Customer Reviews

The Deuce (Midtown Blue Series, Book 1)

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1 star:		(1)

 

 

To the old timers of the NYPD, 42nd Street is known as "the Deuce", and it's part of Tony Cavalucci's beat. The novel begins when Tony, a ten-year veteran patrol officer, is assigned a new partner, Joe Fiore. Not what Tony needs on an already bad day. He's hungover and struggling to perform his duties, and to make matters worse, Fiore is a Christian. In Tony's words, "Fiore wasn't a bad guy. But I didn't think there was anything I was gonna learn from him. . . . I was just tired and sick and didn't want to deal with a partner who had more time on than I did."

But getting a new partner is just the tip of the iceberg of Tony's troubles. Soon he faces the prospect of having his Staten Island childhood home (where he lives with his brother) sold out from under him by his father and step-mother. This only escalates his drinking problem and the disfunctionality of his Italian family. Will the stresses of the midnight tour and his growing despair over the unwanted changes in his life take him down for good? Or will someone intervene before it's too late?

This book is not a thriller, although the cover illustration of the racing police cruiser makes it look like one. It reads more like a documentary, or an uncut taping of Cops. And that's a good thing. By the time you've finished The Deuce you'll have a crisp snapshot of the blood, sweat, and tears in a cop's life, and you might even pick up some police lingo (like "perp" for perpetrator, "a collar" for an arrest, and "skell" for what the cops call any kind of street skum such as crackheads, drunks or the homeless.)

The Deuce doesn't sugar-coat anything. Whether it's the description of a suicide-by-hanging crime scene, or Fiore boldly sharing his faith, this novel is all about reality - what's it's really like to work the midnight shift in one of the world's busiest cities, and what it's really like when God grabs hold of your life and won't let go. A little caffeine might help you get through some of the long descriptions (running several paragraphs in spots), but that's a small quibble for an otherwise excellently written first novel.

When I found out that F.P. Lione (pen name of husband and wife authors Frank and Pam Lione) was a veteran of the NYPD (Frank) and a child of NYPD detectives (Frank and Pam), I knew this book would be authentic. I felt that authenticity on each page as Tony shares the details of his life, both on and off duty. You get the whole 24-7 picture in this one, and the Liones have also included a nice supporting character in Tony's younger sister, Denise, and a believable love interest in single-mom Michele with her young son, Stevie.

The bottom line? F.P. Lione is a fresh voice in Christian fiction. The Deuce (Book #1 in the Midtown Blue series) will appeal to fans of police procedurals for its details of police work, but should also appeal to lovers of good gritty fiction as well.

This is a religious book, not a detective story. It tracks the life of a patrol cop whose life is empty. His new partner is a born again Christian who recognizes he is suicidal and attempts a religious intervention. The description of Tony's experiences working the midnight shift in midtown Manhattan seem authentic, but there is little plot other than Tony finding the meaning of life. For those readers seeking a whodunnit or mystery novel, do yourself a favor and look elsewhere.

If you're attracted to the television show "NYPD Blue" but dislike its violence, sex and profanity, you might find THE DEUCE, the first installment in the "Midtown Blue" series, an appealing reading alternative. Author F. P. Lione is actually a married couple --- Frank and Pam Lione. Both are Italian American children of NYPD detectives, and Frank is a veteran of the New York Police Department, which causes the story to resonate with authenticity.

In his tenth year as a cop, Tony Cavalucci works New York City's 42nd Street between 7th and 8th Avenue, known by old-timers as "the deuce." He's 32, single, out of shape (the amount of food and beverages detailed in this story that he consumes is staggering), and drifting dangerously toward depression. His girlfriend has just run off with her boss, and his partner is out of commission with a knee injury.

Booze helps Cavalucci deal with it all. Lots of booze.

Cavalucci is paired with Joe Fiore, a bona-fide Christian who has a good reputation among the cops, but isn't Cavalucci's preferred choice. As their partnership unfolds, readers glimpse the often mundane and sometimes fascinating and unexpected happenings of police work. There are the burglar alarms that must be checked --- but might be a set-up for a later robbery. The delicate political maneuverings when a state legislator is robbed after cruising for trouble in a questionable part of the city. The embarrassment when a cop upchucks over a "perp." Some "ick" moments occur, such as when a drug dealer intentionally defecates in the police car, so this is not a novel you'll want to read over lunch.

