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Summary: Mr. Ledwidge has written an exciting and intense thriller
Review: I was browsing my BOMC (sorry Amazon.com) insert and came across "The Narrowback". I am always looking for new suspense writers and I am glad that I came across Michael Ledwidge's thriller. It was not the normal sloppy thriller with some romance thrown in. It was very thought-provoking (even for someone who is not Irish)with a very vivid description of the streetlife of New York. I am looking forward to the next novel.
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Summary: Check out my first novel!!!!!
Review: If you like hard boiled crime fiction, New York City or stories about the IRA, THE NARROWBACK is the book for you! Have you ever knocked over a fancy hotel and then gone on a three day bender with terrorists and killers on your tail? No? Well, here's your chance! I've gotten a lot of great response from the specialty crime fiction book shops so do yourself a favor. BUY MY BOOK!!!!
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Summary: a great new talent!!
Review: Michael Ledwidge is the most exciting new voice in crime writing to come down the pike in ages. His novel has the characters, plot, pacing and descriptions that scream "this is the real thing" to anyone who knows New York City. Ledwidge reminds me of a young Richard Price, with whom he shares a brilliantly dark sense of humor. "The Narrowback" is for anyone who enjoys Elmore Leonard, Jim Thompson, Peter Blauner or the early novels of James Ellroy. My hunch is that he's a writer headed for the big-time.
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Summary: Gritty
Review: No real heroes here, but some tough characters, whose amorality overwhelms the reader. A fascinating start for a new author. The next one should be interesting.
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Summary: Maybe next time
Review: The Narrowback left me with mixed feelings. When dealing with violence and action scenes, Michael Ledwidge is a terrific writer. Unfortunately, at no time did I care if anyone in this book lived until the end. The book reeks of New York City style ethnic bigotry that simply is not of any interest outside the Five Boroughs. Why people still think and act as these characters do, 133 years after The Emancipation Proclamation, boggles the mind. And though the book is focused on the Irish, Albanians and African-Americans are also trashed fairly well. Basically, the book starts off with a bold robbery that grabs your attention and the violent aftermath of that crime. Then, for whatever reason, the story meanders meaninglessly for about 75 pages, during which the author destroys whatever sympathy we may have with the protagonist. Then, it gets good again near the end. An editor with a paper shredder could have turned this into a tight, short, 5 star crime novel. My advice, wait for the movie and hope the director knows what he is doing.
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Summary: Great action, totally unsympathetic characters.
Review: The Narrowback left me with mixed feelings. When dealing with violence and action scenes, Michael Ledwidge is a terrific writer. Unfortunately, at no time did I care if anyone in this book lived until the end. The book reeks of New York City style ethnic bigotry that simply is not of any interest outside the Five Boroughs. Why people still think and act as these characters do, 133 years after The Emancipation Proclamation, boggles the mind. And though the book is focused on the Irish, Albanians and African-Americans are also trashed fairly well. Basically, the book starts off with a bold robbery that grabs your attention and the violent aftermath of that crime. Then, for whatever reason, the story meanders meaninglessly for about 75 pages, during which the author destroys whatever sympathy we may have with the protagonist. Then, it gets good again near the end. An editor with a paper shredder could have turned this into a tight, short, 5 star crime novel. My advice, wait for the movie and hope the director knows what he is doing.
Rating: 
Summary: Great read. High action. Intense drama. Awesome detail.
Review: This bloke can write. I raced through Ledwidge's book in two days. The pages are filled with lively writing and great detail. I could smell the Bronx, feel the Manhattan streets and taste the Guiness coming from the pages. A great read. I can't wait for the movie.
Rating:
Summary: Who you callin a narrowback.....
Review: This book is great. I grew up on Bainbridge and in my humble opinion Mr. Ledwidge seems to have done his research for this one.
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