mention of a cliffhanger in the blurb. It's not such a huge problem in this case because I was really enjoying the story when it ended. So, I'll probably end up reading Book 2 - but based on my track record, that could be a year or more from now, and I worry that by the time I get to it I'll have forgotten where our hero was... which is one of the reasons why I seldom read series, full stop.
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