Rizzo's War

By: Lou Manfredo

Narrated by: Bobby Cannavale

Rizzo's War, Lou Manfredo's stunningly authentic debut, partners a rookie detective with a seasoned veteran on his way to retirement in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

"There's no wrong, there's no right, there just is." This is the refrain of Joe Rizzo, a decades-long veteran of the NYPD, as he passes on the knowledge of his years of experience to his ambitious new partner, Mike McQueen, over a year of riding together as detectives in the 62nd Precinct in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

McQueen is fresh from the beat in Manhattan, and Bensonhurst might as well be China for how different it is. They work on several cases, some big, some small, but the lesson is always the same. Whether it's a simple robbery or an attempted assault, Rizzo's saying always seems to bear out.

When the two detectives are given the delicate task of finding and returning the runaway daughter of a city councilman, who may or may not be more interested in something his daughter has taken with her than in her safety, the situation is much more complex. By the end of Rizzo and McQueen's year together, however, McQueen is not surprised to discover that even in those more complicated cases, Rizzo is still right - there's no wrong, there's no right, there just is.

Rizzo's War is an introduction to a wonderful new voice in crime fiction in the Big Apple, ringing with authenticity, full of personality, and taut with the suspense of real, everyday life in the big city.

©2009 Lou Manfredo (P)2009 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Lou Manfredo gets it. As a depiction of the Byzantine, politicized existence of a working American police department, Rizzo's War stands as a valuable primer. This is good police work as it actually occurs - full of flaw and compromise, absent the pristine science of television procedurals, and bearing only a vague resemblance to what any social or legal philosopher might define as justice. With all of that said, though, sometimes good police work is nearly enough." (David Simon, creator of The Wire)

Great book, Great story, and Great Narration

I LOVE Rizzo. The story goes into a great amount of nuance about law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and the human impact of many difficult situations and decisions officers have to make every day. Lou Manfredo is truly a gem of an author. Can’t wait to listen to Rizzo’s Fire and Rizzo’s Daughter. TV Series or Movie please!!!

Don't miss it!

Captivating from start to finish. Great character development. Cannavale is perfect for this book. I can't say enough great things about this one...and no, they aren't paying me- it's just a great audio book deserving of praise!

Kickin...

This book takes its time to get into the plot line, spending quite a few pages letting us get involved with the characters. Its a book that lets us know the players by actions in the development of the book. I enjoyed the narrator immensely. A believable plot, with good characters (not to many thank you....) it translates well into audio format.

Mix up some Connolly with a bit of Wambaugh and you are well into this book.

Audible MUST add the other books in this series

Any additional comments?

I listened to this book half a year ago. Been hoping there would be movement on getting the next two novels in this series uploaded, but there doesn’t appear to be any audio versions. I might just have to READ for a change, ha.

If you love this book, let’s bug Audible and hope the rest of this series is made available and read by Bobby Cannavale. He helped make this a treat.

I usually try to write better reviews, but Audible seems always to take them down. So spread the word about the other books in your reviews. Check out Amazon. They’re there.

Bobby Cannavale is so yummy!

As if the story wasn't good enough, add in Bobby Cannavale with gorgeous inflections of tone and you've got one superb audio book. The story is good and has enough twists and subplots to keep me guessing. I'm a big mystery buff and have listened to tons of Robert B. Parker with Joe Mategna narrating. This one surpasses even Joe. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good old fashioned detective novel, complete with wide eyed rookie and hard boiled old-timer.

Hey kid, pass me the coffee and donuts!