'57, Chicago [Hardcover]

Steve Monroe (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 25, 2001

Bobby the Lip, a scheming down-on-his-luck sports promoter, intends to score big by setting upand fixinga bout between Tomcat Gordon, the reigning champion, and Junior, a black contender. But everyone wants a piece of the action and The Lip soon finds himself having to outsmart a complicated web of crooks, bookies, detectives, and mob goons. To make matters worse, Chicago is rooting for Junior. Big bets knock the odds in the air as both the police and the mob begin to close in on The Lip, smelling the fix and a profit. And just before the big night, a couple of dead bodies and a secret from Juniors past turn up, threatening to upset the big plan.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Former newsman Monroe does a credible job of capturing the gritty feel of 1957 Chicago's seamier side in his noirish debut, a boxing morality play that focuses on the efforts of down-and-out fight promoter Eddie "The Lip" Lipranski to put together the bout of his life. The rising star to whom he attaches himself is young black fighter Junior "The Hammer" Hamilton, a devastatingly powerful physical specimen with some unsavory family connections and a history of violence outside the ring. Hamilton's opponent, a smooth Elvis-like hipster named Tomcat Gordon, enters the fight as the reigning champion, but as the local fight community gets word of Junior's talent the boxer's fortunes begin to rise. When the syndicate steps in and fixes the fight, though, all hell breaks loose for Lipranski and Hamilton, who suddenly find themselves on the short end of the financial stick. Monroe's plot isn't exactly innovative, but he compensates by bringing to life a colorful crew of secondary characters that includes the bookies who cover the fight, Lipranski's sexy girlfriend and the various mobsters and boxing commission authorities who try to muscle in on a piece of the action. Monroe also inserts a deft plot twist that sends the fight itself in an unanticipated direction, distinguishing the book to some extent from conventional boxing novels. The result is a solid piece of pulp fiction that pays homage to the various masters of the genre. (Apr.)Forecast: Miramax is developing the novel as a film, which may eventually bring it to the attention of readers who wouldn't otherwise care although that could take a while. In the meantime, Chicago advertising and promotion may attract local readers.

Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

From Booklist

Promoters and bookies are usually the bad guys in boxing novels, the shady backroom types who corrupt the sport for the sake of a betting edge. That's true up to a point in Monroe's gritty, atmospheric first novel about the events preceding a big heavyweight fight in 1957 Chicago, but here the cast of characters--from athletes to gamblers--is not arranged on a moral continuum.The central figures in Monroe's story are Eddie "the Lip" Lipranski, a down-on-his-luck promoter who hopes to hit the big time by setting up a fight between two up-and-coming heavyweights, and Al Kelly, a veteran "lay-off" bookie who survives by always evening out the bets he takes. Except that this time nothing works out as either Al or the Lip have planned it. Monroe fills his novel with fascinating detail on how to run a sports book, and his dialogue crackles with authenticity. Less a crime novel than a slice of underworld life, this impressive debut ('46, Chicago is up next in the series) will remind noir fans of early George Pelecanos. Bill Ott
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 240 pages
• Publisher: Miramax Books; 1st edition (April 25, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786867302
• ISBN-13: 978-0786867301
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 5.7 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,869,958 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A taste of greed., May 23, 2001

By 

Thomas M. Hohan (New Orleans, LA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: '57, Chicago (Hardcover)

It took about 20 pages for me to get used to Steve Monroe's style. He uses many characters and juggles them through several subplots. But once I did, I couldn't put the book down. It is very readable and when it all comes together in the finale it paints a powerful picture of greed and tragedy. It is very obvious that he did a tremendous amount of research to bring the characters to life in historical context. He has a great gift for writing dialogue which makes the reader feel as if you are there eavesdropping. I look forward to his next novel.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MUST READ!!!!, April 23, 2001

By 

Scott Wilcox (Omaha, Nebraska) - See all my reviews

This review is from: '57, Chicago (Hardcover)

This story was recommended to me by a friend and am I glad I listened! The story line keeps the reader on the edge of his seat at all times leading up to a fantastic finish. Monroe obviously has a great deal of knowledge about both the sweet science and the world of gambling. ....

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars '57 Chicago, July 20, 2001

By 

Bruce K. Stelzer (cincinnati, ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: '57, Chicago (Hardcover)

I had the pleasure of meeting Steve in a Chicago bar, and when he told me his favorite writer was Elmore Leonard, I was hooked. '57 Chicago captures the city as it was some forty years ago, with all the dark characters, seedy activities, and those big shoulders. I didn't know who (if anyone) to root for, and the conclusion was in doubt until the final three pages. A great first effort that I highly recommend!