“Tin Badges” is a terrific read

Lorenzo Carcaterra has written an exciting roller coaster of a story about a couple of beaten up retired NYPD detectives who cannot quite bring themselves to just sit around in rocking chairs - or wheelchairs.

Tank and Pearl are flawed, yet good people doing some of the most difficult work possible - chasing cold cases from NYPD. I am rooting for Tank’s nephew and cannot wait for Book 2!

This was a great book. I really like the connection between people in the different walks of life and how they can all come together to fight a common cause. I think in today's world we need to see more stories about how people can work together.

Tank Rizzio is a creature of habit. He's lived his whole life in the same neighborhood, where he knows everyone. He and his longtime partner Pearl are retired NYC detectives. While they should be off ice fishing, collecting coins, or doing whatever retired folks do -- they are still working cases for the chief. Tank and Pearl do not fit the accepted cliche of tough guy cop. These guys love jazz music, fine wine, and museums. . .and they are relentless pursuers of justice.

Long estranged from his brother, Tank had never even met his fifteen-year-old nephew, Chris. Until they were thrown into each other's lives after a car accident claimed the lives of his brother and sister-in-law, it was an uncomfortable union for both. But when Tank discovers they have some common ground to build on, Chris is interested in crime stories, mysteries, and has some impressive computer skills. Tank and Pearl are handed a new case involving the of rape and robbery of two young women. At first glance, this case appeared to take the detectives one way quickly changed directions when it is tied to a ruthless king-pin named Gonzo.

Tin Badge is a fast-paced, well thought out story that keeps the reader interested and entertained. The characters are easily relatable, flawed, and believable. The good guys are likeable and I was quickly cheering for them. The bad guys were. . .Well, bad. I was quickly hoping they would get what they deserved. I enjoyed this book and eagerly await a follow up.

Tin Badges by Lorenzo Carcaterra, a great read. I really enjoyed Tin Badges and even though I have not read the other books by this author I fully plan to put them on my TBR list. A retired cop and his partner are handed a cold case by the chief, when he receives a phone call that his nephew is now an orphan... The book picks up from there.

Tank Rizzo is a retired NY police officer. His new role in the NYPD is a tin badge. With the help of his old partner Pearl, a semi retired mobster, and an unlike team of misfits, he takes on a cold case that nobody can figure out.
In the midst of the case Tank gets devastating news. His estranged brother and sister in law were killed in a car accident leaving behind an angry sad teenager. Chris moves in with his uncle and neither is sure what to do and how to be a family. The two start to bond and figure out there shared passion of solving a good mystery.
I enjoyed this book. The ending was intriguing. I have never read this author before but I will definitely be on the lookout for the next book in the series.

I want to thank Ballantine Books and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read this advanced copy in exchange for an impartial review. This was my first Lorenzo Caraterra novel, but hopefully not my last. The main character is Tank Rizzo, a retired NYPD detective, known on the streets as a tin badge. He and his old partner, Pearl, are assigned an occasional cold case to work by the chief of detectives. Tank and Pearl are not your typical detectives, preferring museums, art galleys, jazz, wine and Italian food to bars and beer. They work these cases along with a motley crew of specialists who assist them in the investigations.
Tank has lived his entire life in the same building and neighborhood where he knows everyone. His girlfriend runs the Italian restaurant a few doors down, along with her father, a retired old school mobster. But Tank’s routine is turned upside down when his estranged brother and his wife are killed in an auto accident and Tank takes in their 15-year-old son, Chris, who he had never met. It’s a rocky relationship at first as Chris is resentful of Tank’s estrangement from his father. But Chris is also drawn to his uncle because he has an interest in crime novels, TV and is a member of an online crime solving group of fellow teens. And Chris soon proves useful with his computer skills.
The case starts out simple enough with a rape and robbery of two young women, but soon involves a major drug lord called Gonzo with a complex organization and lots of hired guns. He will stop at nothing to protect his territory.
I enjoyed the story and the characters. I hope that there will be further storylines with this crew. I would recommend it to anyone who likes crime novel such as those of Michael Connelly, Robert Crais, Robert B. Parker, or Karin Slaughter.

