Thank you to NetGalley and Grand Central Publishing for the advanced reader copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

This was my favorite book of the year! Based on true events, it's about the mafia in 1970s Chicago. A mob boss goes on the warpath after his home is robbed. The main character, Nicky Passero, is a guy on the fringes of the mob who finds himself between a rock and a hard place, doing the mob's dirty deeds while desperate to escape the murderous lifestyle he finds himself stuck to. I just loved everything about this book, especially the pace, characters and dialogue. I hope this one gets made into a movie, would love to see it on the big screen!

I really liked Chuck Hogan's Prince of Thieves so I was excited to read Gangland and I was not disappointed! I've always loved my mob movies and this was a good, straight up old fashioned mob book, that I could clearly see being made into a movie! It had action, suspense and even your soft hearted mobsters, all the makings of a great read!

Thank you for the opportunity to preview Gangland.
If you like movies like The Godfather or even Mean streets you will enjoy this one!
Written well and great dialogue this book takes the reader into the mob world and much more.
Good read 3.5 stars

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with this book to review.

"Gangland" by Chuck Hogan is a riveting and gritty exploration of the criminal underworld that captivates readers from the very first page. Hogan's masterful storytelling and in-depth research into the world of organized crime create a narrative that is both authentic and captivating.

The novel follows a diverse cast of characters, each with their own motivations and backgrounds, as they navigate the complex and dangerous landscape of gangs and criminal enterprises. Hogan's character development is superb, allowing readers to become deeply invested in the lives of these individuals, whether they are law enforcement officers trying to bring down the criminal syndicates or members of the gangs themselves.

Hogan's writing style is both vivid and evocative, painting a vivid picture of the settings and situations the characters find themselves in. The action scenes are intense and well-paced, keeping readers on the edge of their seats as the story unfolds. Additionally, Hogan's attention to detail and his ability to depict the intricacies of criminal operations lend an air of authenticity to the narrative.

One of the novel's strengths is its exploration of the moral ambiguity that often accompanies life in the criminal underworld. Hogan delves into the motivations and conflicts that drive individuals to make choices that blur the lines between right and wrong, adding depth and complexity to the storyline. This thematic exploration elevates "Gangland" beyond a mere crime thriller, making it a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant read.

While "Gangland" excels in many aspects, some readers might find the novel's intricate web of characters and organizations slightly overwhelming. Keeping track of the various alliances and rivalries can be challenging at times, but the payoff is well worth the effort as the storylines converge in a satisfying and explosive climax.

In conclusion, "Gangland" by Chuck Hogan is a gripping and well-crafted novel that offers an immersive and authentic look into the world of organized crime. With its rich character development, evocative writing, and exploration of moral complexity, this book is a must-read for fans of crime fiction and anyone seeking a compelling and immersive narrative.

If you gangs book. This author writes good books. You will like this book.I can't put it down it's so good.

I loved this mafia book based on true characters in 1970’s Chicago. It was very interesting!
Many thanks to Grand Central Publishing and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Gangland - Chuck Hogan

Posted June 11th, 2023

Gangster - Chuck Hogan

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

This story begins with Chicago's Tony Accardo, the head of The Outfit, tasks his soldier Nicky Pins with getting revenge for a specific act (a theft team ignored paying homage to Accardo by giving him 50% off their gains) by performing random acts of punishment - killing of other thieves, who had. Nothing to do with the specific crime they are being killed for. Who knows what was in Accardo's mind, maybe  he was killing them before they took, could rip him off. A very misguided warming...

Meanwhile, Nicky Pins (along with his fulltime job of maintaining his bowling alley and fulfilling Accardo's murderous whims) is tormented by the cops constantly pushing him for information they can use to arrest his boss (fuhgetaboutit, history shows us that didn't occur).

I typically LOVE mob novels (and movies) however this one focuses on the way in which one mob boss, Accardo, uses a soldier to fulfill his burgeoning mental illness, as he feels he is losing his grip on his people, he seemingly similarly losses his grip on his own rationality.

Although this book has won awards, for me it didn't trigger the fascination that stories about the height of the mob's reign does; it felt flat, for me.

I guess if you are going to write about the mob, it is difficult to find a story that hasn't already been "done' to death, one that feels "new", but still...

I did find the book refreshingly well written, the author merely chose a relatively  " small" story among a wealth of riches (which were likely already written about). Personally, for a mob "fix" I would recommend revisiting the well-known movie classics such as the Godfather series or Goodfellas.

