Description:
Penzler Pick, June 2001: It has been nearly four years since Thomas Kelly's first novel, Payback, was published. Although the wait has been long, it has been worth it. Kelly is meticulous in his depictions of how New York works politically, whether he's describing the labor unions, contractors, or the machinations of Gracie Mansion. And, as a former construction worker and Teamster who once worked for the mayor of New York, he knows what he's talking about. The Rackets begins with Jimmy Dolan, the advance man for New York's mayor, knocking down Teamster boss Frankie Keefe at Gracie Mansion. Jimmy's dad, Mike, is running against Keefe for the union's top job, and when Keefe makes a smart remark about that, Jimmy can't help himself. The Mayor, who seems to resemble the present mayor of New York City, fires Jimmy, who finds himself returning to his roots in working class Inwood, where he is reunited with an old girlfriend, police officer Tara O'Neil, and an old high school friend, Liam, a veteran of the Gulf War. Jimmy is soon back in the life he thought he had left behind, trying to help his father break the grip that organized crime has on the union. While working for the mayor, Jimmy has been able to convince himself that his life has changed, that his hands are clean and his collar white, but back in Inwood he realizes that crime and corruption reach high into the administration, and when tragedy strikes he will once again be in the union halls and skyscrapers of Manhattan, sharing space with the racketeers, mobsters, and killers who affect the city's political life. A spot-on picture of how a great city works, coupled with great writing, make reading Kelly a pleasure. --Otto Penzler
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