The Lion's Share

This is the second Jimmy Flannery that I've read. I lived for many years in Chicago and love the Chicago setting, although Jimmy Flannery is Southside and Irish, and that's a whole different world from lakefront liberal wasp. This is one of the later books in the series -- Jimmy has climbed the political ladder and is now in a position to consider running for Alderman (an important position in Chicago politics). His "Chinaman," the man who has helped him along the way, dies at the beginning of this book, and he kind of inherits the man's kingdom, both physical and political. He ends up dealing with a problem involving a middle-aged hooker and competing circles of prostitution. Jimmy struggles to be honest and good in a system that makes that difficult. He knows there's a line somewhere in all that grey that he doesn't want to cross, but where is it? And what's going on, exactly? In the political circles in which he moves, it can be difficult to figure out exactly what's going on. There's a woman found dead, and Jimmy gets called to the scene. Was it an accident or murder, and if it was murder, who did it? And who is it that is trying to get him involved? A lot of this book is about Chicago and Chicago politics, about a political system that remembers what it was like under the old Mayor Daley but knows that things are changing, particularly as politicians find themselves under indictment for doing things that were considered perfectly acceptable in the past (and were in fact legal then). I intend to read more in the series. But if you're looking for a fast-paced thriller, this isn't the book for you. It's atmospheric and thoughtful, a kind of political noir novel (think of the movie Chinatown here, and move it to Chicago).

The Lion's Share begins with the death of Jimmy Flannery's long-time political sponsor (his "Chinaman"), Chips Devlin. Jimmy is in for a surprise when he learns that he has inherited the Devlin house just so long as he lives in it. Soon his wife, Mary, is sorting out all of Devlin's belongings and picking out wallpaper. Friends begin pitching in to do the hard work of restoring the house.Jimmy finds himself without a political mentor for the first time in his adult life. He's surprised to find ex-congressman Leo Lundatos at the wake for Chips. Lundatos soon issues an invitation for Jimmy to join the team as his right-hand man while Lundatos tries to make a fresh start by running for local office as alderman from the 11th ward. This seems like the big time to Jimmy, but there are a few things bothering him. First, Lundatos lost his job in Congress for being caught at minor thievery. Jimmy is all for doing the right thing. Second, can the two men actually work together? Third, can Lundatos be trusted? The offer quickly gets around, and Jimmy receives a surprise telephone call telling him to come to a building if he wants to know whether or not to take the offer. When he gets there, the caller disappears without being seen . . . but Jimmy does find a beautiful woman dead in a bath tub. This is a woman Jimmy had met at the wake who chose to call herself Fay Wray, and earned her living by pleasing men.Jimmy calls the police, and stays involved to be sure that the murder doesn't get swept under the rug. In the process of finding out who killed Fay Wray, he learns a lot about Lundatos and his wife. By the time the story's over, it's an easy decision for Jimmy to make.The theme of this story is that you don't know how sound your principles are until you've been tempted to abandon them. Naturally, powerful politicians receive all kinds of favors and may come to expect special treatment. As Jimmy moves up the political ladder, he will find himself mixing with those who have been compromised by that access. I like this series very much, but I did not enjoy the ugly material in here about paid sex. For that reason, this is one of my least favorite Jimmy Flannery books. For those who remember who Dan Rostenkowski was, the Lundatos character seems loosely based on the former House Speaker's Congressional career. After you finish this story, think about what principles you believe in that you would not usually compromise. What temptations might you have to overcome in order to hold to those principles? How can you prepare to resist the most challenging temptations?

This is the 1st book by Robert Campbell I have ever read and I am hooked! This book is a swift moving book about politics and a murder in Chicago. The Irish-Americans are the most popular characters. You can read this book in about one or two days. And read it again, and again, and again......