If you want a true historical fix about the mob read one or more of the following: Mafia and Mafiosi by Henner Hess, Mafia Brotherhoods by John Dickie (for an extensive history of not just the mafia brotherhood but also the : ’ndrangheta and the camorra) or, of you are obsessed by mob murders, try Excellent Cadavers by Alexander Stille.
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There are stories about mob bosses feigning insanity (Vincent Gigante, did so for decades) and other issues the author could have written about that would have been more interesting, as although Nick Calabrese was the only Chicago mob's
"made" turncoat, and he was Tony Accardo's  primary enforcer, the story is written to focus on one small thing, Accardo's revenge when a present he purchased for his wife was stolen in a job he didn't even receive his "respect" compensation for, (50% of the take) and although that is an interesting footnote, the story isn't interesting enough to short writing a book about it.

In short, a solid author, but in my humble opinion, the wrong choice of story.

Until next time, choose your reading matter wisely, there is a wealth of great books in print, as well as numerous surprisingly talented new authors with engaging debut novels.

This was my first Chuck Hogan book. I enjoyed it intertwines history and fiction pleasantly and there's not a disconnect. I don't usually like crime novels but to me this didn't read like the typical one. I was engaged and enjoyed the writing style. Nicky Pins is a character you really learn to love a criminal that you hope can turn things around.

My introduction to Chuck Hogan was through the fantastic PRINCE OF THIEVES, which was made into the movie "The Town," starring Ben Affleck. Loved the book, enjoyed the movie. So, Hogan has been on my radar ever since. Worth pointing out that I also loved THE GODFATHER as well (book and movie), and the thought of Hogan dipping into mob territory for GANGLAND really got my interest. This one is a banger and doesn't disappoint. Hogan is one of the more underrated writers of crime fiction. Put him on your radar!

The story started off so good and intriguing. A mafia gang and the characters are really interesting to read about. But somehow halfway through I kinda lost interest, it became too repetitive and not really much suspenseful and entertaining as i would have hoped for.
I’m sure many readers will enjoy it but unfortunately it wasn’t a great one for me.

Very grateful to the publisher for my review copy through NetGalley

A look at the 70s in Chicago's mafia landscape. A captivating look into the minds of those involved. Great characters. Riveting story. Very realistic portrayal of Chicago and the mafia that ruled the streets.

At first the book started off excellent, but then it just went down hill from there. I lost interest halfway through. I am giving this 3 stars

Gangland is a helluva good read for all of the reasons one would expect. Set in the late 70s and dealing with the Chicago Mob – the Outfit – Gangland is full of tough talk and tough tension. Strong men turned weak with betrayal. Shrewd planning upturned with crazed indecision. Gangland is an in-your-face page turner of a story that is hotter than a stolen bracelet and cooler than a Lake Michigan breeze.

Based on the true story of Tony “Joey Batters” Accardo, Chuck Hogan breaks apart some of that Mob mystique that popularized Goodfellas and The Sopranos but he has no problem successfully playing in their shadows. Taking a nugget of Accardo truth, Hogan expands and plots on what a life of crime means, the rationalization of such a choice, and the endgame of its players. Gangland starts with a series of solo vignettes that perfectly draw together into a dramatic composite. A former capo is whacked. A perfect heist is thrown – but at the wrong jewelry store. An innocent drink is toasted at a guilty bar. And the throughline of it all is Nicky Passero, loyal soldier, low-level go-fer, and bowling lane proprietor. Using Passero, Hogan opens up a world of crazy intentions and misplaced honor that is both horrific to understand while remaining an alluring fantasy.

While Passero fights to restore his own family, Accardo tasks him to uphold duties to the Family. And as the cops and feds get ever closer, Accardo seemingly slips into self-delusion. Or is he becoming crazy like a fox? Nicky, meanwhile, has his own secrets that are eating him alive, when all he wants to do is bowl.

With Gangland, Chuck Hogan serves up a feast of pulpy goodness. One that deserves to be savoured with a knife in one hand and a bottle of A-1 in the other. And brother is it good.

Compelling From Beginning To End!

I won’t spend time describing the plot of Gangland as this can be found in in the Book Description, other than to say that it pertains to the main character, on the “outer limits” of the Mafia, being summoned by real-life head of the Chicago Outfit, Tony Accardo, and charged with helping to recover items stolen from his house. From that moment until the final page, I was engrossed in every aspect of this book. That’s due to author, Chuck Hogan, creating a plot that is filled with action and surprises, developing primary and secondary characters that are three-dimensional, very realistic dialogue and a sense of time and place that makes the reader feel he/she is “right there” experiencing everything going on.

For me, Gangland is one of the best thrillers I’ve read this year, thus making it a book I’d highly recommend to anyone who likes books that will keep you turning the pages as fast as possible to see what happens next, and especially books involving the Mafia.

#Gangland. #NetGalley

I could not put this book down. Nicky is a gay peripheral player, an errand boy for the Man in Chicago until he is tasked with killing (with a grisley message) an old retired mobster, who trusts him. He is catapulted into a dark world and is blackmailed into being an FBI informant. I will look for more books by this author!

