Customer Reviews

Money Wanders: A Novel

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This has a great concept, and the first two-thirds are quite enjoyable. However, toward the end, it seems to lose its way. What I assumed to be the main plot -- the PR campaign for Vanni -- gets wrapped up abruptly, and other issues take the forefront. Unfortunately, I found those other issues less interesting, and more unlikely.

Overall, not a bad book though.

The publication of MONEY WANDERS marks the beginning of the rise of South Jersey as a literary landscape. From the "Pineys" of the Pine Barrens to the mobsters of the Boardwalk and South Philly, author Dezenhall captures the essence of the region in this comic thriller. For those of us who grew up in the area, Dezenhall makes our home a wonderland: Lucy the Margate Elephant becomes more than a roadside oddity, she becomes a mob hideout; the Boardwalk isn't just a bunch of wood hammered together, it's the "Ribbonoff Highway" to the rest of America; and ordinary people on the beach become wizards and goblins. Finally, Springsteen no longer has to sing New Jersey solo.

Based on the nine reviews above, the real-life DC Spin Doctor may be plying his trade at amazon.com the way Jonah did in this novel, which, actually, happens to be a reasonably good read. The 3 typos I picked up on (e.g. "soliders" vs. "soldiers") clued me in on what overall appears to be a perfunctory effort in plot by the author and in detail by his acknowledged resources. I don't think Bobby DeNiro will pick up on this project.

Loved it! I can't believe this was Dezenhall's first work of fiction. The characters have depth and the story reads well. Great contrast between the mob way of getting things done and the pollster's high tech way of getting things done. The book will keep you up till you are finished.

The publication of MONEY WANDERS marks the beginning of the rise of South Jersey as a literary landscape. From the "Pineys" of the Pine Barrens to the mobsters of the Boardwalk and South Philly, author Dezenhall captures the essence of the region in this comic thriller. For those of us who grew up in the area, Dezenhall makes our home a wonderland: Lucy the Margate Elephant becomes more than a roadside oddity, she becomes a mob hideout; the Boardwalk isn't just a bunch of wood hammered together, it's the "Ribbonoff Highway" to the rest of America; and ordinary people on the beach become wizards and goblins. Finally, Springsteen no longer has to sing New Jersey solo.

OK, here's the brief plot synopsis:
boy living in the modern world of PR/polling and the Internet is drawn back home to New Jersey and the Mob background that his grandfather was prominent in and wanted him to leave behind. It's an interesting merger of a mafia story with modern technology.

I found this on the new book shelve in the library and the synopsis caught my attention. I'm glad I picked it up. This is an entertaining read with a more substance than the typical summer novel. For a first novel, it is excellent, much richer than you would expect. For any novel, this is a fine read, well worth the time investment for you thriller fans out there.

The story was not predictable; you really had to hang in to the end to figure out what was going to happen. The characters get fleshed out as real people. I'd guess the author is from Jersey and knew these kinds of people growing up. He also knows the world of modern polling and media manipulation. Read his bio on the book jacket for some interesting background.

There were a couple of times you'd want to go back and read a sentence or two as some of the metaphors were a little strained but they stood out as exceptions. This guy is a very decent writer. I'll read his next one.

Fifty years ago I was sent to Las Vegas to do a Public Relations campaign that would portray mobsters as kindly, benign, businessmen. Lo and behold, Money Wanders presents a campaign I wish I had access to those many years ago. This book is "right on the money." It doesn't matter if the story is about New Jersy, Chicago, or Las Vegas, the characters appear as part of an international brotherhood.

This is a fun read with an honest plot, and moves toward a satisfying ending. I am on my third re-reading and continue to laugh at the characters who really believe they are "tough" guys. You don't have to be an authority on organized crime to enjoy this book, however you will learn to recognize the difference between Tony Soprano and authentic mobsters.

This is a very sophisticated read that is chock full of the unexpected. Part of that dynamic is because of the clever premise -- a sharp Washington insider enters the world of the Jersey mob insiders. A Brooks Brothers tie at a Mafia clubhouse stands out like a clown at a funeral. White collar meets t-shirt and gold chains. That contrast also makes for some hysterical dialogue. The storyline is tight and well thought out. What¹s more, whenever the protagonist interacts with the wiseguys you don¹t know whether to brace for a punch or a big laugh ­ and that tension is terrific.

The DC insider knows these wiseguys because he grew up with them. But he also brought back with him his morality and as he tries to reconcile his two worlds, some real truths about human nature reveal themselves. I found myself dog-earing pages so I could go back and read the best passages when I was finished as an after-effect.

Why am I not suprirsed? A public relations professional decides to write a novel that suggests that the power or PR is so pervasive and important that it can turn the fortunes of a mafia murderer. Only a narcissist like Eric Dezenhall could suggest such a hypothesis. In this case, the main character is a maligned campaign consultant (seems to be patterned after Ed Rollins) who is then hired by a mob leader to help his quest for a New Jersey gaming license.

Suprisingly enough, the plot of the book and its unique characters almost are good enough to give the book a positive recommendation. The pages turn quickly as you read through a story that includes a number of public relations stunts to boost the mobster's standing in the community.

In the end, there are a number of plot twists that give you a bit of a surprise ending but there were too many problems with the book for me to recommend. The biggest of the problems was that dialogue is not handled very well by the author. There were far too many times where I had to put down the book for a few minutes and re-read passages to determine who was saying what in the conversation because Dezenhall did not tag the identifications well.

Finally, the main characters love interest with a musician who plays at his uncle's funeral just didn't work for me. He attempts to use her as the connection to his past/family and how he got mixed up into the the mob, but it never seems very plausible. While the ending is a bit of a surpise, it's not all that satisfying because it is a bit too contrived.

In the end, while most PR pros might think they are so good that they can make a murderer/mobster look good, the facts are that you can spin the facts only so much until people are on to you.

I truly enjoyed this book! I was slightly surprised, because I'm not usually interested in mob-related books or films. Thanks to this book's interesting characters, unusual story line, and sheer originality, however, I couldn't put it down. Somehow, Dezenhall has managed to come up with an intelligent, exciting story that is extremely funny, yet has a lot of depth. When I heard it was a "comic thriller" I expected something more slapstick--and was glad to find something far different. It is hard to put a brief descriptive label on this book--so if you enjoy a good, thoughtful story with a lot of laughs and interesting characters, buy Money Wanders!