Luciano's Luck

Rating:
Summary: A good read
Review: Having read this book almost 12 years ago, I must say that it was a good book if I can still remember it. The story might seem a little far fetched to beleive, but it is an interesting one. Higgins has written an exciting story filled with adventure and suspense that keeps the readers attention. Its also not the long of a book to rea so that is also an advantage to the reader. In all, it is a well written novel

Rating:
Summary: Before hollywood ... there were thrillers
Review: Things you'd never learn without movies (or before that, thrillers) ...

1. In Nazi thrillers, the professional honourable gentleman German officer usually have Prussian ancestry and has to deal with powerful rabid SS maniacs. If they come to blows, the SS always shoots first.

2. Women who despaired of life and went into nunnery are always beautiful and unable to completely severe their ties to the mortal world.

3. Tarot card readings are way more accurate than scientific projections.

Sounds familiar? Perhaps with movie blockbusters today, all movie-goers would be familiar with the inexplanable facts of life but remember folks, you read it first in the books, one of those books being Higgin's Luciano's Luck.

The unusual title is more unusual considering the central character of the story is not really Luciano, a big-time American mafia who was convicted on a bum rap. As the invasion of Sicily looms, the Allies desperately sought the compliance of the Mafia to reduce casualties and win over the Italian troops weary of Il Duce Mussolini. The most widely respected figure in Sicily was of course not the local governor nor the Italian generals nor the German commanders but the illusive Don Antonio, the capo of capos in Sicily. On his word, the whole island would rally behind the Allies, "encouraging" Italian troops to cease resistance and provide passage over inhospitable terrain from the landing beaches to Palermo.

But Don Antonio disliked the Americans, just a little less than the Nazis. Only his estranged granddaughter, the Sister Maria, and the famous Sicilian American "homeboy-made-good" Luciano had any hope to gaining the ear of the Don.

Harry Carter who slipped in and out of Sicily countless times found himself saddled with the two "persuaders", dropping into enemy held territories, where not all Sicilians greeted their arrival with full enthusiasm.

At the core of the matter, no one really knew how Don Antonio thought, and whether the mission was futile in the first place.

Characterisation wise, there was a good range provided, from shepherds to soldiers to airmen. Higgins played out the full range of human emotions, from love to hate, jealousy to bitterness, pride and prejudices. It was a drama of humanity as much as gunfights and subterfuge.

With additional work, Higgins could have made the book longer and even more interesting. But it was tricky, and the wrong move could kill the potential of a better book. Maybe he was right to quit while everything was still in place.

Rating:
Summary: A fairly average effort
Review: This book, while not the best by Higgins, is a fairly exciting book with a story line which could have been used better by an author of Mr.Higgins skill.