Confessions of a Mafia Boss - Bloodshed on Broadway

The Story of Red Russell "Copperhead Red"

By: Shannon Priestley

Narrated by: Shannon Priestley

Confessions of a Mafia Boss - Bloodshed on Broadway: The Story of Red Russell

This downtown Nashville thriller follows Red Russell, a modern-day, self-made mafia boss. He owns several businesses, including the Copperhead Press in Printer’s Alley. One advantage of owning a printing press is that you can print whatever you want, including your own books. Red learns that one of his employees has stolen a book printed for his private collection. When the thieves take the bait copy titled Boswell’s Barrels: Where Wood Meets Whiskey, Red begins a pursuit that forces him to uncover not only the truth behind his missing book but also the truth about his own values.

Red believes in having power and showing it. He’s long studied the lives of history’s most notorious mafia leaders, letting their philosophies influence his life and his decisions. But when he finally tracks down the thieves, Red must decide which of those mafia legends will guide his hand when it comes to punishment.

This multidirectional story follows Red as he questions human nature, why people do what they do, why they make the choices they make, and what kind of message justice should send: that every choice has consequences, especially when you cross a mercenary.

Red's mafia crew forms naturally when the number willing to get their hands dirty grows. Red knows that gives him something he values most, leverage. Leverage he’ll use to reclaim what’s his.

Red divides his time between a secluded cabin in Viola, Tennessee, just outside McMinnville, and on Nashville’s Broadway including spending his nights with Elle at The 505 condos overlooking the downtown Nashville skyline.

About the Author

Shannon Priestley lives in Murfreesboro, TN and has visited Nashville many times over the last thirty years. He has been an educator for over two decades in Middle Tennessee, and has a degree in English from MTSU with a background in reading and writing.

©2026 Shannon Priestley (P)2026 Shannon Priestley