Ripped From The Headlines
5out of 5 stars
There is something about a well-written Detective/PI story that makes me not able to put the book down. The interaction of the private investigator (or in this case investigators) and the people surrounding the crime makes for such an enjoyable story.
Joey Mancuso used to be a cop. He was forced off of the force due to some good police work that had him barking up the wrong tree. Now he helps run a bar that is frequented by Wall Street money-men while trying to get a PI firm off the ground. He is joined by his half-brother Father O’Brian. And believe it or not, the combination of an ex-cop and a priest make for some awesome detective and PI work.
After finishing A Murder On Wall Street I can tell you this — I will definitely be picking up other audiobooks in this series if Parr and Skyboat make them. I loved the interaction of Mancuso and Father O’Brien along with his interactions with his girlfriend and FBI agent Marcy. Mancuso mentions numerous times that he had a different way of solving crimes and that came out a little, but overall I found him to be one of the more enjoyable PI’s I’ve followed.
The story itself was straight out of the playbook of the real-life crime TV show “American Greed”. Honestly, after finishing it, I feel like it was real and that I actually watched a documentary instead of reading a fiction book.
Parr did his research — every character in this book felt both believable and like they could have done it. The ending reminded me a bit of the ending of the movie Clue (with slightly less comedy). Mancuso seemed to have an heir for theatrics (but I won’t ruin the ending by explaining why I mean here).
The narration for A Murder On Wall Street was done by Stefan Rudnicki who does a great job. I had no issues at all listening to him tell this story. To be honest, he allowed me to get even more into it. He voiced each character slightly differently, but the overall tone remained the same allowing for an easy listening experience.
Overall, A Murder On Wall Street was a highly enjoyable and relatively short crime thriller/mystery that I think readers of either genre will enjoy. Fans of American Greed should also check this out, it feels like it was ripped right from the headlines.
Book Description:
Can a priest, his brother, and the brother’s girlfriend solve a murder case and see justice done—or will they be the murderer’s latest victim?
A Murder on Wall Street takes us inside the world of Captain O’Brian’s Irish Pub and Cigar Bar in Manhattan, a legendary hotspot in the Financial District. Investigating the death are pub owners Joey Mancuso, fired from the NYPD for his unorthodox methods, and his brother Father Dominic, who isn’t your typical priest. Also investigating is Marcy Martinez, a Cuban bombshell and FBI agent who’s Joey’s girlfriend. When a customer kills himself after celebrating the night before, the three know something’s wrong. Turns out, the customer’s death coincides with people losing money, and lots of it—and some of those people are very, very dangerous.
The apparent suicide of a hedge fund executive and the hit and run accident of his assistant leads Mancuso, Father O’Brian, and FBI Special Agent Martinez into the underworld of Wall Street. Money laundering, insider trading, and a Ponzi scheme are but a few of the crimes they uncovered, as they try and piece together this crime-ridden puzzle.
Joey Mancuso spent sixteen years in the NYPD earning his First Grade Detective shield and becoming one of the most successful homicide detectives. His last case, the murder of a homeless person in an alley behind the famed 21 Club, went unsolved. Political pressure undermined the case, as Joey’s efforts led him to a congressional candidate and a Wall Street major donor with political juice. His efforts to continue the investigation in spite of the pushback caused his forced retirement from the NYPD. The Internal Affairs Division has sealed his file warning him to cease or else.
Now a half-owner, with his half-brother, Catholic priest, Father Mancuso, of an Irish pub, he continues his quest to solve crimes. Both are private investigators and together with Joey’s girlfriend, FBI agent Marcy, set out to bring to justice perpetrators of crimes, law enforcement is ignoring.
Fast-paced, suspenseful and thrilling, A Murder on Wall Street is one case you’ll want to solve yourself. But the ending is unexpected, as the puzzle finally comes together in this page-turner you won’t want to put down.
A Murder on Wall Street by Owen Parr
Narrator: Stefan Rudnicki
Length: 5 hrs and 17 mins
Series: Joey Mancuso & Father O'Brian #1
Published by Skyboat Media on May 9th 2017
Genres: Mystery
Pages: 278
Format: Audiobook
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I received this book for free. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Also by this author: The Dead Have Secrets, A Murder on Long Island (A Joey Mancuso, Father O'Brian Crime Mystery #2), The Manhattan Red Ribbon Killer, The Case of the Antiquities CollectorAlso in this series: A Murder on Long Island (A Joey Mancuso, Father O'Brian Crime Mystery #2), The Manhattan Red Ribbon Killer, The Case of the Antiquities Collector, The Murder of Paulo Mancuso
About the Author:
Just announced on 2/16/17 —Owen Parr won the New Apple Literary Services for “Mystery” in 2016 with ‘The Dead Have Secrets” and the IACM “Best Crime Author-Gold” also in 2016. Readers have compared Owen’s novels to classics from Robert Ludlum and Michaels Connelly. One reader wrote: “If Ludlum and Connelly wrote a novel together, it would be an Owen Parr novel.” Utilizing his experiences of over a quarter of a century working for Wall Street firms, he has crafted a series of political intrigue and crime novels, fusing fiction with facts. Born in Havana, Cuba, and later growing up in Miami. He enjoys reading fiction to transport himself to another world. And in his writing, he does that for his readers in a very successful way. His readers are fully wrapped in the plots and have fallen in love with his amazing characters.
Published author of articles in trade magazines. Hobby painter of acrylics on canvas and middle of the road golfer, Owen spends his day still employed in the financial advice industry.
Married at the age of nineteen he pursued a career in electrical engineering until boredom set in. From there he went to own and operate his own multi-branch real estate firm and licensing school.
Since 1986 he has been employed in the financial advice industry. During this time he has written articles for the local paper, political ramblings for his blog and screenplays that he is now converting into fictional novels.
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