Godchild [Mass Market Paperback]

Vincent Zandri (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 28, 2000

He wanted justice, truth, revenge...whichever came first.

Prison-warden-turned-P.I. Jack "Keeper" Marconi understands the criminal mind. And he knows what it takes to break a man. His own life came apart the day a black Buick broadsided his car--and his wife died horrifically in the seat beside him.

Years later, on the eve of his second marriage, Marconi catches a split-second glimpse of the driver who killed his wife. Suddenly hurtled back into the past, he is determined to take one last shot at hunting him down. That is, until he is offered a job he can't refuse: to bust a beautiful woman out of a hellish Mexican prison. Now Keeper's chase through Mexico follows a trail of bodies and lies back home: to the truth about a woman on the run, to a man sitting behind the wheel of a black Buick, and to a story that someone will kill to bury....

Editorial Reviews

Review

Zandri keeps the pace fast

"If you want a novel that runs wild like a caged beast let loose, Zandri is the man."
--(Albany)

Don't miss Vincent Zandri's acclaimed novel
As Catch Can

"Sensational...masterful...brilliant."
--New York Post

"Probably the most arresting first crime novel to break into print this season."
--Boston Herald

"A thriller that has depth and substance, wickedness and compassion."
--The Times-Union (Albany)



Praise for Vincent Zandri's debut thriller
As Catch Can
"Vincent Zandri explodes onto the scene with the debut thriller of the year. As Catch Can is gritty, fast-paced, lyrical and haunting. Don't miss it."
--Harlan Coben, author of The Final Detail

"A Satisfying Yarn."
--Chicago Tribune
"Compelling...As Catch Can pulls you in with rat-a-tat prose, kinetic pacing...characters are authentic, and the punchy dialogue rings true. Zandri's staccato prose moves As Catch Can at a steady, suspenseful pace."
--Fort Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel

"Exciting...An Engrossing Thriller...the descriptions of life behind bars will stand your hair on end."
--Rocky Mountain News

"Readers will be held captive by prose that pounds as steadily as an elevated pulse... Vincent Zandri nails readers' attention."
--Boston Herald

"A smoking gun of a debut novel. The rough and tumble pages turn quicker than men turn on each other."
--Albany Times-Union

Please turn the page for more extraordinary acclaim...

"The story line is non-stop action and the flashback to Attica is eerily brilliant. If this debut is any indication of his work, readers will demand a lifetime sentence of novels by Vincent Zandri."
--I Love a Mystery

"A tough-minded, involving novel...Zandri writes strong prose that rarely strains for effect, and some of his scenes...achieve a powerful hallucinatory horror."
--Publishers Weekly

"A classic detective tale."
--The Record (Troy, NY)

"[Zandri] demonstrates an uncanny knack for exposition, introducing new characters and narrative possibilities with the confidence of an old pro....Zandri does a superb job creating interlocking puzzle pieces."
--San Diego Union-Tribune

"This is a tough, stylish, heartbreaking car accident of a book: You don't want to look but you can't look away. Zandri's a terrific writer and he tells a terrific story."
--Don Winslow, author of The Death and Life of Bobby Z

"Satisfying."
--Kirkus Reviews

From the Inside Flap

He wanted justice, truth, revenge...whichever came first.

Prison-warden-turned-P.I. Jack "Keeper" Marconi understands the criminal mind. And he knows what it takes to break a man. His own life came apart the day a black Buick broadsided his car--and his wife died horrifically in the seat beside him.

Years later, on the eve of his second marriage, Marconi catches a split-second glimpse of the driver who killed his wife. Suddenly hurtled back into the past, he is determined to take one last shot at hunting him down. That is, until he is offered a job he can't refuse: to bust a beautiful woman out of a hellish Mexican prison. Now Keeper's chase through Mexico follows a trail of bodies and lies back home: to the truth about a woman on the run, to a man sitting behind the wheel of a black Buick, and to a story that someone will kill to bury....

