J.A. Russo, Indian Givers

Indian Givers

J.A. Russo

Xlibris, 2004, 287 pp.

ISBN: 1413464564

In Providence, Carl Bartelli has one goal in life and no one, including his wife or his business partner Evan Graham, will stand in the way of his achieving his objective of becoming a millionaire before he turns fifty. Though his company Barham Armored Car Company has done well in New England and now in Sao Paulo, he sees the opportunity to attain his dream. He offers a deal with The Brave Wolf Reservation tribe to provide the capital to expand the successful slot machines emporium into a casino hotel complex in exchange for a piece of the action.

Using the same illegal "borrowing" of client money that capitalized the Brazilian venture at no cost, Carl, Evan and junior partner Judy Meade cut a deal with the tribe. A setback occurs when an abandoned gas station that Carl planned to buy to build the casino on is no longer for sale. The station's co-owner Claude Samuels plans to reopen up the gas station. Refusing to allow anyone to get in his way, Carl, over the protest of his partners, burns down the property of the Samuel siblings. If Judy or Evan become obstacles Carl will kill them.

INDIAN GIVER contains a terrific storyline, but the key to the tale is the strong cast. One-track-minded Carl is an intriguing villain while his partners and to a lesser degree his wife are willing to break the law, just not as violently as he does. The council members are also interesting as they soon conclude that they negotiated with evil. J.A. Russo writes a tense tale that grips the audience from the moment the audience comprehends how cleverly and calculatingly cunning a killer the lead protagonist is. This is an exciting reading experience.

Harriet Klausner