Customer Reviews

Slip & Fall

5 star:		(21)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

So they say about going broke, and so this fine novel says about losing your ethical compass. Robert Principe is a good man and an honest lawyer. But when he is put to the test, when he has to make a decision compelled by family issues, he makes the wrong choice, his need for a few bucks overriding his better instincts. He thinks "just once" and I am out. Not true. The lawyer envy he feels(put in any profession) for those half as smart and twice as successful is perfectly captured by Santora, a lawyer turned writer. And the way the legal system works, and how it is easy to game it for illegal profit, is nailed as well. The long suffering wife is a bit too patient and saintly, and the violence(Robert hatches his insurance bilking scheme with some local wise guys) is ,I imagine, honest but may put off a few readers(the clerk at my local bookstore thought it a bit much). But this first novel by a Sopranos writer and creator of Prison Break is worth the time.

Nick Santora gave up the practice of law to pursue his lifelong dream of writing. And it is a good thing he did. He is currently the executive producer and writer of the hit TV series, Prison Break. Slip and Fall is his first novel.
Robert Principe is a lawyer. He is also the apple of his father's eye, the toast of the family and the envy of the neighborhood. Robert is the good Italian-American, hard-working, smart, and honest. What his family and friends do not know is that Robert's law firm and life are circling the drain. Out of desperation, he comes up with "the plan". Enter Lou Turro and Jackie Masella, the other side of the Italian-American coin--The Mob. They help Robert execute his plan. The plan is a success. Lou is a little richer and Jackie has gained some respect from Lou. Robert's financial stresses have eased and his business is picking up. His life seems to have taken a turn for the better. But Robert's not aware of what's happening behind the scenes and that lack of knowledge may get him and his family killed.
If you think this book is all drama and angst, forget it. This is the perfect book for summer reading. Just kick back and enjoy the thrill ride. There is no moral here, just a good story about likeable people. Nick Santora has infused his work with a great sense of humor and the characters come across as real, passionate human beings, with the emphasis on human. Hopefully, we'll see some more literature by Mr. Santora; meanwhile we'll just have to enjoy his work on Prison Break.

I had low expectations for SLIP & FALL, given that its author is best known for his television work. However, I was surprised by what an enjoyable read this debut novel was.

While SLIP & FALL won't win any literary awards, it is very entertaining suspense novel for the most part. Santora has a very breezy, easy-to-read writing style that makes the pages of this novel fly by. I found the main lawyer character to be likable enough, even though I didn't fully agree with the wisdom of many of his decisions.

This novel does have a bit of a schizophrenic quality. SLIP & FALL is written in a comic style, and it made me laugh out loud several times. On the other hand, this book gets progressively darker and more violent as it goes along, which seems to contradict the novel's comic tone. In the end, this novel turns into a surprisingly dark morality tale, which may disappoint some readers who only want fun entertainment.

Overall, though, I enjoyed SLIP & FALL for what it was. It's the type of book you can finish in a few hours, and it has a moral message that will make you think. I look forward to Santora's next novel, if he chooses to write one.

Three and a half stars.

Rob Principe graduated at the top of his Columbia Law School class and decided to go into business for himself, representing those injured by careless corporations and slipshod equipment. Unfortunately for Rob, the business doesn't exactly roll in. When his banker starts demanding mortgage payments, his wife announces she is pregnant, and his sister is dumped by her husband--and pregnant with a Downs syndrome baby, Principe is desperate. A chance run-in with his gangster cousin gives him an idea, a win-win. Too many people can't pay what they owe the gangsters for gambling debt. Rather than killing the deadbeats, the mob could have them fake a work injury and send to Rob. Rob would sue, keep his cut, and the mob would get the deadbeat's share. Even the deadbeats win--since they're not killed. It's rough for Rob to sacrifice his morals like that, but he manages.

Getting in bed with the mob has its challenges, though, and Rob soon finds he is in deeper than he'd imagined. Getting out, though, won't be easy. Concerns about ethics soon take second place to staying alive.

Author Nick Santora's prose keeps the pages turning, with Rob continually faced with dilemmas that offer no easy way out.

