If you enjoy the mafia and/or mafia romance genres, you will LOVE Children of Vice. This is the first in a three-book series, following the Ruthless People series by the same author.
**I’d highly recommend that you read the Ruthless People series FIRST, because you won’t understand the characters in Children of Vice, nor their backgrounds with the family/mob unless you do. You will get a lot of important history if you read Ruthless People first.**
Children of Vice begins about 10 years after Ruthless People ends, with a new generation of Callahans assuming control of the Irish and Italian mobs. Melody and Liam’s three children are, to varying degrees, involved in the “family business”, although their loyalties (and destinies) are certainly put to the test in this book. Some of the older characters step up their involvement in the business as well, while the cousins and extended family all play some role in the continuation of the Callahan story.
Of course, the characters are brutal and calculating, so there are some very dark moments and not a lot of sunshine in this book. However, if you enjoy this genre like I do, then their savagery – combined with their deep love of family – are huge reasons that you read about the mafia in the first place.
Like the predecessor series, this book has a great deal of humor, which is so unusual – but very welcome – in this genre. There are many LOL moments throughout the book to break up the brutality and violence.
A few other items of interest about this book… There is an nicely evolving – albeit unconventional – romance in the book, along with some mighty steamy sex. In addition, JJ McAvoy always inserts surprises into her storylines. There were some stunners in this one.
It goes without saying that Joel Froomkin is the most versatile narrator ever, amazingly performing the many characters in the story. He voices men and women; old and young; and uses Irish, Italian and south Boston accents with ease. He even speaks convincingly in Irish and Italian from time to time. He is an actor first and a narrator second, and it shows.
This book is well worth the time investment. You’ll want to rewind sections time and time again. It has started out even better than the Ruthless People series, of which I am also a big fan. I highly recommend Children of Vice!