Review: Buffalo Soldiers by Nicholas Denmon

Nicholas Denmon’s debut thriller For Nothing had me in awe from its first pages, and Buffalo Soldiers is no different. It is different, though, all the while keeping with its Upstate NY Mafia Tale tone, if that’s even possible. But it is, you know, possible, for this author, who is not just talented with words but in his writing is insightful, unique, and beautiful.

If there was one thing I never expected from this series it was to fall in love. In For Nothing it was not just Rontego (back off ladies, this one’s mine) but the things found between the lines like the elegance of murder and the necessary evils that play alongside revenge. In Buffalo Soldiers it was Ivan. I was happy to see Raf again (like catching up with an old friend if you get my drift), but Ivan was who I was after as I flipped the pages. From his introduction I was enticed by him. For reasons this brilliant author should only have the right to give away, it turned out. Ivan, and Buffalo – I was in love. I am, in love. With the art of telling a damn good story, and reading one. With Buffalo Soldiers, for having achieved this feat, this level of otherworldly wonder where the mafia meets love meets tragedy meets family meets dammit, you don’t have to do this to yourself. I mean, you don’t have to live in this warzone of fire and regret and loss… so much loss. And as you realize it you cry, and then you ask yourself what the hell am I doing? because you’re reading a freaking book, and it’s not even real.

But it is.

You can feel it. And that’s what matters to you.

Don’t pass over this book because you think it’s a mafia crime thriller and that’s not “your thing”. Read it because you like reading or because you believe in the power of the written word. Read it because you follow Nicholas Denmon on Twitter or you just don’t know what to read next. Just make sure… you read it.

There’s plenty of killing and shit, too.

Blog Tour: Buffalo Soldiers by Nicholas Denmon

To celebrate the release of Buffalo Soldiers in the coming days, the second in the Upstate NY Mafia Tales, today I have author Nicholas Denmon over to answer a few of my questions. For Nothing (book one) was one of my favorite books of 2011 (okay I think we can say favorite books ever), and its sequel Buffalo Soldiers is nothing short of breathtaking. I am super excited for the release of the sequel and honored to have him over to share some of his insights about his novel.

 

Allie: The main focus of For Nothing (book one) was Alex Vaughn and Rafael Rontego, and the way the world is perceived on alternate sides of the law. Buffalo Soldiers branches out a bit, introducing your readers to a slew of new characters that offer points of view from every corner of the mafia lifestyle. And you transition so fluidly from one character to the next. Do you have a favorite that you were really able to connect with, or that is in any way based on anyone in your life?

Nicholas: I think each character has bits of me in them, just shades really though.  I am really drawn to the bad guys in my novels.  What made them who they are?   In this novel, the journey of Ivan Nivsky is really one that I enjoyed.  He has lived such a hard life and does some really horrible things.  But deep down you get a sense that he wasn’t always this way.  There is a real strong loyalty factor that this character has, especially to another ‘bad guy’ in Rafael Rontego.  The thing about these types of characters is that their bonds are forged in such terrible fire that it really is difficult for those of us with normal lives to understand how someone who does such bad things can have such honorable characteristics.  This dichotomy is really fun for me to explore as writer.

Add Buffalo Soldiers to your Goodreads shelves.

Allie: Your Buffalo, New York references are so intricate, it makes me want to visit, if only to bring me closer to the events in this intriguing series. Can you tell us about your time there?

Nicholas: For me, Buffalo is simply home.  In the first novel of the series, For Nothing, I showed the dark, cold, wintery side of the place.  In this one the novel takes place in the autumn and the city has a real splendor during that season.  For as harsh as the winters can be, the autumn has breath taking beauty.  My fondest memories are standing there looking at leaves in shades of purple and burnt orange and blood red.  It catches the eye and holds it.  I have never seen its equal anywhere else I have ever been.

Nicholas’ blog, Cat Get Off My Keyboard

Allie: Readers reacted to the complicated character Rafael Rontego (especially the females, if you get my drift) in an astounding way. Based on your reviews, everybody loves him. Do you think there is a particular character in Buffalo Soldiers that may have a similar effect on your readers? (Ivan. Say Ivan. Please, say Ivan!)

