Rizzo's War

By: Lou Manfredo

Narrated by: Bobby Cannavale

Length: 9 hrs and 57 mins

Publisher's summary

Rizzo's War, Lou Manfredo's stunningly authentic debut, partners a rookie detective with a seasoned veteran on his way to retirement in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

"There's no wrong, there's no right, there just is." This is the refrain of Joe Rizzo, a decades-long veteran of the NYPD, as he passes on the knowledge of his years of experience to his ambitious new partner, Mike McQueen, over a year of riding together as detectives in the 62nd Precinct in Bensonhurst, Brooklyn.

McQueen is fresh from the beat in Manhattan, and Bensonhurst might as well be China for how different it is. They work on several cases, some big, some small, but the lesson is always the same. Whether it's a simple robbery or an attempted assault, Rizzo's saying always seems to bear out.

When the two detectives are given the delicate task of finding and returning the runaway daughter of a city councilman, who may or may not be more interested in something his daughter has taken with her than in her safety, the situation is much more complex. By the end of Rizzo and McQueen's year together, however, McQueen is not surprised to discover that even in those more complicated cases, Rizzo is still right - there's no wrong, there's no right, there just is.

Rizzo's War is an introduction to a wonderful new voice in crime fiction in the Big Apple, ringing with authenticity, full of personality, and taut with the suspense of real, everyday life in the big city.

©2009 Lou Manfredo (P)2009 Macmillan Audio

Critic reviews

"Lou Manfredo gets it. As a depiction of the Byzantine, politicized existence of a working American police department, Rizzo's War stands as a valuable primer. This is good police work as it actually occurs - full of flaw and compromise, absent the pristine science of television procedurals, and bearing only a vague resemblance to what any social or legal philosopher might define as justice. With all of that said, though, sometimes good police work is nearly enough." (David Simon, creator of The Wire)

Great book, Great story, and Great Narration

I LOVE Rizzo. The story goes into a great amount of nuance about law enforcement, the criminal justice system, and the human impact of many difficult situations and decisions officers have to make every day. Lou Manfredo is truly a gem of an author. Can’t wait to listen to Rizzo’s Fire and Rizzo’s Daughter. TV Series or Movie please!!!

Don't miss it!

Captivating from start to finish. Great character development. Cannavale is perfect for this book. I can't say enough great things about this one...and no, they aren't paying me- it's just a great audio book deserving of praise!

Bobby Cannavale is so yummy!

As if the story wasn't good enough, add in Bobby Cannavale with gorgeous inflections of tone and you've got one superb audio book. The story is good and has enough twists and subplots to keep me guessing. I'm a big mystery buff and have listened to tons of Robert B. Parker with Joe Mategna narrating. This one surpasses even Joe. Highly recommended for anyone who loves a good old fashioned detective novel, complete with wide eyed rookie and hard boiled old-timer.

Hey kid, pass me the coffee and donuts!

Kickin...

This book takes its time to get into the plot line, spending quite a few pages letting us get involved with the characters. Its a book that lets us know the players by actions in the development of the book. I enjoyed the narrator immensely. A believable plot, with good characters (not to many thank you....) it translates well into audio format.

Mix up some Connolly with a bit of Wambaugh and you are well into this book.

Audible MUST add the other books in this series

Any additional comments?

I listened to this book half a year ago. Been hoping there would be movement on getting the next two novels in this series uploaded, but there doesn’t appear to be any audio versions. I might just have to READ for a change, ha.

If you love this book, let’s bug Audible and hope the rest of this series is made available and read by Bobby Cannavale. He helped make this a treat.

I usually try to write better reviews, but Audible seems always to take them down. So spread the word about the other books in your reviews. Check out Amazon. They’re there.

Excellent Author, Excellent Narrator

Lou Manfredo's debut is an honest look at police station politics and officer experiences. I look forward to Manfredo's next novel. Bobby Cannevale's talent as a narrator is amazing. His ability to modify his voice for each character along with his east coast accent makes this an excellent listen.

Straight talking crime novel

This story was simple, not trying to be too clever. It showed you rather than told you what everyday life on the force is like. The characters were a little one dimensional but that did not matter as the story carried them along and laid out a straight forward picture of the case.

Hear's my must listen list...and review!

My reviews seldom do justice to any of the best mystery/thrillers I've read. When I'm shopping for a book, reader reviews have a huge impact on my purchases. I get frustrated trying to scroll through others' reviews to find the "can't misses." So following this review are a few of my best bets and can't misses!

Rizzo is an honest, grizzled veteran teaching his newly promoted partner how things get done in New York. The performance by reader Bobby Cannavale is outstanding, bringing every character to life as I'm sure the author intended.The characters are fantastic, each with extraordinary depth. This is no trite story.

But the mystery itself is where the story falls short of 5 stars. I found the politics, maze of inner-department workings, and relationships engrossing. I enjoyed the whole experience and will probably listen again based on the reader alone.

Here are a few of my can't misses in the thriller category. You can look up reviews on each one, but don't miss any of these! Gutshot Straight, Dawn Patrol, Winter of Frankie Machine, Paranoia, Power Play, all 5 of Nesbo's Harry Hole books, Rain Gods, Crusader's Cross. I've listened to each of these more than once. Better still, my wife who shies away from this category, loved these as well.

Many plots and issues

A little slow moving but good character development and it laid the groundwork for future books.

Good cop. Good cop.

That's right. two good cops believably rendered by the author and brought to life by Canavale, who, it turns out is a brilliant narrator. A book a month for a dozen years gives me a big library. This goes on the very short A list. Outstanding.