The Narrowback

Rating:
Summary: Very Disappointing
Review:

As an Irish-American who grew up in the Bronx I thought I might enjoy this novel. Was I wrong.

Ledwidge's characterizations of IRA members looked like something from British [DIS]Information Service. The rest of his characters rang untrue also and the plot was improbable.

Rating:
Summary: I would love to see this as a movie !
Review: A great tale of New York, the IRA, and gritty street crime. I think of this book any time I drive around the city. Great writing talent!

I hope to meet the author and pitch this book as a viable independent film.

Rating:
Summary: Who you callin a narrowback.....
Review: Farrell, an Irish-American (nickname "Narrowback") dishonorably discharged ex-Marine and criminal, spends his first year out of prison constructing a brilliant plan to raid the safe and safety-deposit boxes of a premier New York hotel. All of his research pays off in a flawlessly executed bloodless crime and yields him $150,000 - more than enough for him to escape his gritty and depressing past in the Bronx and head out west for a new life.

A betrayal by one of his gang as they're getting rid of their getaway vehicle tips Farrell into a bloody Newtonian world of action and reaction. More and more parties get involved - first the IRA and then the Albanians - and as they clash Farrell is always on the receiving end.

Ledwidge has painted a stark picture of events and counter-events with characters trapped into acting as they must yet in horribly detrimental and brutal ways. The beauty of this thriller is that it challenges you to think about how Farrell would have had to have been different in order to step aside from the "freight train of consequences" bearing down upon him.

Rating:
Summary: Review from a fellow phoneman!
Review: I really liked the book. It was right in line with all of the established writers out there today - an excellent 1st book. I just ordered "Bad Connection" & I hope it's just as good. Being a fellow tech (for the same company), I must say that I am a little biased, however. Keep up the good work and you'll be a stress free (once you leave the phone company), full-time writer. Good luck Michael.

Rating:
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.

Rating:
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.

Rating:
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.

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.