Alongside the police scenes, the Liones paint a compelling portrait of Cavalucci's volatile dysfunctional Italian family, torn apart by divorce. The Christian themes are handled well for readers of faith --- the Christianity is not too preachy, or alternately, not too lightweight. Cavalucci's journey from alcoholic to sober cop is believable and intriguing. Despite the heaviness of several of the themes, there is plenty of genuine humor (Fiore: "Is it hard not to drink at family gatherings?" Cavalucci: "It's hard not to drink before family gatherings!") There are nice threads of romance woven throughout, and a redemptive ending that will please most readers.

A few stumbling blocks occur, however, including a lot of police lingo that is inconsistently explained (EDP, turret lights, perp, collar, etc.). Readers may find themselves wishing for a glossary, such as the ones Dee Henderson incorporates in her "Uncommon Heroes" military series. The Liones also tend to over-detail the mechanics of a character's actions, which can slow the pacing down. Too many sentences begin consecutively with the same word or words ("We had a robbery ... We came up negative ... We had a robbery...) and many of their sentences are the same length, which can feel stilted and tire the reader. Sometimes, a scene is so rich in detail that the reader bogs down in the description (such as a scene involving a jewelry store).

But these are the types of problems most first novelists wrestle with, and the Liones hopefully will correct them in their next offering. The insider knowledge of the dynamics of the NYPD that the Liones bring to their story is more than apt compensation for these flaws. Fans of police novels should find THE DEUCE a welcome first installment of a promising series.

--- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby. (...)

When I found out that F.P. Lione (pen name of husband and wife authors Frank & Pam Lione) was a veteran of the NYPD and a child of NYPD detectives, I knew this book would be authentic. And on each page I felt that authenticity in the details of NYPD cop, Tony Cavalucci's life, both on duty and off.

This book reads a lot like a documentary, or an uncut taping of Cops. And that's a good thing. It all begins when Tony, hungover and struggling to perform his duties, is assigned a new partner: good-guy Joe Fiore. Not what Tony needs on an already bad day. And to make matters worse, Fiore is a Christian. Like oil trying to mix with water, Tony isn't looking forward to mixing with Fiore. But getting a new partner is just the tip of the iceberg of Tony's troubles. Soon he faces the prospect of his childhood home being sold right out from under him by his father and step-mother, which only escalates his drinking problem and the disfunctionality of his Italian family. Will the stresses of the job and his growing despair take him out for good? Or will someone intervene before it's too late?

THE DEUCE doesn't sugar-coat anything. Whether it's the description of a suicide-by-hanging crime scene, or Fiore boldly sharing his faith, this novel is all about reality - what it's really like to work the midnight shift in one of the world's busiest cities, and most importantly, what it's really like when God grabs hold of your life and won't let go. You may need a little caffeine to get through some of the long descriptions (running several paragraphs in spots), but that's a small quibble for an otherwise excellently written first novel.

F.P. Lione is a fresh voice in Christian fiction. I recommend this novel (Book 1 in the Midtown Blue series) to fans of police procedurals for its details of police work, but also to readers of contemporary novels. I'm looking forward to Book 2, THE CROSSROADS, coming soon.

I had just been in the hospital, and was looking for some good fiction. This wasn't bad. I understand that since Tony is a police officer, he is the type to notice details, but I felt the story, while good, was weighed down a bit with details. If he was hungry, we got the full run down of what was in his fridge, what he picked, and even what seasonings it had. It just seemed a bit overwhelming to me. As I say, the story was good, but I got lost at times in all the detail.

F.P. Lione is the husband and wife writing team of Frank & Pam Leone. Frank is a veteran of the NYPD and both are children of NYPD detectives. This background brings authenticity to every page of "The Deuce."

Unlike many crime novels, this is not a story about a single "big" investigation. Instead, this is a story of the day-to-day lives of Tony Cavalucci & Joe Fiore, two NYPD cops assigned to the 42nd Street area known as "the deuce" during the midnight to 8am shift. While Tony & Joe are both long time officers, they are new partners, assigned together when Tony's partner John is injured on the job.

