The Gangster

February 1, 2016
Set in 1906, bestseller Cussler’s thrilling ninth Isaac Bell adventure (after 2015’s The Assassin, also coauthored with Scott) pits Bell, an operative in the Van Dorn Detective Agency, against Antonio Branco, who’s outwardly a respectable New York City businessman but is in fact a ruthless crime boss. Branco is willing to bribe and murder to enhance his profits, and he does both to land a contract to “provision the biggest construction job in America.” Bell has his hands full working to thwart the Black Hand in New York City, a gang that exploits poor Italians and rich alike, and which benefits from the inadequate resources of the NYPD. But he gets even busier when he learns that a member of a “secret tycoon club,” who fears Teddy Roosevelt will learn that he illegally profited from the Panama Canal Treaty, wants the president dead. The fascinating and suspenseful plot compensates for thin characterizations. Agent: Peter Lampack, Peter Lampack Agency.

March 1, 2016
New York City, 1906. The Black Hand, a criminal syndicate composed largely of Italian immigrants, has the city in a tight grip of fear. Isaac Bell, of the Van Dorn Agency, is tasked with putting a stop to their crimes (which include, but are not limited to, extortion and kidnapping). But Bell soon begins to wonder: Is the Black Hand a cover for a darker, more subtle form of crime? A series of murdersthe victims are all highly placed in societyleads Bell to the shocking truth. As usual, this latest Bell thriller combines a vivid historical environment with a top-notch story and enjoyable, realistic characters. Bell, the detective whose nimble intellect often gets him out of tight situations, is one of Cussler's most engaging protagonists, and the seriesunlike some of his other older seriesremains fresh and exciting. HIGH-DEMAND BACKSTORY: The Cussler fiction factory continues to turn out a dizzying array of products, and the brand continues to sell itself across multiple series, though the Isaac Bell novels lead the way in terms of quality.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)

November 1, 2015

Isaac Bell is back in his ninth outing, and since his previous adventures have all been top-five New York Times best sellers, expect big interest. In 1906 New York City, he faces the Italian crime group known as the Black Hand.

Copyright 2015 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.