Customer Reviews

In For A Pound

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And that's not a bad thing! Richard Marinick rips a raucous, bloody, and authentic tale of mayhem in "In for a Pound", his second novel of havoc on the mean streets of South Boston.

Delray McCauley is an ex-cop and ex-con, fresh out of prison after serving time for the proverbial crime-he-didn't commit, tending bar to make ends meet. When a safe with mysterious contents is stolen from a white-shoe law office, Del's former state cop boss asks Del to track it down, leading Del and the reader through an odyssey of corruption and blackmail as he butts heads with the Irish mob, small-time thugs, and a psychopathic killing machine who'd stroll through the scenes of "Apocalypse Now" as easily as D Street and Dorchester Avenue.

Marinick has apparently lived the life of which he writes, so the words and dialog roll naturally across the pages with street-cred and authority. The pace is quick and even, and if the characters are all cut from the same in-your-face, tough-guy cloth and the banter sometimes overdoses on macho, it makes for high octane entertainment.

Bottom line - a note to Dennis Lehane: Wake up! Kenzie and Gennaro are no longer the only act in "Southie" - Marinick's McCauley and Wainwright have them square in their sites and threaten to take down that turf, big time. Time to get back in the game, Dennis.

As a writer, reading Rick's narrative is nothing short of humbling. His ability to bring home the bacon in portraying scenic background, introspection, mood, etc., is nothing short of masterful. Add to that his pitch perfect street/Southie dialogue and the long wait between his novels (his debut, Boyos, was/remains brilliant) proves patience is indeed a virtue. Marinick doesn't disappoint in this wonderfully sculpted tale of an ex-cop/ex-con's trials and tribulations trying to do the right thing. For those still hooked (as I am) on Marinick's Boyos mystique, In for a Pound maintains the spicy Southie flavor with Jack "Wacko" Curran (Boyos) and a host of other Southie characters (to include lawyers, politicos and a beauty PI our protagonist McCauley is falling for) that keep the flow of Marinick's street symphony moving at just the right tempo. Things still get rough on the ever gentrifying streets of South Boston and it's a beautiful thing to have Marinick's characters around to remind us--and how!

Simply put, Rick Marinick is the heir to George V. Higgins and In for a Pound is to Boyos what The Digger's Game was to The Friends of Eddie Coyle.

I enjoyed Boyos, but Marinick met and exeeded the challenge of his second novel. I was impressed enough I felt obligated to write something here! the prose is very clear and blunt. In Boyos there were some time jumps in the storyline that sometimes distracted me but not in this work. Wacko and his crew are nasty pieces of work, 'they wake up playing hardball everyday' I think is the quote. There are several opposing forces at work through the book and it is very clever how Marinick brings them all together at the end.

In the insular world of South Boston, there can often be a very fine line between the good guys and the bad guys. This is a neighborhood where assorted cops, politicians, lawyers, gangsters and thugs may have known each other since kindergarten and will almost certainly cross paths later in life. It can be difficult to explain this to outsiders, but Rick Marninick absolutely nails it with "In For a Pound". In an very well written and descriptive novel, Marinick gives you an up-close look at the Southie underworld and shows just how easily the worlds of criminals and law enforcement can become intertwined. As a guy who has lived both sides of the life, Marinick's credibility and knowledge base are beyond question, and it shows in his writing. A thoroughly enjoyable book that pulls you right into Southie - the good side and the bad.

In Richard Marinick's second book he again tells a riveting story set in South Boston. Mr. Marinick creatively weaves in a few of his characters from his first book, Boyos, but at the same time tell a very different and compelling story. In, In for a Pound, the original protagonist from Boyos, cleverly becomes a secondary antagonist. In for a Pound is crisply written and keeps you on the edge of your seat till the end. Mr. Marinick is a master at setting and describing the scene in a way that makes you feel like you are part of the story. I strongly recommend this book.

Capturing the true grit of Boston's neighborhoods and criminal underbelly has long been attempted but rarely accomplished. No doubt Goerge V. Higgins' "Friends of Eddie Coyle" was masterful. Higgins life experiences as a DA and crime reporter afforded him authentic points of reference. Well now comes Richard Marinick with his own set of credentials and experience. Marinick is a rare exception, someone who started as one of the good guys, took a wrong turn and in a stand up fashion came back again. His ability to portray South Boston's blue collar essence is brilliant. Southie has always been an insular town. "In For a Pound" gets it right. Rick, I can't wait for the movie. Now if only you could find another Robert Mitchum.

As in his debut "Boyos", Rick Marinick's "In for a Pound" is a tight story couched in razor-sharp realistic dialogue. Marinick has honed his style in this latest effort, with vividly descriptive scenes, vascillating between explicit brutal violence and beautifully poetic prose.
This story is written by someone who has clearly been there, and many autobiographical details emerge throughout. For anyone interested in Boston crime noir, or just a great read in general, "In for a Pound" is a must.

Rick Marinick has done it again with his second novel "In For A Pound". He once again uses his unique understanding of both sides of the law to weave together a tight, fast hard-hitting story. Del, the ex-cop/ex-con and Mackey, a female private detective, take you on a ride through South Boston's criminal underbelly in a compelling story that is guaranteed to keep you flipping the pages. If you haven't read "Boyos",
Marinick's first effort, than I suggest you get them both and save them for your winter vacation. Just try not to read too fast.
I hope he brings Del and Mackey back again.

If you like Parker's Spenser (and Susan), you'll love Marinick's MacCauley (and Mackey). A great read.

Very few authors can claim they have lived the kind of life they write about.Richard Marinick has lived it all.In For A Pound introduces ex-Mass. State Trooper Delray McCauley now tending bar after being released from jail.A safe containing sensitive information has been stolen from a prominent Boston lawyer.Captain Conway Lilly asks McCauley for his help locating the safe and its' contents.Once again Marinick places the reader in the underbelly of Southie Boston(as he did before in the classic BOYOS) Some of the characters in Boyos return :Southie mob boss Jackie Curran and his enforcer Mike Janowski who also have an interest in McCauley's investigation.Being a former bartender I particularly enjoyed the scenes featuring Delray and bar patron Ennis McGarrity.In For A Pound has it all crime,punishment,and redemption.One can only hope that Marinick continues to write in the crime genre,he's as hard-boiled as they come.Given his background there's many more tales to be told.