Tony is not enthusiastic about getting Joe for a partner. Although close in age, the two seem about as different as night and day. Tony is single and can't seem to make it through one day without alcohol. Joe is a married father of three and a Christian who is not afraid to share his faith. When Tony starts to see aspects of his own lonely life in the lives of the people they are called to assist -- the young Hispanic gang member whose friends left him to die alone or the artist who grew tired of failing everyone and hung himself in the basement - he realizes that his partner may not be so bad to have around after all. While Fiore is open about sharing his belief in God with Tony when he shows interest, he is not judgmental. Soon, the emptiness of Tony's life starts to bring thoughts of suicide that he can't seem to control, and it is Fiore who sees the signs and confronts Tony about it. It is also Fiore who cares enough to help Tony get through one day, and then many days, without the help of booze.

I would not call this novel fast-paced, but I did find it riveting. The conflict here is not between the "good guys & the bad guys" but instead is one man's internal struggle and how it affects those around him. I felt the hopelessness & despair with Tony during the initial chapters of the book. And then the glimmer of hope as Tony slowly begins to understand God's love for him through Joe's faithful (and sometimes awkward) sharing of his faith. This was refreshing as well. While Joe is not perfect in sharing his faith he presses on with love to show Tony what God's Word has to say. Tony's coming to faith in Christ is natural and realistic and he is not instantly made into a "perfect Christian." His continuing struggle to put into practice what he is learning is also communicated authentically.

I'm looking forward to reading additional books in this series.

The deuce is NYPD code for 42nd street, and that's where all the action happens. Tony Cavalucci has the midnight shift on the Deuce and in his ten years as a cop, he's seen it all.

Changing partners, having his house sold out from under him and the daily abrasion of dealing with poverty, violence and misery are grinding his soul to dust.
He tries to lose himself in booze and women, but he sinks further and further into depression.
His new partner Joe Fiore is the only one who notices that Tony's drowning under the weight of all his problems. Fiore is different than any partner Tony's ever had, he doesn't drink or smoke, he reads his Bible on shift and he treats everyone with respect.

This is a gripping tale, full of realism and grit. I was impressed by the shadows in this book. The rough edges of life weren't smoothed away in an attempt to be more Christian.

I like cop stories and I read a lot of them. Most of them are secular, Michael Connely's Harry Bosch series being an example. As I was reading this, I was thinking, this could compete with the well known secular bestsellers quite easily.

The spine of the story wasn't about a case they had to solve, or a problem they had to fix, it was about life. Life as a cop, life as someone who sees no hope as well as life as a Christian.

I would love to see the main characters in this book in a series. Reading about the cases of these two NYPD cops in stories of faith and crime would fill a gaping void in the Christian bookstore.

I was impressed with the caliber of this book and how it captured me right to the very end.

A small aside; when I finished the book there was a page at the back explaining that F.P. Lione is actually a husband and wife team. I walked into my livingroom and said to my husband, "Why don't we write a book together."

When he picked himself off the floor, and when I finally got rid of the cramps in my side that come from laughing too hard, we looked at each other and he said, "Actually, I like being married to you, I don't think the royalty cheques would pay the divorce lawyer bills." A small exaggeration maybe, but I have to mention that I respect any couple that can write together.

The Deuce had the abrupt realism of Dragnet, mixed with the relationship issues of Third Watch.
This book is highly recommended.

"The Deuce" is a great read for anyone looking for an interesting story about real people. It is both witty and entertaining, the type of book that is hard to put down. I strongly recommend this book.

I guess I didn't read all the reviews carefully enough before getting this book. I expected a good "cop" story, and it started out OK. The characters were well-developed, as was the basic police organization, so I was very optimistic. However, the action was slow. It basically focused on the disintigration of the protagonist, a cop in his 30s still living with his brother and sister in the family house. His police partner functioned as his guardian angel, and presumably brought him around to Jesus. "Presumably," because after a number of pages of Bible study I stopped reading. If you like this kind of story, this is your book. But if you want action and an interesting plot, go elsewhere.

This book would probably hit the right note with those who work in law enforcement, especially NYPD. But I'm not in law enforcement and still enjoyed it and the author made the lingo understandable to me. It's about a single policeman in his 30's who's having a hard time dealing with his life until his new partner helps him. I thought it was very believable, flowed naturally and read well. It also has an ending that should lead into more in a series. I enjoyed the book.