This is a good crime story. There are police officers (both good and bad), mobsters and drug lords. Most of the people in this book would rather shoot first and ask questions later. When Tank, a retired police officer, is asked to look into a cold case where two prostitutes were brutally attacked. It quickly becomes apparent that there is a lot more to this case. Things escalate quickly until Tank is involved in a war with a drug lord named Gonzo.

The story moves along quickly and was very interesting. There is a lot of action. There is a bit of a family element, with Tank suddenly becoming the guardian of his nephew. The ending contains a set up for a future book. I would recommend this book.

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book. The previous reviews seem to have nailed this book. It is definitely a fun story with the bad guys getting what they deserve. The logic of some of the situations leaves much to be desired. Readers will be very satisfied with this book as long as they do not expect high level literature.

Thanks Net Galley for the advance copy. I found this book to be a page turner. It has a very good plot. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys police genre.

I am really struggling with articulating how I felt about this book. It wasn’t great, it got repetitive and the pace was a mess, and despite all that I really liked it! The main character is a retired police officer with a heart of gold and an amazing ability to lead a team even though I couldn’t really figure what he did that was special on that team. But it was the relationships between him and his (sort of) father-in-law, his long time girlfriend, his nephew, and his old partner who is wheel chair bound that really drove the story. Of course it would have helped to have a more interesting mystery or more clever bad-guy to hunt down and conquer. The antagonist here was pretty lame. All that said, I would definitely recommend it as a light and fun read. If I could give 3.5 stars I would, but I’ll be generous and leave it as 4.

My thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing group for an electronic copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review.

Great read!!! Very suspenseful and high energy! I felt like I was in NYC while reading this book! Highly recommend!t

Very fast-paced procedural crime drama that has quite a few twists and turns. I very much enjoyed the novel, but I have some more constructive feedback as well. This was a very fast read for me, which wasn’t a bad thing because by halfway through the novel, I found myself quite bored and annoyed with the main character - a man I was supposed to take seriously despite his name being Tank. He kept alluding to the reason he and his brother went separate ways years ago, but never once revealed the reason why in the novel. This was extremely frustrating for the reader. In addition, I was a bit skeptical of the ethics of including a 15-year-old in a drug and potential murder investigation.

Lorenzo Carcaterra proves that he is still at the top of his game with “Tin Badges”. His unique writing style keeps you interested throughout and keeps the pages turning. He writes with a lifelong knowledge of the rough and seedy underbelly of the boroughs of New York. Plenty of character development and backstory is also provided for the key characters. I have long been a fan of “Sleepers”, and I was very excited to read this new novel from him.

Former NYPD detective Tank Rizzo is called out of retirement to assist in a dangerous case. He is aided by his former partner, Pearl, and a select group of individuals that Tank trusts with his life.

Tank’s world suddenly changes when his brother and sister-in-law are killed and Tank gets custody of his teenage nephew. Tank and his brother, Jack, have been estranged for decades. There is an ongoing reference to something that happened to cause a riff between them, but Tank is adamant about taking that secret to his grave.

As the investigation unfolds, Tank and his crew uncover a link to a notorious gangster in the cold case they are working. Tank’s nephew, Chris, is still uncertain about his new life arrangement, but he soon finds his way as he is invited to aid in the investigation. Chris is a crime and history buff, and he belongs to an online group that studies cold cases. Tank is reluctant at first to let Chris in on the case, but his skills prove to be too valuable to ignore.

As the story progresses, Tank and his crew begin receiving targeted threats from the ring leader, Gonzo, to back off. The threats turn personal, but this just infuriates Tank even more and makes him more determined to connect the dots and bring those responsible to justice. This leads up to an exciting conclusion that leaves the door open for another possible installment in a new series.

I would recommend this book to fans of mysteries and thrillers. I received this as a free ARC from Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Tin Badges are those imaginary ones carried by ex-cops and ex-military looking to clear up unsolved crimes after authorities have given up on finding a solution. Tank Rizzo is retired from the NYPD and his old commander brings him the occasional dead file to keep him and his team of misfits busy. Working one case until it is solved is a luxury available only to those no longer working the street, and Tank and crew have an excellent success rate going for them.