Nicholas: Haha! Yes, Ivan I think has that ability.  He has suffered tremendous heartbreak through his life. Throughout a long prison stint it was love that sustained him, an unrequited love, to be more specific.  If you have ever loved but not been loved in return, Ivan can be a sympathetic character.  At the same time, he is a grizzled mob veteran and the shell, the armor, around his heart is very thick.  I think those diverging characteristics bring a depth to the character and I think we start to hope he might one day realize that he can be loved in return.

Allie: You’ve mentioned that you have at least one love story in you. This being my blog and all (don’t think we haven’t noticed how many romance fans read your work, including me), can you elaborate on that, or any of your other stories? Can you share anything about what you’re working on now?

Nicholas: Yes I can.  I am working on the third and final novel in the An Upstate New York Mafia Tale series, but I am also working on a love story called The Hundred Heartbreaks of Harlan Halifax.  It is more of a slice of everyday Americana, but even our normal lives can produce the most tremendous of love stories.  I believe that Harlan Halifax’s story might be one of them.

 

Well then. I’ll be looking forward to that. It’s always a pleasure, Nick. Thanks for stopping by.

For those of you not caught up on the series, you can pick up a copy of For Nothing here. You can also visit Nicholas Denmon on Twitter @nicholasdenmon or on Facebook.

Look out for my review of Buffalo Soldiers very soon!!

Blog Tour: For Nothing by Nicholas Denmon

Undercover cop Alex Vaughn goes deeper than ever into the organized crime family of Buffalo, NY. Motivated by justice and revenge, he seeks out the assassin that laid his friend Jack low.

Professional killer Rafael Rontego traverses the deadly politics of Buffalo’s mafia underbelly. In a city whose winter can be just as deadly as those wielding power, Rontego tries to stay ahead of the game.

Their two worlds collide in this epic thriller that takes the reader on a search for self, justice, and truth.

 

What can I say about For Nothing that hasn’t been said by mafia crime thriller fans everywhere? By… Nicholas Denmon fans? Because that’s what they are, really. Fans of the mafia, the thrill of the written word who for whatever reason gave this debut author their undivided attention… those who, never regretted it for a second, because when they were done reading, all they could think about was that next chapter. That next book. That next Nicholas Denmon novel.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC copy of For Nothing before it had been published, and I honestly didn’t know what to do with myself once I had read it. For Nothing was like, an introduction, for me. Which is weird, because it’s not like I haven’t read my share of thrillers. Maybe not so much about the mafia, I’ll admit, but thrillers/suspense/mystery – these are the books I started with. That started me… on the written word. But, an introduction, nevertheless. An introduction because I think I realized, once I gave myself a moment to absorb the novel in all its glory, this was the way a thriller was supposed to be written. Supposed to be read. It wasn’t all about heartless murderous rages and non-stop action (which there is no shortage of in this book) but about the world around us and how much colder the people in it can be than the weather in Buffalo. Maybe a thriller was just as much about having the courage to look in the mirror long enough to discover one self as how fast one assassin can take down a room full of people. Maybe it was there all along, this careful attention to every detail from the sounds, smells, sensations of the cold wind as it blasted past, to our gritty nature as human beings, to finding love, giving up on love, to… killing for love. For family. For loyalty. Maybe it was there all along, waiting to be let out into the world of readers wishing for that outlet. Wishing for that book, that book that had the power to change their perceptions on… everything.

For Nothing is a different kind of thriller. This is a novel that delves into the world of good versus evil, and how the line between the two can go from a little blurry, to nonexistent. The author’s unique style grants this novel a level of exclusivity that soars it from the mafia crime thriller shelves to the every shelf. As in, everyone should read this book.

 

For Nothing on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Nothing-Upstate-York-Mafia-ebook/dp/B0050WA44K/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1331523771&sr=8-2

Visit the author on his blog http://dratednovelist.blogspot.com or his web site http://best-fiction-novels.com/. You can also interact with him on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/authornicholasdenmon or on Twitter @nicholasdenmon.

Look out for the sequel to For Nothing, Buffalo Soldiers, out March 20th.