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Dell (November 28, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0440226228
• ISBN-13: 978-0440226222
• Product Dimensions: 4.1 x 0.9 x 6.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (31 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,223,611 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Vincent Zandri is the No. 1 International Bestselling author of THE INNOCENT, GODCHILD, THE REMAINS, MOONLIGHT FALLS, CONCRETE PEARL, MOONLIGHT RISES and SCREAM CATCHER. He is also the author of the bestselling digital shorts, PATHOLOGICAL and MOONLIGHT MAFIA. Harlan Coben has described his novels as "...gritty, fast-paced, lyrical and haunting," while the New York Post called THE INNOCENT, "Sensational...Masterful...Brilliant!" In March, April and May of 2011, he sold more than 100,000 Kindle E-Book editions of his novels. In September 2011, he signed a "very nice" deal with the Thomas & Mercer crime imprint of Amazon for the publication of his new novels, Blue Moonlight and Murder by Moonlight, along with the re-publication of many of his back-list titles, including The Innocent and The Remains. Zandri's list of publishers also include Delacorte, Dell, StoneHouse Ink and StoneGate Ink. An MFA in Writing graduate of Vermont College, Zandri's work is translated into many languages including the Dutch, Russian, and Japanese. An adventurer, foreign correspondent, and freelance photo-journalist for RT, Globalspec, IBTimes and more, he lives in New York. For more go to WWW.VINCENTZANDRI.COM

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 30 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Pure Noir Thriller Zandri Is A Genius Story Teller!!, January 26, 2011

By 

CMash - See all my reviews

This review is from: Godchild (A Jack Marconi Thriller) (Kindle Edition)

'GODCHILD by Vincent Zandri

Published by StoneGate, Ink

ASIN: B004KSR25O


At the request of the author, a galley PDF version was sent, at no cost to me, for my honest opinion.

Snyopsis (borrowed from Amazon): He wanted justice, truth, revenge...whichever came first.


Prison-warden-turned-P.I. Jack "Keeper" Marconi understands the criminal mind. And he knows what it takes to break a man. His own life came apart the day a black Buick broadsided his car--and his wife died horrifically in the seat beside him.

Years later, on the eve of his second marriage, Marconi catches a split-second glimpse of the driver who killed his wife. Suddenly hurtled back into the past, he is determined to take one last shot at hunting him down. That is, until he is offered a job he can't refuse: to bust a beautiful woman out of a hellish Mexican prison. Now Keeper's chase through Mexico follows a trail of bodies and lies back home: to the truth about a woman on the run, to a man sitting behind the wheel of a black Buick, and to a story that someone will kill to bury....

My Thoughts and Opinion: If you have followed my blog since May of 2010, when I was first introduced to this author, Mr. Vincent Zandri and I read his novel Moonlight Falls, this review will not come as a surprise. I was hooked and became even more so with his subsequent novels, The Remains and The Innocent and even his digital short, Pathological, and this latest book, Godchild, didn't disappoint. This is a sequel to The Innocent, picking up with former Warden (Keeper) Jack Marconi but is a story that can stand on it's own. The story starts off slow like a train departing an Albany station and picks up speed nonstop across country at warp speed to Mexico with a short lay over to break into a Mexican jail to rescue an American female writer who is incarcerated and then back to Albany. The story line takes place over a 2 week period. But does someone really want her rescued? Why is it that someone wants Keeper Marconi to be the one to rescue her? Where, why and how does the drug cartels have anything to do with rescuing Renata Barnes? And what does all this have to do with the accident that tragically killed Keeper's wife, a case that he has never solved?
Godchild is a pure Noir thriller, not to be read if you are alone, especially at night unless your doors are bolted, the windows locked and the drapes closed. Zandri is a genius story teller, alternating chapters between characters, whereas you have to keep reading to find out where he left you off with his cliff hanging chapters. Bone chilling!! Frightening!! By far his scariest!! Hitchcock and Stephen King combined. Brilliant!!! I can't wait to see what's next. He just keeps getting better!!!!
My Rating: 5

15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Zandri, Has done it again!, June 20, 2001

By 

Ron Allen - See all my reviews

This review is from: Godchild (Mass Market Paperback)

After reading As Catch Can, I was excited to get the next installment in the Keeper series. I was wondering if he could match the excitement of the first book. I was quite surprised to find that after about 4 pages into it I had no need to be nervous. This book takes you through even more twists and turns than the first. From trying to locate the man driving the black buick that killed his wife to the prision breakout in Mexico, it is non-stop action. As he helps the woman he broke out of prison come to terms with the loss of her child, he realizies that she maybe the only person that can help him get the killer of his wife. If you like a book that will keep you on the edge of your seat, this book is for you!

12 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 5 Stars all the way, January 26, 2011

By 

MIchelle from Albany - See all my reviews

This review is from: Godchild (A Jack Marconi Thriller) (Kindle Edition)

I absolutely love the works of Vincent Zandri. I love this Marconi "Keeper" charachter. I can't wait to see if he does anything more with him in it. I own all of Zandri's books and can't wait for him to release another. I even got an E-book just so I could read his digital short compilations. Ever since I read the first book, I've become addicted. Great work Vincent. I can't wait to see what you put out next.