Several flaws keep SLIP AND FALL from reaching its full potential. First, Rob's financial issues might have been serious, but he was a top graduate from a top law school. Surely he could have taken a job with a major law firm rather than joined up with the mob. Second, it was hard to sympathize too much with Rob once the mob let him off the hook and he voluntarily went back to them. Third, I found the resolution fine for Rob, but not very satisfactory in terms of justice or lessons learned. Finally, the characters were mostly flat--dad proud, wife nagging, sister whining, cousin Joey manic-depressive, and Lou Turro channeling Marlon Brando.

SLIP AND FALL shows plenty of promise for Nick Santora and makes a quick airplane read. It could have been a lot better, though.

This is a writer that writes with all of his heart. You can tell. This novel has it all. Suspense,humor,and heart. I have read literally thousands of books,and Nick Santora's writing style is probably the best that,I personally,have seen. Simply put,if you want a book that you will not stop reading until you are finished,which grabs you from the first sentence and refuses to let go until the last,do not leave this page without getting your copy of Nick Santora's Slip and Fall. If you do,you'll be missing out on something special. I do not agree with someone else's assessment that the characters are "flimsily overdrawn". They are right on target,and I can't wait for his next book. Stop reading me and read him....lol..

This book falls in line with other Attorney based books similiar to Rosenfelt et al, with the suspense, humor and characters which make this a stunning debut from a writer who has done work with the Soprano's, Prison Break amongst other great top shows on TV. I recommend this to those who enjoy character driven titles involving the law and also those who like a little MOB influence of which this title has both. P

I even sent a note to the author of which he/and or his publicist responded twice to my emails. Hopefully sales are good on this for I hope for additional titles regarding the characters introduced in this novel and or genre.

FAST PACED, IT TOOK ME ON A WILD RIDE ONCE I GOT INTO THE "CLOWN CAR" TO THE VERY END. NICK SANTORA'S WITTY SENSE OF HUMOR AND EXCELLENT DISCRIPTIVE WRITING MADE IT A REAL PAGE TURNER. I FOUND MYSELF ROOTING FOR ROB, WHO DEEP DOWN WAS A GOOD & LOVING MAN TO HIS FAMILY AND FRIENDS, TO SOMEHOW GET OUT OF THAT DARK CORNER HE BACKED HIMSELF INTO. I THOROUGHLY ENJOYED THIS BOOK. NICK SANTORA'S FIRST NOVEL IS DEFINETLY WORTH THE TIME!

Can not believe this book didn't do better. Some of the best writing I have read this year.

The downward spiral of one man's story pulled me into a world of uncertainty and intrigue. The descent kept me turning page after page in hopes of discovering his escape from certain death. As we hit the bottom, the story concluded, and the downward spiral reversed its course.

If you mixed the stories of the Sopranos, Law&Order, and Prison Break together, the blend would be called Slip and Fall. It is a story about one man, Robert "The Prince" Principe and his descent into the hands of the mob. The cards were not in his
favor, and stuck between a rock and a hard place, Principe stepped into their grasp, only to be pulled further in and with no chance of stepping out. Now, caught in the vice of the mob, he would have no choice but to push the limits of his stature as a lawyer and to hope to escape with his life and the lives of those close to his heart.

Slip and Fall was written by Nick Santora, who merged the world of fiction with the history of his life. Following in his footsteps, Principe attended Columbia Law School and married a woman named Janine, whose characteristics may reflect Santora's own wife. With his experience in writing forThe Sopranos, Law&Order and The Guardian and as the writer and co-executive producer of Prison Break, Santora brought Principe to life and created a world of family, dedication, and downfall.

Fast-paced, intense, and heart-pounding, the story of Principe is addictive, and every page, every short chapter disappeared in the blink of an eye. As the trial of his life derailed and hung in the balance on Justice's scales, we are carried further into the book, into the life of the main character. As the conclusion neared, we could only hold our breath and wait in anticipation to see if Principe would survive the errors of his way and be given the chance to redeem what he has done.

Slip and Fall lived up to the stories told in the Sopranos, Law&Order, and Prison Break. Its blend of storytelling is enthralling and brilliant. Its main character is one that stood out from the pages and one that would be remembered after being read. The thirst to enjoy great stories has found a new taste, a new enjoyment called Slip and Fall.

One of the best books I've read in a very long time. Can't wait until Nick Santora comes out with another book. Couldn't put it down for very long because you just had to find out what happens next. He deservs 10 stars on this book.