The Angel of Montague Street

--Enjoy visualizing interesting characters? --Enjoy a well written detective story? --Spend some time with this novel, you will not be disappointed.

An excellent writer who captures Brookyln and makes it a character in the story. I grew up in the area, have known similar street people, and Norman Green is right on the money. One quibble, a personal thing that always annoys the hell out of me from otherwise competent writers: revolvers DO NOT have safeties. Makes me wonder if Mr. Green took Tough Guy 101 before writing this story. Amatuerish mistake, usually committed by a rank beginner. That said, this book is fantastic.

Norman Green is a very good writer and reminds me of Richard Price. In The Angel of Montague Street Greens tells the story of Silvana Iurata, who returns to Brooklyn after many years to find out what happened to his missing brother. He is well aware of the danger of his return, as his mob-connected cousin, who has held a grudge against Silvana from when they were teenagers, is planning to find and kill him. Green is a real pro in developing very "real", three-dimensional characters and in capturing the language and nuances of those from the seedier side of Brooklyn in the 1970's. If you enjoy books that are driven more by character development that plot, this is definitely a book I think you'll enjoy. If plot development and action-oriented thrillers, however, are your thing, then maybe you would be better off with a different book. While the plot is interesting and holds your attention, it moves at a pretty slow pace. So be prepared if you decide to take on this book. Having read and enjoyed The Angel of Montague Street, Green's second book, I bought his two other books.

Green writes a good yarn ... he knows how to lay out a story, populate it with interesting characters and keep the twists and turns to a plausible level that maintains your interest. Highly recommended -- as are his first and third novels.

At the age of seventeen, Brooklyn born Silvano Iurata was forced to go on the run after completing a mission for his grandfather Dominic, a high ranking Mafia official. After he left his cousin Little Don believed he killed his father and had an affair with his sister who was sent to the convent in disgrace. Little Don vows to torture then kill Silvano when he next steps foot in New York City but that proves difficult to do because his cousin works for the government and has no permanent address.Years later Silvano returns to Brooklyn to learn what happened to his kind-hearted, mentally impaired brother who disappeared without a trace. He finds out whom his brother worked for and hung around with. In the course of his inquiries he meets a woman that he falls for. However, Little Don knows that his cousin is in town and salivates to get his hands on the relative he hates with a passion.This is a dark and grimy urban noir thriller that focuses on those who, like the protagonist, live on the outskirts of society. The year is 1972 and the power of the Mafia remains intact so that Silvano steps carefully around relatives in the "family" and works overtime not to touch off a mob war that could hurt the people he cares about. He is still recovering from his year in Vietnam and readers will credit him for trying to do the right thing and stepping away from the violent culture he was raised in. THE ANGEL OF MONTAGUE STREET is no angel but he is quite a man.Harriet Klausner