Rating: 
Summary: Gun Monkey Speaking
Review: Gischler hasn't written detective fiction here, but criminal fiction. This is the kind of book neo-noir fans like, with its muscular prose, language of the day, and unadulterated violence. Charlie Swift is so tough he's not ashamed to take care of his mother or be loyal to his boss. So he lives out of a suitcase and works out of a tin box trailer called the Monkey Cage, Charlie's got a bulging safe deposit box and he owes it all to one man: Stan the Man. The opening sentence: "I turned the Chrysler onto the Florida Turnpike with Rollo Kramer's headless body in the trunk, and all the time I'm thinking I should've put some plastic down." Charlie Swift, gun monkey, speaking.
Rating:
Summary: A Great Read
Review: A very nice blend of Richard Stark, Elmore Leonard and Carl Hiaasen ... hopefully we'll be hearing more from Mr. Gischler.
Rating: 
Summary: Gruesome great read
Review: Charlie Swift is one of old Stan's gun monkeys. He is killer, protector, enforcer for Stan, the head of the Orlando crime syndicate. When Miami crime boss, Beggar Johnson, decides that Stan has grown too old to milk Orlando crime for all its worth, a territorial battle begins. When Stan disappears and the rest of the gun monkeys are killed off or turned to the dark[er] side, Swift has to go it alone to fend off Beggar's goons, renegade FBI agents and others. The body count mounts chapter by chapter, and as ruthless a killer as Swift is, the reader begins to root for him due to his loyalty to his boss, family and new girl friend, as well as his sheer skill as a "detective" and vengeful killer. This is indeed a noir novel of the first ilk. It's a fast, exciting, easy read and holds the reader's interest until the inevitable showdown between Swift and Mercury (his counterpart as Beggar Johnson's head gun monkey). If you are squeamish about descriptions of bloody violence or about raw language, stay away from this one. Otherwise, it's a really entertaining romp of a pulp novel.
Rating:
Summary: Great First Novel
Review: Gun Monkeys is a great first novel. I picked it up, intrigued by the name, and I didn't put it down till I'd read it from cover to cover. I won't talk too much about what the other guys said, but I will say it is a slam bam crime novel. Filled with suspense and humor I drew looks from people nearby when I laughed out loud at some of the hilarious jokes and scenes. The writing itself is great too. Straight to the point with no nonsense. I eagerly await Gischler's next novel.
Rating:
Summary: WHAT A BOOK
Review: Gun Monkeys is an action packed book about a hit man by the name of Charlie Swift. Charlie is to get ledger books that can bring a mob boss down, but everyone on his side starts disappearing, even his boss. The rest of the book is his journey to find his friends and bring down the mob boss Beggar Johnson.
I really enjoyed the novel because there is never a dull moment. Every time you turn the page something exciting is happening. For example people are always fighting with each other, or shooting at each other, or cussing each other out. It is like a suspenseful it keeps you on the edge of your seat or in this case wanting to read more.
I also liked the language used, because if I would get tired of reading, a bad word would pop up and wake me up. The book had a lot of bad words, so I never really got tired of reading it. It reminded me of movies and real life. The language being so realistic is what kept me reading this excellent novel.
Rating: 
Summary: Good, but illogical thriller
Review: I agree with the reviewer below. This is an OK thriller, but the illogical actions of the "hero" ruin any realism. He spends much of the book on the run yet continues to return to a location he deemed unsafe (his mom's house) - this makes no sense. And too often, incidents are initiated for dramatic effect, yet never followed up on or referenced again in any true manner (the run in with the FBI agents in the car and the resulting aftermath is one example). Overall, a quick read but with no depth and requires a complete suspension of belief and logic. Perhaps with his second book, the author will plot a novel that entraps the reader, instead of constantly losing us through careless plotting.
Rating:
Summary: Good, but illogical thriller
Review: I agree with the reviewer below. This is an OK thriller, but the illogical actions of the "hero" ruin any realism. He spends much of the book on the run yet continues to return to a location he deemed unsafe (his mom's house) - this makes no sense. And too often, incidents are initiated for dramatic effect, yet never followed up on or referenced again in any true manner (the run in with the FBI agents in the car and the resulting aftermath is one example). Overall, a quick read but with no depth and requires a complete suspension of belief and logic. Perhaps with his second book, the author will plot a novel that entraps the reader, instead of constantly losing us through careless plotting.
Rating:
Summary: Wow111
Review: If Victor can continue to churn out novels like GUN MONKEYS he will earn the title of "The new Elmore Leonard".
Rating:
Summary: A good story, well-told
Review: Interesting characters, a page-turner -- there's not much to add to what other people have said except it's a good read. Don't miss this one. Victor Gischler has written a fine book. I'm looking forward to his next one. You might want to visit the Ugly Town Press web site, too.
Rating:
Summary: a refreshingly new voice in noir crime fiction
Review: It seems like every year one of the Edgar committees rescues from obscurity a previously unknown undiscovered work. Many times these works are true gems in the rough uncut state. The nominations tend to bring some prominence to authors most of whom would probably never have been heard from again. For example KJA Wishnia and Margaret Moseley. GUN MONKEYS is that kind of book and Victor Gischler is that kind of author.
Charlie Swift is a thug. He is a hit man for an Orlando gangster named Stan. When the leader of a rival gang wants to move into the territory, he calls for a hit on all of Stan's gang. The result is virtually all of Charlie's friends are killed in the attack. Stan, however, is missing and being the loyal soldier, Charlie devotes his energy into finding Stan and discovering what is going on. The path to the truth will be strewn with the blood of dead bodies.
Victor Gischler is a refreshingly new voice in noir crime fiction. Characters are tough, dialogue is gritty and the violence routine. Most important, he is a helluva good storyteller and his first effort never fails to entertain. The book is not perfect, however. There are several times the story proceeds in an endless fashion and it is quite evident the author didn't know where his characters were taking him. I would think that an editor from a large publisher would have identified and corrected that problem. Nonetheless, Victor Gischler has written an impressive book and one well worthy of Edgar recognition.
| 
