House of Lords

Rating:
Summary: Sputtered at the end.......
Review: Despite its predictability, the story was compelling and kept me interested throughout. Most of the characters were fairly stereotypical: Spoiled Rich Girl, Spoiled Rich Girl's Spoiled Rich Freinds, Bad Boy from Other Side of the Tracks, Ivy League Educated Bored Financial Guy, Bored and Unsatisfied Wife, Mob Underboss Aspiring to be the Boss, Two Bit Mob Soldier/Capo, Exhibtionist Sexy Foreign Wife of Super Rich Guy, Mediocre Career Detective. But the story did take a twist or two that kept it entertaining, but the end was a disappointment. After spending many pages developing characters and plots, the whole thing got tied together neatly at the end rather quickly. Too neat and too quickly--it reminded me of a Brady Bunch episode. It all worked out at the end. Not that many novels regarding the mob are steeped in reality, but the ending here was too neat and clean for a Wall Street meets Godfather story.

Rating:
Summary: A well-told story with good characters
Review: This was a fun read from start to finish, with great characters and a compelling story. This was one of the two best novels I have read all year.

Rating:
Summary: AN AMAZING THRILLRIDE I COULDN'T PUT DOWN
Review: To say that HOUSE OF LORDS is a modernized GODFATHER may not do it justice. GODFATHER gave us a compelling look into a world we rarely glimpse, HOUSE OF LORDS however shows us what happens when that world spills out into our own. A frightening tale of intrigue and manipulation often times causes the reader to stop only to ponder the idea of man's essential nature. The way the organized crime world slides in and tears apart a seemingly happy healthy family is both jarring and fascinating. If we loved the GODFATHER, GOODFELLAS, WALL STREET, or BONFIRE OF THE VANITIES for showing us so clearly what different sections of American culture are like, HOUSE OF LORDS should be applauded for showing us what they are like when they collide full force, but beyond that HOUSE OF LORDS begs the question "who will survive the meeting." Especially in today's news where headlines are less about John Gotti's death and more about the decay of corporate America (ENRON, Martha Stewart, Worldcom, etc) this book can maybe help us understand the new crime families of the 21st century.