A great story that has the Outfit boss wanting the jewels back from a heist that was done over a weekend. One of the pieces was a gift for Accardo’s wife for Christmas. The boss turns to Nicky “Pin” Passero. Along with his crew of Sally Brags and Crease Man, they are to go after the men who did the job. That is after they returned the jewels. Of course, there is always one guy who is upset that they had to give back the stolen jewels and what he does is takes it out on the boss's house. This all adds to the story. With a little fact thrown in with fiction and you have a perfect story. Loved all of the nicknames that you don’t hear nowadays but back then always. Nick’s character is good and keeps the story moving along until the very end. For me, I enjoy stories like this which might not be for everyone but it held my attention and was worth the read. Also kept along with what was going on with the different time periods as well, well done.

Not your typical mafia read. The author does an outstanding job of portraying a 1970's era, small-time hood hanging on the periphery of the mafia. Little did he know what he was getting into when he took the plunge and became a Don's secret weapon. Full of double-crosses, excellent descriptions of friendships between men, a great story, and a surprising ending. I could not put this one down! Definitely will be following this author from here on.

I made the mistake of reading this book too soon after finishing City on Fire by Don Winslow. I thought City on Fire was one of the best "gangster" novels I've ever read and I would put it up there with The Godfather. Gangland was good, but not as good and as such, I feel like I did this book a disservice by unfairly (but inevitably) comparing the two.

My plan is to let some time pass, let myself forget and re-read at some point. I think I'll enjoy it more.

Gangland by Chuck Hogan is a 1970's gangster novel that is inspired by true events. The plot of this story feels really small but then you open up the paranoia of both the gangsters and the thieves, then heads will roll. There's scenes in both Goodfellas and Casino where a lot of people die because of what they are involved in the scene last 5-10 minutes. This novel is one of those scenes expanded into the tracking, the execution, and the planning. The novel follows Nicky "Two Pins" a man with secrets who runs a legitimate business the bowling alley, but what most other people don't know until it's too late is he is the guy that handles the executions, he's also an FBI informant, and closetly gay. The secrets are what he does and there's no one better. The climax was very worth while and exciting. The epilogue is long and many years after the climax it answers some of the questions but not all. The opening scene is a little rough and felt cliche, but the ending to that scene starts this easily readable novel going. The pace of Gangland is very fast. This is my forth Chuck Hogan book (I read Strain trilogy that he co-wrote with Guillermo del Toro about a vampire war) and Gangland my first Gangster novel since that is what he's known for with Prince of Thieves also known as The Town (to match the film title). Thanks to Netgalley and Grand Central Publishing for letting me read the ARC. Gangland is published on August 2 2022.

Plot Summary: Nicky "Two Pins" has just done the biggest double cross killing his mentor for a way to move up and works under Tony Accardo who is the boss of Chicago and a protégé under Al Capone. Nicky has kept it all underwraps from FBI since he is an unwilling informant that blackmails him for being gay during the 1970's. Everything is going smoothly until thieves steal form a jeweler without permissions and steal an anniversary present from Tony to his wife. The thieves get confronted and are told to return everything and maybe they can work together in the future. The guy that set this up had to return his kid and wife's Christmas present as Tony vacations in Palm Springs. He decides to break into Tony's house while he's on vacation and steal the jewels back, but they were not there, but something of value was the books of payoffs, that same thing that took Al Capone down. Tony wants the people responsible and to send a message to thieves no one steals from Tony! It's a cat and mouse game to find who is responsible before the thief realizes what he has and figures out the code of the books.

What I Liked: I love a good gangster story and this one starts off okay but gets really great as paranoia hits everyone involved, then double and triple crosses start to happen. I loved all the pop culture references, and just how hard it was to get a star wars toy at Christmas. I really liked the character of Nicky "Two Pins" and felt for his secret gay life and the way he treated others fairly in his business. I like how easily Tony could lie even when backed in the corner and the evidence is looking you him in the face. I like how I could feel the 1970's throughout the novel. I really liked the climax and how intense and chaotic it got.

What I Disliked: The opening scene was very cliche, I was worried the whole book was going to be this way, but it was not. I wanted to see a little bit more of his struggles with being gay and a gangster. I really wanted to see the drunken fight with his wife where he confessed how prison and his cellmate changed him. The epilogue could have answered what Nicky did after the climax instead of 13 years later a little bit sooner.

Recommendations: If you're looking for a gangster novel that is brutal and features lots of betrayals then this is it. I recommend this novel for it's super quick pace and when reading this story I kept asking me what's going to happen next? It's not a great book but a very solid story. I rated Gangland by Chuck Hogan 4 out of 5 stars.

If you are into mob stories, Gangland is for you. I really liked it and thought author Chuck Hogan did a great job in writing it. He kept my interest throughout.
Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.