Book Reviews

Book Blurb

Holding on to a life worth living can be hard when the nightmares of the past come knocking.

 

Eight months ago, Nicholas Pierce, ex-mob enforcer, faked his death and assumed a new identity to escape sadistic mob boss Jeremy Vice. With no contacts outside the underworld, Pierce finds work with a washed-up PI. It’s an easy enough gig—until investigating a human trafficking ring drags him back to his old stomping grounds.

 

Miles Devonport, Pierce’s partner, is currently top of his class at the police academy while single-handedly holding his family together. But when one lieutenant questions Pierce’s past and his involvement in the investigation, Miles must put his future on the line to keep Pierce’s secrets.

 

The situation becomes dire when it’s discovered the traffickers have connections to the Vice family. The lives of everyone Pierce cares about are in danger—not least of all his own, if Jeremy Vice learns he’s back from the dead. Pierce and Miles face a conspiracy that reaches the highest levels—one that will gladly destroy them to keep operating. As Pierce uses every dirty trick he learned from organized crime to protect the new life he’s building, he realizes that no matter how hard he tries, he might never escape his past.

 

But he’s not going down without a fight.

 

Book Review

It says “Crime. Corruption. Death. Same shit, different day.” right there on the book cover, and it is a very accurate description of what this novel is all about. ‘Vice Enforcer’ is a very worthy sequel to ‘Vice City’ in every way that counts: Nicholas Pierce and Miles have grown only to face more challenges and are as intriguing as ever, the continuing threat of the mob, specifically the Vice family, is credible enough to freak me out, and the stakes are higher than ever. Dark and gritty, this is a peek into how tough it is to stay alive even when everyone assumes you are dead. It’s intense, nail-bitingly suspenseful, and contains a lot of violence and brutality – pretty much what you’d expect from a story like this. Oh – and I’d definitely recommend the first volume before this one, there is a lot of backstory (not to mention excitement) you’ll miss if you don’t.

Pierce has been through hell to get away from the Vice family, his job as their enforcer, and if they or other members of the mob ever find out he is still alive, there will be more hell to pay. He is now using his skills working for a somewhat shady PI, trying to get enough hours to obtain a license. But then an attempt to obtain evidence for a case goes horribly wrong, and Pierce gets pulled right back into the world of crime. Human trafficking this time, and of course his nemesis, Jeremy Vice, is right at the center of the unspeakable crimes being committed. Granted, Pierce is on the other side now, but trying to keep his true identity a secret while closely working with police is a truly harrowing experience.

Miles is doing well at the police academy, enjoys the domestic life he has with Pierce – except for Nicholas’s dismal results as a gardener - but the fear of something bad happening to the man he is building a life with is never far from his mind. So when Pierce gets pulled into an active investigation and the lieutenant in charge begins to ask questions, it makes Miles extremely uncomfortable. His loyalty means he picks his partner’s side, so he is soon in as deep as Pierce.

Miles and Pierce have learned to trust each other, to work together, and to deal with threats much better than before. But Pierce is adrift, still trying to figure out how he fits into this new life. The pace is much slower than he is used to and defining a new self-image does not come easy for him. He has a long way to go, and the author does a great job showing his progress. Miles is supportive, but he is also his own man, and the dynamic between them is as edgy as ever. They come to blows more than once (arguing, that is) and, up until the very end, I wasn’t sure if they’d be able to realize how to make things work for both of them.

If you like to watch characters struggle to find their place in life as they adjust to new circumstances, if an intense relationship full of very realistic differences and more than one conflict is your thing, and if you’re looking for a suspenseful struggle for justice that will keep you on the edge of your seat, then you will probably like this novel. The depth of emotion is as good, if not better, than in the first installment.

 

 

 

 

DISCLAIMER: Books reviewed on this site were usually provided at no cost by the publisher or author. This book has been provided by DSP Publications for the purpose of a review.

Additional Information

Format	ebook and print
Length	Novel, 250 pages/84728 words
Heat Level
Publication Date	03-April-2018
Price	$6.99 ebook, $16.99 paperback, $16.99 bundle
Buy Link	https://www.dsppublications.com/books/vice-enforcer-by-sa-stovall-447-b