The Venetian and the Rum Runner

By: L.A. Witt

Narrated by: Michael Ferraiuolo

Length: 15 hrs and 16 mins

Publisher's Summary

New York City, 1924

Once their paths cross, their worlds will never be the same. 

Danny Moore and his crew only meant to rob the hotel suites of rich guests. He wasn’t supposed to find himself in gangster Ricky il Sacchi’s room. And il Sacchi wasn’t supposed to wind up dead. Now, Danny has the attention of another notorious gangster.

Carmine Battaglia is intrigued by the Irish thieves who would have made off with a huge score if not for il Sacchi’s death. They’re cunning, careful, and exactly what he needs for his rum-running operation. But Danny’s already lost two brothers to the violence between New York’s Irish and Sicilian gangs, and he’s not about to sell his soul to Carmine.

With a gangster’s blood on his hands, Danny needs protection, whether he likes it or not. And that’s to say nothing of the generous pay, which promises to pull him and his crew - not to mention their families - out of destitution.

Working together brings Danny and Carmine to a détente and then to something so intense, neither can ignore it. Something nearly enough to make them both forget the brutal tensions between their countrymen.

But the death of Ricky il Sacchi hasn’t been forgotten. And someone is determined to make Danny bleed for it.  

The Venetian and the Rum Runner is a 144,000-word gay historical romantic suspense novel set during Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties.

Content warning: graphic violence, PTSD.

©2020 L.A. Witt (P)2020 L.A. Witt

Must listen

I loved this book. It was 15 hours 16 minutes of all the feels. It made me cry at points and on the edge of my seat others. It’s a slow burn with mild heat. Has a satisfying ending. Totally worth the credit. Michael Ferraiuolo’s accents are top notch!

Great author and narrator pairing!!

I listened to the audio version of this ebook. Michael Ferraiuolo is an amazing narrator. L.A. Witt is an amazing writer. I can't help but want more of this world. Danny and Carmine are star crossed lovers of a sort. Their story is compelling, but I was also drawn into some of the secondary characters stories. Especially James a priest who moonlights as a drag performer at nights. I can't help but feel there is a story there and I would love to read it.

Almost like Peaky Blinders.

Not bad at all. Very good. And action pack.
Liked it very much.
I kept imagining the Peaky Blinders characters I this audiobook.

Great narration but the content was not the best

I didn't enjoy this book as others from L.A. Witt, I like the historical information but there was too much introspection in my opinion, very slow development between the two main leads, I felt like not much happened on a book of this length and too much clearing of throats, which I felt most of the time was completely unnecessary.

Great narration, good story

The first half of this audiobook dragged a little for me, but I really enjoyed the second half. Michael Ferraiuolo did a great job as usual.

Excellent

I really enjoyed this book, I thought I wasn’t but I did, I always enjoyed l a Witt books

Fantastic work by author - and narrator!

I don’t normally write reviews. However, I felt compelled to share how much I love it.

If you enjoy gangsters, suspense, and a slow-burn m/m romance, you will thoroughly enjoy this listen. I soaked in every word, sometimes re-listening to chapters to make sure I didn’t miss anything.

Michael Ferraiuolo’s narration/voice acting is always great; however, it seems as if this was the first time I NOTICED the range and skill of his talent. He is truly outstanding!

There is no doubt L.A. Witt has an incredible gift. This book is very different from what I’m used to reading from her and I am not disappointed!

Thank you, L.A. Witt, for sharing your work and choosing Michael Ferraioulo to narrate!

Fantastically written and performed! If I could give it more than 5-stars, I would!

Excellent book

Loved the book as it has loads of action, great MCs and support characters. The narrator is great as aways.

No seas caught fire in the writing of this book

Set in a similar gangster genre to When The Seas Catch fire by the same author, but in prohibition times. Apart from the musical interludes and the Art Deco cover, there was no atmosphere of the times, no incidental descriptions of clothing, or decor, of the cars, or the buildings. It was refreshing to have no swearing. This was a time when men wore spats, double breasted suits, used tommy guns, but not in this book.

Witt can write good characters, and good action filled plots, but none of that found it's way here. The story was as stilted as the relationship between the bland MCs. I only lasted the distance as I was busy doing something else whilst listening.

The real reason for prohibition was to create a monopoly for the fuel companies. Many motors previously ran on alcohol made in home stills or on hemp fuel. Hemp was also demonized and banned at this time. Henry Ford designed his first cars to run on hemp fuel. DISAPPOINTING