Don't Get Mad...

The subtitle of this book says it all. I have to admit, I laughed out loud on significantly more than one occasion. Despite the "hero's" attempt to rise in the ranks of assassins and make a name for himself, his tactics (and very often the outcomes) are Clouseau-esque at best. But he gets an A for effort. Bent in a charming way, this story is well worth the time spent reading, and comes highly recommended!

John Vocale made me laugh. This is a laugh out loud read and how rare is that these days? Ruined by a dirt-bag and Sturgis decides to hit back. Who hasn't had this fantasy a time or two? A great holiday read. Enjoy.

Thank you NG!!

Mike DiMarco has taken everything from Sturgis - his love, money, job and his home. So when faced with a man like that, you don’t get mad - you get even!

I’ll start with the positives, Don’t Get Mad is a self contained story which is easy to read. The plot itself has an introduction, middle and ending which wraps everything up and leaves no room for a sequel or no points hanging in your mind to think about later. That’s about it for my positives I’m afraid - on to the negatives!

The story itself is actually a very simple one and the actual plot of assassination (which was the whole reason I picked up the book) occurs about 85% of the way through. It’s not one man trying to become an assassin with hilarious consequences, it’s just one guy wanting to kill another guy and the story about the reasons why. There is a lot of exposition; it seems every character we meet needs an in-depth backstory containing their family history, childhood memories, work cv, aspirations and wishes for the future before we get on with how they fit into this particular story. There’s Inception levels of flashbacks within flashbacks, all of which essentially tell us very little that we actually need to know. These are either done in narrative overview or from the point of view of a character telling a story – all of which are done in pretty much the same voice no matter what.

There is too much description of rooms we aren’t in for long or characters that never get a chance to influence the story much. As our main character Sturgis is telling his story to Paul, he often tells him to hurry up or get to the point, something that as a reader I wholeheartedly agreed with! Paul even says: ‘I hate it when people tell a story and throw in useless facts that I don’t give a rats ass about’ – I wonder if the author is giving us a self referential nod here but annoying his readers is perhaps not a wise choice! The use of ‘that was that’ to end chapters was quite clever to start with but got very overused towards the end. I think the entire book could have done with a good edit and ruthless proof reading before publication.

Overall Don’t Get Mad is a self contained, quick read but needs an edit to chop down all of the useless details and overcomplicated exposition. Thank you to NetGalley and Black Rose Writing for a copy of the ARC in exchange for a (very!) honest review.

Don’t Get Mad by John Vocale – 3 Stars
Publisher: Black Rose Writing
ISBN: 9781684331253

Although I found this novel somewhat entertaining and often quirky, I was displeased with slow, long-character back stories, setting descriptions, repetitive dialogue, and a strange romantic subplot. Most of the book was a setup for a brief assassination. Sturgis’s friend got it right when he told Sturgis to hurry up and get to the point because he hates it when people tell a story with thrown in useless facts. This novel is a fast, uncomplicated read. I agree with other reviewers who recommended this as a casual vacation book.

Reviewer: Nancy

Don't Get Mad...
By John Vocale
Thanks to NetGalley for the copy to review in my honest opinion.
Description
“I wish he was dead!” Have you ever had that wicked thought? If not, then you’ve never met the contemptible Mike DiMarco, a man that gets his solitary pleasure from wrecking lives.

Hypothetically, if DiMarco ruined your life and left you penniless, beaten and broken, could you kill him? Well, you’re off the hook because Sturgis will do it for you—or try … Your mission now becomes that of a cheering supporter as you read about the efforts of a lovable, clumsy man as he humorously, yet doggedly discovers the ins and outs of getting even as an entry level assassin.
I loved this book. Sturgis was a kind, bubbling mess. But I loved him. I felt connected to everyone (except DiMarco a complete idiot! ) Yous know he was ripe for a killing.
I laughed so hard and smiled. I loved the back and forths between him and his BFF Paul. I found they were what REAL friends are.
In the end, everyone gets their just rewards...are they should. Just not in the way you expect.

Thank you Netgalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was interesting read with a creative way of portraying the ins and outs killing someone. The author relates the story in a third person narrative which is a bit hard to read since the author chooses to switch points of view rather often. It has funny moments and you can't help but wonder how the assassin even finished the job.