Odd book. This is Lionel's story of he and three other boys, scouped out of a charitable institution in Brooklyn, and forged into 'Minna's Men' by their rescuerer. All were misfits when Frank Minna, a small-time hood, collected them, but none was stranger than Lionel.

Lionel becomes known as 'Crazyman' to the neighborhood, and 'Freakshow' to his fellow Minna Men due to his Tourette's Syndrome. When Frank Minna is murdered, it's now up to Lionel to discover what happened.

Ambitious attempt at a 'noir' style hard-boiled detective story. Lionel's voice is authentic and lovely. My only problem was when the author would try to have Lionel's tics and verbal tour-de-forces blind you to the gaps in the story of following a trail to the killer. It doesn't always work, but you are rooting so hard for Lionel, you don't really care.

Fly far little book!

Put in the Medicine Chest V Bookbox.

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Sounds like an intriguing and unusual tale. Thanks for sharing.

A whodunit made more interesting by an unusual protagonist. Lionel is an an orphan who becomes part of Frank Minna's small time mobster gang. When Frank was murdered, Lionel set out on a hair-raising trip to find the culprit. Fast paced, fun to read.

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