But the case handed down to them this time is slightly different. In the first place it is only a few months old, a home invasion where a couple of working girls were beaten and raped. The ladies spent 10 plus days in ICU, bringing attempted murder into the charges. And one of the girls was an underaged runaway from a well-to-do out-of-state family. Looking closer, there aren't many signs of real police work done on the case, and closer still there may be a link to a really nasty drug connection named Gonzo. Throw in a newly orphaned teen nephew and Tank certainly has his hands full. But you know from the get-go that he can handle it. The only question is 'how'?

This novel is filled with interesting characters who make you smile and mysteries that keep your mind hopping. I am pleased to recommend this work to friends and family. Lorenzo Carcaterra is an author to follow.

I received a free electronic copy of this novel from Netgalley, Lorenzo Carcaterra, and Mulholland Books. Thank you all for sharing your hard work with me. I have read this tale of my own volition, and this review reflects my honest opinion of this work.

An interesting twist on the usual protagonist, plus several three-dimensional supporting characters, gave this mystery a fresh and compelling plot. I liked it so much that it turned into a binge-read, and I'm a new fan of this author. Great read!

First time reading this author, won't be the last!

Great read, and character development.

The story twists and turns and never lets you down. One of those books you can't put down and when you do, you can't wait to get back to it.

Well done, there will be more of Mr Carcarerra's books on my list.

Tank Rizzo is a retired cop who occasionally takes on cold or unsolved cases for his former chief in this new thriller by Lorenzo Carcatera, who knows the mean streets of the city as well as any hard-boiled writer in the genre. Tank turned in his papers after a shooting that left his partner and best friend crippled and his zest for the job diminished but not entirely gone. With a motley crew of like-minded pals, including his girlfriend's father who happens to be a Greenwich Village restaurateur as well as a retired Mafia Don, and Chris, his 15 year old suddenly orphaned nephew, Tank takes on what at first looks like a small-time crime but turns out to be much more than that. What's intriguing about this otherwise standard drugs, thugs and guns story are the still waters that run deep in the protagonist. The secret about what estranged Tank from his brother and why he won't reveal it to anyone, including Chris, creates enough tension to keep the reader wondering while the good guys are bringing down the biggest drug dealer in the city. But by the time the action is over, it turns out to be less than the build up warrants. Perhaps we'll have to wait for the next Tank Rizzo to find out; the author sets up the sequel in the penultimate paragraph in the book.

I really wanted to read Tin Badges by Lorenzo because the cover and description grabbed my attention. I have not read any of author Lorenzo Carcaterra's books before, but I am glad that I have now! Tin Badges is a rough group of colorful characters gathering together to solve cold cases. Retired Detectives Tank and his former partner in solving crime, Pearl are the leaders of the Tin Badges group. Tank suddenly becomes the guardian to his nephew, Chris who is 15 and angry at the world. The two had never met before Chris was orphaned and they both have some grieving to do.

Chris becomes interested in helping solve the case that the crew are working on and his computer skills come in handy. This has him bonding some, little by little with his Uncle Tank while the case becomes more complicated...and of course, more dangerous.

The writing was good, with developed characters and a decent flow on pace. There were times when it slowed some, but I think that was intentional to allow the reader to get a little comfortable and at times, to get a little intense.

Thank you to NetGalley, Lorenzo Carcaterra and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. As always, my opinions are my own. My review will publish August 2019.

This is a great crime novel that reminds me of hard-boiled detective fiction. Tank is a former police detective who works cold cases for the police department. His ragtag team, some of dubious background, support his and his partner's efforts to bring down the bad guys. His personal life gets thrown for a loop when his estranged brother dies and he gets sole custody of his 15 year old computer geek nephew. The start of a great series!.

ARC from NET GALLEY

Shorter than most but no more was needed with Tank and pearl the kind of throw-back, bring-back hard cases that were needed to find out the truth. I enjoyed over a weekend.