Description
“Writers from Chandler and Hammett through William Burroughs, Charles Willeford, James Elroy, Bret Easton Ellis and Don DeLillo have shown how the administration of cities is not corrupt, but inherently predatory. Speaking directly to supra-national, neo-liberal depredation, Jean-Patrick Manchette and Don Delillo, are matched by Gerard Cappa, in Black Boat Dancing. As with noir of the mid-20th century, protagonists are not destroyed but potentially redeemed by their own sin and suffering. They force their humanity to come to life. The ultimate 21st century heroism is to struggle for the control of one＊s own destiny. Con Maknazpy＊s struggle is a remarkable example – more complete, more blissfully anarchistic, than the nation-loving kind of hero”
When Jorginho the Black Hat hacker goes AWOL in Portugal with the secrets of America’s role in the Arab Spring rebellions, Maknazpy is enlisted to bring him back – dead or alive. Juggling a hot money scam and cold war treachery, only his animal cunning keeps him one step ahead of his US handlers, Chinese Military Intelligence, the Russian Mafia and a Brazilian street gang. No one has a monopoly on moral authority in this dark world and Maknazpy is no knight-errant asserting the moral good – and that’s why he may just survive.
“Unique and unpredictable, always a nice experience, especially in a genre that is fraught with derivative copycats. Some really great concepts worth deeper deliberation. Almost literary at times, with the easy-flowing prose and powerful word choices – a well-written, intelligently complex novel with truly unexpected twists that will open your mind and keep you on your toes”
“The real-world complexity of Black Boat Dancing, in a wide variety of forms, is another reason why it demands the reader’s close attention. Shifting partnerships, pragmatic realignments, and transformations of persona have to be acknowledged, otherwise we can lose our way in Cappa’s dramatic narrative from one page to the next – loaded with action, stabs-in-the-back, heart-felt loss, tense standoffs and even a hint of mysticism”
Black Boat Dancing is an outstanding thriller by Gerard Cappa; a tale of greed, politics, and power-hungry predators on the international stage. Tough guys with rough language, slinky dames, and rapid-fire action alongside a noir-style narrative of gestures, faces and words make this a compelling read’ –
‘You come out of the novel knowing, like Maknazpy, that whatever the truth today, especially if it is truth as defined by the CIA, it will be different tomorrow. The action is non-stop and the sound of the jigsaw continual. This can lead to a dizzying experience for the reader. Take your time over each chapter, savor the dialog and enjoy the pieces coming together.’ –
‘Cappa continues the mix of subtle allusion, rapidly paced violent set-pieces, and character reflection, for Con encounters the “red frenzy” inherited, and perhaps passed on, from ancient Irish ancestors, and in turn, the Ulster Cycle and C迆 Chulainn’s “warp spasms” –
“A remarkable thriller about money, technology and geopolitics that manages to feel both timeless and timely… there＊s a lot here that is new, particularly in terms of style. Author Gerard Cappa constantly blends elements of traditional noir with subject matter that could only exist in the present. Mambo Italiano serves as a soundtrack while black hat hackers create mayhem, and pulp thriller dialogue is delivered alongside contemporary concepts like ※Pipelineistan§. Thanks to Cappa＊s gift for storytelling, the end result is extremely satisfying”-
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